Crispy Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, subtly flavored with sea salt, pepper, and lemon, can be cooked up in minutes and on your table, ready to dazzle your guests.
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I love proving people wrong. Or put another way, I like to convince them that their original views of certain dishes was erroneous. Yes, that’s better.
Brussels sprouts are so divisive a veggie side dish. I think that’s because they were thought to be boring, so frequently steamed or boiled. They would be mushy and perhaps more than anything, taste so bitter, they eclipsed the yumminess of the rest of the food on your plate.
Modern food science has helped with one of those issues. There are varieties of brussels sprout these days that are less bitter and, depending on when they are harvested, actually taste sweet. The cooking method has helped with the other. Sprouts are no longer mushy. Instead we use a word I never thought we would ascribe to them: crispy.
When you sauté your sprouts, you create a new side dish, one with a hint of sweetness and a crisp texture that just may eclipse the rest of your meal… in the best way possible.
Are Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Healthy?
They are totally healthy for you. Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The olive oil we cook them in provides healthy fats, while the optional Parmesan cheese provides calcium and protein. (It also contains fat and calories, so don’t overdo it.) The recipe can be enjoyed by those on Mediterranean, vegetarian, gluten-free, keto, and vegan (lose the cheese) diets.
What Exactly Does ‘Sauté’ Mean?
Literally, it’s the French word for “jump” (well, sauter is the infinitive, “to jump”, but you didn’t come here for a lesson in French grammar). What does jumping have to do with cooking? It’s what your food does when you cook it quickly at high heat in a small amount of oil or fat. Cooking in this way preserves the flavor, texture, and the nutrients of the food and helps it crisp up.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 lemon wedge
- flaky sea salt (to taste)
- grated Parmesan cheese or Vegan Parmesan (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Sear
Heat oil and place brussels sprouts cut-side down to sear until golden brown.
Season
Toss and season the sprouts, continue cooking until tender, then repeat with the rest.
Finish
Reheat all sprouts, add a squeeze of lemon, and season with salt to your liking.
Serve
Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Once your sprouts have cooled completely, you can put them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat them in the microwave or back on the stove. You can freeze them (I suggest flash-freezing them first so they don’t stick to each other) for up to two months, though the texture may be less than ideal after thawing. To reheat, put them in the oven, which you can do straight from frozen.
No. The only reason why I do so is because I cook my sprouts in batches (yes, I tend to make lots of them). I also don’t like overcrowding my pan; if you do so, you could be unwittingly going from ‘sauté’ to ‘steam’, and end up with mushy sprouts. If you’re nervous about turning your sprouts to mush, take a gander at the question below.
As mentioned above, don’t overcrowd your pan; you don’t want to steam your sprouts. Next, cut them evenly so they’re all the same size; you want them to cook at the same rate and finish crisping up in sync. Also, be sure to dry them off before you cook them; moisture will steam them, not sauté them. As for the oil, yes, you need some in order to sauté, but you don’t want to use so much that you saturate your sprouts; dry sprouts lead to crispy ones.
Serving Suggestions
Given you’ve already got the lemon out, why not zest it and sprinkle some atop your sprouts? If citrus isn’t your fruit of choice, perhaps dried cranberries and raisins will do. For a change in texture, use toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts. For something more substantial, onions/shallots or bacon/pancetta are popular choices. In fact, the fat from the bacon will help the sprouts crisp up and diminish their bitterness. You can also enhance the flavor with parsley, thyme, or rosemary, and add a bit of heat with red pepper flakes.
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts halved
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 lemon wedge
- flaky sea salt (to taste)
- grated Parmesan cheese or Vegan Parmesan optional
Instructions
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully place half of the brussels sprouts cut-side down in the skillet, allowing them to sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until they turn a deep golden brown.
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Toss the sprouts, season with half the sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and continue to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. Transfer the cooked sprouts to a dish, add more oil to the skillet if needed, and repeat with the remaining sprouts.
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Combine all the brussels sprouts back in the skillet and reheat briefly. Turn off the heat, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the sprouts, and season with additional sea salt or flaky sea salt to taste.
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Optionally, top with grated Parmesan or vegan Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. DEVOUR!
Nutrition
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