For years most vegans and vegetarians have gotten used to making the side dishes at Thanksgiving their meal. So when I started to make my own vegan main dishes I decided to make non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner side dishes. And that is where this Roasted Brussel Sprouts recipe was born.
This dish is super easy, and it only has 6 ingredients.
Brussel sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables, because they are so versatile, they hold up well to sautéing, baking, roasting, grilling, or steaming, and they also take on flavors easily.
Now you can go sweet, spicy or both with this recipe, by simply adding 2 tbsp. of maple syrup or ½ tsp of red pepper flakes, or both for a sweet and spicy combo. But if you decide to add both, you should up the red pepper flakes to ¾ of a teaspoon or 1 teaspoon, depending on your tolerance for spicy foods.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts have a delicious crust on them, combined with the crunch of the pecans and the sweet and sour flavor of the cranberries, I assure you, you’ll continue making this side dish, long after the holidays.
And remember that you can use whatever ingredients you like best, switch them up for different flavor combinations, like adding pumpkin seeds for a “bacony” flavor.
- 2 cups brussel sprouts, halved
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Pre-heat oven to 375*F (190*C)
- Remove a couple of the outer layers of the brussel sprouts and cut the brussel sprouts in half.
- Roughly chop the pecans.
- Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl and then place on a rimmed cookie sheet and roast until the outer leaves are crispy and browned.
- As soon as you take them out of the oven, taste, and if you feel they need more salt and pepper, season them right away, so that while they are hot they can absorb the flavor.
