Salt-roasted brussels sprouts

I remember the first time I tried a brussels sprout; I actually didn’t know what it was. I happened to be in Sonoma county, and my husband and I had settled in at the bar of a crowded restaurant for dinner. The bartender was telling us the specials, but he couldn’t remember what vegetables were served with one of the dishes. I’ve forgotten what the dish was, but it sounded so divine I didn’t care what the vegetable was that came alongside, so I ordered it. When the dish was served, the brussels sprouts were covered with the dish’s sauce, and I still wasn’t sure what they were. They looked like some small, alien life form to me, and while I wasn’t put off by them, I also wasn’t thrilled by them. I never did ask the bar tender what they were. I ate a few, and that was that.

Fast forward a couple of years and I stumbled across the recipe that morphed into my spuds and sprouts. Upon prepping the sprouts, I realized that this was what I had at the restaurant bar in Sonoma. Luckily, this time I was in love with their flavor, as a huge dose of salt really helps tame any bitterness, and a little sweetness never hurt anything (this recipe contained bacon and golden raisins). So with that in mind, I give you two very easy recipes to make brussels sprouts that most any person will love, even if they’re not a proclaimed fan. Not to mention, for a Thanksgiving side dish, you’ll love that these are fairly hands-off recipes.

Roasted brussels sprouts and apples

Salt-roasted brussels sprouts
Serves 4
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over sprouts. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the sprouts. Toss together with your hands or tongs, and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender, with some nice, crispy, charred leaves here and there. These are best served immediately, as covering them with foil to keep warm will cause the leaves to lose their crispiness.

Roasted brussels sprouts and apples
Serves 4
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons walnut oil (or you can substitute olive oil)
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 slices
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle walnut oil over sprouts. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the sprouts (I would suggest the similar amount of 1 teaspoon as in the above recipe). Toss together with your hands or tongs, and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Place in the oven, setting the timer for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the apples with a small amount of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). After the brussels sprouts have cooked for 5 minutes, add the apples to the baking sheet, and toss with the sprouts with tongs. Set the timer for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the two mustards together with the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. When the timer is done for the apples, open the oven again, add the walnuts to the mixture, tossing with tongs. Set the timer for another 5 minutes.

At this point, your brussels sprouts have cooked for 15 minutes, the apples for 10 minutes, and the walnuts toasted in the mix for 5 minutes. The brussels sprouts will be tender with some crispy leaves, and the apples will be tender. Remove from the oven and drizzle the mixture lightly with the mustard sauce. You may not need to use all of the mustard sauce. If you have some left over, just store it in the refrigerator for the next time you make this, which will be soon, because you’ll love it. Or use to dress a salad or a ham or turkey sandwich.

Filed under:
Dairy free, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney