How many times did you avoid buying Brussels sprouts thinking they’re hard to trim and cook? Many people rather choose other veggies for dinner than Brussels sprouts. In reality, these mini cabbages are incredibly delicious and are packed with a myriad of nutrients and antioxidants.
Just a cup of Brussels sprouts provide the body with 124% of recommended daily intake of vitamin C, 13% of vitamin A, and 10% of vitamin B6. They’re also low in fat but high in dietary fiber and protein. Read on to learn how to trim and cook Brussels sprouts to reap as many essential nutrients as these mini cabbages have.
How To Trim Brussels Sprouts
Trimming Brussels sprouts isn’t rocket science so you can do it even if you’re buying this kind of cabbage for the first time.
- Start with exposing a fresh surface by cutting the base of the mini cabbage base.
- The next step involves the process of peeling off and removing the outermost cabbage leaves.
- If you notice any insect damage, remove more leaves until the outer layer becomes clean.
- Wash Brussels sprouts with cold water.
Now you should decide on how you want to cook Brussels sprouts. Do you want to cook them whole, cut in halves, or sliced? If you’re going to cook whole mini cabbages, consider scoring an X in the core base. This will allow your whole mini cabbages to cook evenly.
How to Cook Brussels Sprouts
There are thousands of recipes that include Brussels sprouts. However, if you want to make it the key ingredient of your dinner, you should learn how to cook these mini cabbages correctly.
Here are a few ways for you to try out. Remember, each recipe is versatile and you can play with ingredient lists to meet your diet requirements, if you have any.
1. Roasted Brussels sprouts
Serves: 4
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix Brussels sprouts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Place Brussels sprouts onto an ungreased baking sheet and roast in a preheated to 400F oven for about 15 minutes.
2. Sautéed Brussels sprouts
Serves: 4
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 carrot, grated
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
Add olive oil to the pan and let it heat for a few seconds. Add in onion and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add in carrot and Brussels sprouts and cook for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Once Brussels sprouts get lightly browned, stir in lemon juice and add in salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes and serve.
3. Braised Brussels sprouts
Serves: 4
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups veggie broth
1 carrot, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pan, preheat olive oil and add in garlic and onion. Cook for about a minute over medium-high heat. Stir in Brussels sprout halves and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in veggie broth, carrot, tomato, and red bell pepper, stir well, and cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley before serving.
4. Steamed Brussels sprouts
Serves: 4
Cook time: 8 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
½ lemon, juiced
1tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Place your mini cabbages in the steamer, cover, and steam for 8 minutes. Remove Brussels sprouts from the steamer, place in a large bowl, and add in the butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. You can skip the butter if you’re vegan. Just add a bit more lemon or lime juice for extra flavor.
As you can see it’s pretty easy to trim and cook Brussels sprouts. The best part about including these mini cabbages in your weekly meal plan is because of their rich nutrient content. Eating Brussels sprouts regularly helps to fight chronic inflammation, ward off cancer, delay aging, and boost your immune system.
