I grew up disliking Brussels Sprouts and broccoli, and it wasn’t till I was in my teenage years that I realized that these vegetables could be FANTASTIC if they were just cooked right! My parents used to give me raw, uncooked broccoli, cauliflower and other veggies, and while some people may enjoy that, it is definitely an acquired taste and not for everyone.
So, I avoided these veggies until at one restaurant, I tried a delicious salad with crisp, garlicky brussels sprouts that almost melted in the mouth. I was shocked and delighted that veggies could actually taste GOOD and since then I’ve been trying to come up with my own vegan recipe that matches what I tried at that restaurant!
After some trial and error, I refined my recipe till it tasted exactly like what I had at that restaurant and my entire family ADORED it! Now, every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, we make this recipe and any time we happen to buy some brussels sprouts. This also makes a great addition or topping to salads, soups, pastas, or it can be enjoyed as a side-dish to any main course.
How to prep the brussels sprouts
If you’ve never worked with brussels sprouts before, it may feel intimidating to work with them, especially if you purchase them on the stalk. But, brussels sprouts are sooooo easy and simple to prepare. All you really need to do is remove them from the stalk using kitchen shears (unless you bought them already removed from the stalk), rinsing them, chopping off the bottoms, and cutting them in half. That’s it! And, if you removed your brussels sprouts from a stalk, you can choose to skip the chopping off of the bottoms because that’s mainly to get rid of the dirty part that’s often found on pre-packaged brussels sprouts
Can I use other veggies with this recipe?
Yes, you can! This recipe also works fantastically with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and asparagus, so you can use up whatever produce you’ve got on hand! Personally, the brussels sprouts are my favorite to use with this recipe, but the seasoning is super versatile and goes well with all sorts of different vegetables.
Crispy Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussel sprouts (or one stalk)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 400°F.
- Trim the bottoms of the brussels sprouts and cut each in half. If you are using a brussels sprouts stalk, using kitchen shears, cut the sprouts off of the stalk and cut them in half as well, setting them aside in a bowl. Next, mince the garlic and add it into the bowl with the brussels along with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Using your hands or a spoon, toss the mixture until the all of the brussels sprouts are evenly coated.
- On a baking sheet, spread out all of the brussel sprouts in a single, even layer with the flat (halved) side down. Bake these in the preheated oven for 15 minutes before removing them from the heat and flipping over the sprouts using kitchen tongs. Continue to bake them for another 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the sprouts start to turn crips and shrivel up and then remove them from the oven.
- Allow the brussels sprouts to cool for several minutes and season again to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy these warm or at room temperature!
Notes
Curious for more?
Check out some of my other vegan recipes including roasted butternut squash, easy tofu tacos, flavorful sweet-potato chili, and veggie burgers! Or, if you’re interested in reading my environmental posts and learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet and the breakthrough technology being used to combat climate change, check out some of my articles here!
Exciting Update!!!
I just wanted to let you all know that I’ve finally started a youtube channel for Eco Food Stuff! I’m still learning how to make decent looking videos, but if you have time, go ahead and check out my newest (and only!) video on how to prepare vegan pancakes! In the future, I’m hoping to have a vide to go along with each of my recipes and posts! 🙂
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