IKEA’s broccoli leaf soup: Turning Sweden’s agricultural waste into commercial food

Half of the broccoli grown in Sweden is currently left in the field at harvest, according to Axfoundation, but that could be set to change. The non-profit has teamed up with wholesale food company Grönsakshallen Sorunda to utilize broccoli leaves, including a broccoli leaf soup from IKEA Sweden, which will launch this month. 

In Sweden, around 20% of the broccoli plant is typically used — the florets. The stems and leaves are usually left in the field, even though roughly half of the leaves are fully edible, meaning large amounts of potential food never reach consumers. By harvesting the upper broccoli leaves, Sweden’s broccoli yield could be doubled, according to calculations by The Whole Plant Initiative.

“Today there is a lot of focus on producing more food, but an equally important challenge is making better use of what we already produce,” says Veronica Öhrvik, agronomist and project manager within Future Food at Axfoundation. “Broccoli leaves are a clear example of a nutritious resource that is left unused today, representing a significant loss for both human health and the environment.”

Engaging the broccoli supply chain

Axfoundation has brought together growers, processors, wholesalers, and food companies to test how broccoli leaves can be utilized in real-world conditions, building on research from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Pilot trials were carried out at Axfoundation’s development center, Torsåker Farm. With Grönsakshallen Sorunda, the method was further optimized for food production: the leaves are chopped, packaged, and gently heat-treated to achieve the right taste, color, and texture.

“By taking the research all the way into practice, we’ve shown that broccoli leaves can be used efficiently and at scale,” says Öhrvik. “The leaves work in a wide range of dishes and can, for example, be used in place of spinach.”Axfoundation’s Torsåker Farm development center pioneers the use of broccoli leaves in real-world food production (Image credit: Axfoundation).

IKEA’s new broccoli leaf soup

Axfoundation says one concrete result of the project is the launch of broccoli leaf soup by IKEA Sweden. The soup, it says, illustrates how a raw material that was previously left in the field can be transformed into a commercial food product, without requiring additional land, water, or agricultural inputs.

“Creating more from less is part of our DNA and runs through all of our product development,” says Erika Norrman, country food manager at IKEA Sweden. “At IKEA, we want to increase access to plant-based food as part of a varied diet, and this initiative allows us to offer an affordable soup made from broccoli leaves that tastes good and does good.”

The soup will be served in all IKEA stores in Sweden starting at the end of January and will be available in limited quantities. The ambition is to utilize a significantly larger volume of broccoli leaves during the 2026 harvest.Broccoli leaves are chopped, heat-treated, and packaged to achieve the perfect taste and texture for a variety of dishes (Image credit: Axfoundation).