Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar - Best Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the bitterness out of roasted brussel sprouts? ›

The flavor components that contribute to a bitter flavor are concentrated in the center of the brussels sprout. If you slice the the veggie in half, it helps to release some of those compounds during the cooking process. Smaller is better when it comes to tenderness and flavor.

About 30 years ago, a Dutch scientist identified the chemicals that made brussels sprouts bitter. He selected seed varieties with lower levels of the bitter chemicals and bred new high-yielding varieties that tasted less bitter.

Your first step should always be to blanch the brussels sprouts. This is basically when they get submerged in boiling water just for a few minutes, not until they're fully cooked, but just enough to take away some of the bitterness. Blanching also softens them and preserves their beautiful bright green color.

Because they're so simple to make, balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts are a great veggie side dish for any fall or winter meal. Serve them alongside a quick pasta like Fettuccine Alfredo or Spaghetti Aglio e Olio on a weeknight, or pair them with Creamy Mushroom Polenta on a weekend when you have more time to cook.

Roast the Brussels Sprouts at high heat

If you don't hear them crisping up in the oven, add a little more oil and roast them for a few more minutes until your desire crispiness is achieved!

To guarantee great texture, do both! Trim and halve your brussels, then blanch and thoroughly dry them, and then roast at a high temperature until the outer leaves are starting to blacken. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

Serve them plain, simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or dress them up! Drizzle them with a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and toss them with feta or Parmesan cheese, herbs, red pepper flakes, and nuts or pepitas.

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

Fresh, brussels sprouts that are in season will taste better. That's because they lose sugar the longer they are stored, often making them taste more bitter as a result.

Why are my roasted brussels sprouts mushy? ›

They are one of my favorite veggies in the whole wide world! When overcooked, Brussels sprouts turn mushy and release excess sulphur (the thing that makes cabbage and Brussels sprouts smell like cabbage and Brussels sprouts)—not good eats.

Not using enough oil.

We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven. Follow this tip: For every 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of oil.

When we think about which meats go with Brussels sprouts, bacon usually comes to mind first. Upgrade that to prosciutto, add poultry and fish to the list, and leave room on the menu for steak.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

A bit of brown sugar will also work. Acid can be useful as well. A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up.

Sinigrin and progoitrin relate to the bitter taste on eating Brussels sprouts. However, the story is complicated as a mixture of glucosolinates and other compounds are involved in the bitterness and flavour of Brussels, and this taste experience varies from person to person.

Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli are bitter mainly from a specific type of compound: glucosinolates. They are released when cell walls are damaged from cutting or chewing.

A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 per cent of the world's population have a mutation on this gene.