Lightly roasted Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts cooked without oil–tossed in tangy, slightly sweet glaze. A healthier Holiday or any day recipe that lets the natural flavors of the vegetable shine through. Vegan, WFPB, Oil Free.
Optional: for a touch of heat, add a small pinch of cayenne or chili powder to the glaze
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahreheit, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Place the cut Brussels sprouts on 2 parchment paper lined sheet pans, season with a little sea salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. (Keep the little leaves that come loose–they'll get nice and crisp.) Spread them out evenly over the sheet pans, and position so they're all cut side down.
Place on the center rack of the oven and roast for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned on one side. (This may take longer if your Brussels sprouts are especially large-see notes.)
To make the glaze. While the vegetables are roasting, add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce (or tamari) to a mixing bowl, and whisk together to combine
Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven, flip over, and roast another 3-5 minutes, or until just fork tender. (This step is optional, see notes.)
When the Brussels sprouts are light brown on the outside and just fork tender, remove them from the oven and add them to bowl with the glaze. Toss gently to combine, season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Notes
Trimming the sprouts. If any of the outer leaves look dark, spotty, ragged or thick and tough, just remove those. Because we don't use oil here, any tough outer leaves might not come out tender. Glaze. You don't need to cook the glaze. I think this recipe tastes best when you toss the hot sprouts in the glaze and serve immediately. Also, don't add to glaze until you're ready to serve, or they won't be as crisp. Big Brussels? Just cook a little longer, or cut any that are larger than the rest into quarters. To flip, or not to flip? I've had good results both ways. I like to get a nice brown color on the cut side, because it looks pretty and doesn't run the risk of tough/overcooked outer leaves. But if you prefer a more overall browning, go a head and flip for the last few minutes; just be sure not to overcook or they'll likely become tough. Substitutions & Variations. See the article above.Crisping without oil. Recipe that use oil cook the sprouts much longer, and they come out quite charred. Some people may like this, but it's not as healthful and in my opinion, hides the natural tastiness of the veggies. By cooking them cut side down, you get a lightly browned, slightly sprout that's not over cooked.