How to Cook Brussels Sprouts: Trim, Boil, Roast, Freeze

Hello lovelies,

in our house, Brussels sprouts land on the baking sheet, in salads and in curries, and on the holidays they simply belong on the table for me.

In this guide I show you how to cook Brussels sprouts: how to trim them, how long they take, how to roast them golden, how to store and freeze them, and why they sometimes taste bitter.

How to cook Brussels sprouts: boil, steam, sauté or roast?

All of them work. University of Illinois Extension gives times for steaming, braising and boiling, and says fresh Brussels sprouts, roasted or sautéed, are deliciously delicate in flavor.

Brussels sprouts are a hardy, slow-growing, long-season vegetable from the cabbage family, according to the University of Illinois Extension page on Brussels sprouts. Their origin isn't certain, but it is assumed they came from Belgium, whose capital is Brussels.

University of Minnesota Extension puts their peak season in fall and winter. In the U.S., 70 million pounds of Brussels sprouts are produced each year, and French settlers introduced them to Louisiana in the 18th century. Which other cabbages and roots are in season when it gets cold, I show in my guide to cabbages and root vegetables in winter.

In my kitchen, Brussels sprouts most often go on the baking sheet, halved, with the skillet a close second.

How do you trim Brussels sprouts?

Trim the stem end, pull off any blemished or coarse outer leaves and rinse the heads. Cut large sprouts in half and leave small ones whole.

The University of Minnesota Extension guide to Brussels sprouts trims the stem with a paring knife, removes blemished outer leaves and cuts each sprout in half lengthwise through the stem. Leaves that come loose while cutting can be cooked with the rest.

To get them ready for freezing, University of Illinois Extension removes coarse outer leaves, washes the heads thoroughly, sorts them into small, medium and large sizes and examines them carefully to make sure they are free from insects. For cooking, large sprouts are cut in half.

And the X in the stem? When you cook Brussels sprouts whole, Illinois Extension cuts an X in the bottom of the stem for even cooking.

How long do you boil Brussels sprouts?

No more than 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size, according to University of Illinois Extension, and the same limit applies to steaming and braising.

The Illinois Extension guide to preparing Brussels sprouts gives a simple sign: once Brussels sprouts have lost their bright green color, they are overcooked. So keep an eye on the pot.

The table sums up the times from all three sources.

Roasted Brussels sprouts: what temperature and how long?

In Oregon State University Extension's recipe, Brussels sprouts roast at 200 °C (400 °F) for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and browned. Stir them once after 10 to 15 minutes.

In the roasted Brussels sprouts recipe from Oregon State University Extension, large sprouts are cut in half from top to bottom and small ones stay whole; they are tossed with oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Lining the sheet with foil or parchment helps with clean-up, and lemon juice goes on at the end, with red pepper flakes or parmesan if you like. Leftovers go into the fridge within 2 hours.

In my vegan salad with roasted Brussels sprouts, pumpkin and chickpeas, the sprouts and pumpkin roast together on the baking sheet. You can roast both 1 to 2 days ahead and keep them covered in the fridge; just warm them briefly to serve, as the salad tastes best lukewarm. I always add the pomegranate and toasted pecans at the very end so they stay nice and crunchy.

For my vegan oven vegetables with Brussels sprouts and vegan feta, cut the vegetables into roughly even pieces so everything roasts at the same pace. I add the vegan feta only for the last 10 minutes, which gives it a lightly golden edge. Leftovers are lovely cold in a salad or reheated the next day.

Outside asparagus season I make my vegetarian cauliflower and potato mash with roasted asparagus with halved Brussels sprouts or broccoli, and both turn just as crisp on the tray. For a touch more truffle, marble the mash with a few drops of oil just before serving instead of stirring in more. Well covered, the mash keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

Brussels sprouts raw, sautéed and in a curry

Sautéed or roasted, fresh Brussels sprouts are deliciously delicate in flavor, according to University of Illinois Extension. Shaved thin, you can also eat them raw.

University of Minnesota Extension suggests candying them with brown sugar, adding them to your favorite recipe for color and texture, or threading them onto a veggie kabob.

For the shaved Brussels sprout salad from North Dakota State University Extension, the sprouts are trimmed, thinly sliced with a mandoline or knife and tossed with oil, lemon juice and pepper. One cup of Brussels sprouts contains 40 calories, 3 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, according to NDSU.

My vegan curry with green beans, broccoli and Brussels sprouts is my lifesaver on busy weeknights and is on the table in about 30 minutes. Feel free to use whatever green vegetables you have on hand; peas, Swiss chard or pak choi work just as well. If you like it spicier, stir in a little more curry paste or a fresh chili. I often cook it for two evenings at once, and it keeps for 2 to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Brussels sprouts for the holidays: sides, salad and soup

On the holidays, Brussels sprouts come to our table roasted, in a salad and with soup. A lot of it can be made ahead.

For my vegan lamb's lettuce with Brussels sprouts and smoked tofu, you can prepare the oven vegetables and the dressing ahead, but only toss in the lamb's lettuce just before serving so the delicate leaves stay fresh. Pat the tofu dry before baking and give it enough room on the tray, so it crisps up all over instead of going soft. It takes about 50 minutes, 40 of them cooking time.

With my vegan carrot soup with saffron and fresh ginger, I always serve the roasted Brussels sprouts fresh on the plate. Add the saffron only at the end and let it steep briefly in the hot soup, so the color and aroma come through best; if you like it creamier, blend the soup a little longer or add a splash of vegan cream. You can cook the soup a day ahead, chill it and gently reheat it before serving, and leftovers freeze beautifully in portions. More ideas you can prep the day before are in my roundup of vegetarian side dishes for the holiday table, including Brussels sprouts and carrots from the oven.

How do you pick good Brussels sprouts?

Look for bright green, firm sprouts, says University of Minnesota Extension, and skip any with wrinkles, holes or withered leaves.

University of Illinois Extension avoids yellowing sprouts with signs of wilt, rot or insect damage. According to Illinois, sprouts are harvested when they are no larger than 2.5 to just under 4 cm (1 to 1 1/2 inches) in diameter.

So why do Brussels sprouts sometimes taste bitter? According to University of Illinois Extension, sprouts that mature in hot weather or under dry conditions are more likely to develop bitterness. They improve in quality and grow best in cool or even lightly frosty weather, which is also why sprouts taste better later in the season, as I explain in my fall vegetable guide.

How to store and freeze Brussels sprouts

Store them unwashed in plastic bags in the vegetable bin of the fridge, ideally for no more than a day or two, says University of Illinois Extension. To freeze them, blanch them first for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size.

Illinois Extension's reasoning: the fresher the sprouts, the better the flavor, so refrigerator storage should not exceed a day or two. University of Minnesota Extension is more relaxed and keeps them in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to one week.

To freeze them, Illinois Extension brings about 4 liters (1 gallon) of water to a rolling boil and blanches about 450 g (1 pound) of Brussels sprouts at a time: small heads for 3 minutes, medium heads for 4 and large heads for 5 minutes. Sort the heads by size first, as described in the trimming section. Then plunge them into an ice water bath for about as long as they were blanched, drain them, pack them into zip-closure bags or freezer containers, and label and date them. At -18 °C (0 °F) or below, they keep for up to one year. If you want the whole process step by step, my guide shows how to blanch vegetables in batches and freeze them flat.

What do I cook with Brussels sprouts?

I put Brussels sprouts in salads, oven vegetables and curry, on top of a mash and with a soup. The table shows 6 of my recipes, how the sprouts go in, and one tip from each recipe.

In the autumn salad, the oven vegetables and the lamb's lettuce, they meet pumpkin or squash. My recipes add maple syrup, pomegranate and pecans, or something savory like smoked tofu and vegan feta.

And if the sprouts leave you wanting more cabbage: for my vegetarian roasted red cabbage steaks, a medium head gives 4 to 5 nice steaks, and the darker the edges get, the better it tastes. For my vegetarian okonomiyaki with cabbage, the finer you cut the cabbage, the better the pancake holds together. And in my vegan red cabbage stir-fry with teriyaki tempeh, the red cabbage turns crisp-tender in the wok in 7 to 10 minutes.

More cabbage from the oven and the wok:

Roasted Red Cabbage Steaks with Feta

Japanese Okonomiyaki with Cabbage

Red Cabbage Stir-Fry with Teriyaki Tempeh

With a few quick moves when you trim them and an eye on the clock, Brussels sprouts turn out tender, green and anything but bitter. Try out whether you like them best roasted, sautéed or boiled. Now it's your turn: how do you like to cook your Brussels sprouts, in the oven, in the skillet or simply boiled?

Yours, Verena

Recipes to try

Pasta with Beets and Flower Sprouts

Crispy Kohlrabi Schnitzel with Sesame Crust

Minestrone with savoy cabbage and white beans

Udon Noodles with Red Cabbage and Peanut Sauce