Brussels sprouts are no longer that unwanted, yet essential, side of veg on your Christmas dinner plate. If you haven’t discovered roasted Brussels sprouts, read on!
“In your face, Brussels sprouts!” Upon conquering them, that pretty much summed up the feeling when eating them.
They were the final frontier of vegetables we just didn’t like – or buy – and we wanted to face our foodie foe and conquer it.
Brussels sprouts are in season in Fethiye at the moment. And now that feeling of smug victory has become a feeling of affection.
We no longer look at them with an eye roll as we pass them on the local markets.
No, it’s that familiar feeling of glee at once more seeing an old seasonal friend with which to cook and experiment.
We buy them. We eat them. And we enjoy them.
Contrary to popular belief, Brussels sprouts are not just for Christmas! They’re a winter favourite.
We’ve experimented with different methods of eating them. Our sautéed Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and sucuk works really well.
But we’re both agreed that roasted Brussels sprouts are an absolute winner!
The sucuk and chestnuts experiment was our first real dalliance with them.
It was where we realised that Brussels sprouts recipes didn’t have to involve them being boiled to an almost yellow, bitter-tasting mush that was forced onto the side of your Christmas dinner plate.
No, we now know there is much more to Brussels sprouts (Brüksel Lahanası) than that.
So, as well as our sauteed Brussels sprouts recipe, we’ve now also got roasted Brussels sprouts recipes in our little repertoire.
And, as we’re in Turkey, we’ve added a Turkish twist so that our Brüksel Lahanası become a Turkish meze.
We’re going to share two roasted Brussels Sprouts recipes with you.
You can use them for your Christmas buffet table. Or you can remove the festivities altogether and just appreciate Brussels sprouts for the distinctive, tasty winter vegetable that they are.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Two Ways
In Turkey, there are two ingredients that are widely used in various dishes so we’re going to be using them for our two Brussels sprouts recipes:
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with yoghurt dressing
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate molasses
With Yoghurt Sauce
With the first recipe, we’ll be roasting our sprouts in olive oil and a dusting of parmesan and chilli flakes.
Then they’ll be given their Turkish twist. A generous drizzle of yoghurt sauce.
You can then simply serve them as they are or you can place them on top of fingers of garlic-rubbed toast. It works!
And that’s just one of the ways of we love to eat our Brussels sprouts, these days.
With Pomegranate Molasses
For our other favourite Brussels sprouts recipe, we’re going to mix the olive oil with pomegranate molasses and then toss our sprouts in the dressing before roasting.
Roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar is a very common recipe. These days, however, we use pomegranate molasses much more than balsamic.
We get a bit of a glaze and that lovely sweet sour tang of the molasses.
And then, what better than to finish off proceedings than with a garnish of fresh seasonal pomegranate?
If we had to choose between roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate molasses or yoghurt, we’d have to go with the pomegranate molasses.
But, you choose for yourself. Both recipes are tempters.
A cold Brussels sprouts meze works; winter vegetable and warm weather combined.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts – FAQs
Very simply, all you need to do is wash your sprouts and them cut them in half lengthways. If you get any tiny sweet ones, leave them whole.
Some people par boil their sprouts but we roast them from raw. No need to peel any loose leaves away, either. They’re the best bits because they’ll go dark and crisp.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Two Ways
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Two Ways
Ingredients
For The Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Yoghurt Dressing
- 500 grams Brussels sprouts cut in half lengthways
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated
- chilli flakes to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
For The Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pomegranate Molasses
- 500 grams Brussels sprouts washed & halved lengthways
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 handful fresh pomegranate seeds to garnish
For The Yoghurt Dressing (The Turkish Twist)
- 1 dessert spoon süzme yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes optional
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
For The Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Yoghurt Sauce
- Preheat your oven and oven tray to 220 degrees Celsius.
- Place the Brussels sprouts on the tray and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Now toss them around so that the sprouts get a light covering of oil.
- Sprinkle a light coating of chilli flakes (optional) over your sprouts.
- Now season with salt and pepper.
- Place in the centre of your oven and roast for around 20 minutes until soft throughout but crispy on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and, whilst still hot, sprinkle your grated parmesan over your roasted Brussels sprouts.
For The Yoghurt Dressing (The Turkish Twist)
- Take a small bowl and add your süzme yoghurt.
- Add a splash of cold water (about 1 tbsp) and stir rapidly until your yoghurt has thinned a little.
- Now add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix those in, too, to make your dressing smooth and shiny.
- Add a pinch of salt and stir that in.
- Arrange your cold roasted Brussels sprouts on a plate and drizzle your yoghurt dressing over the top. Sprinkle with chill flakes, too, if you like.
- Serve alongside other meze dishes with lightly toasted bread.
For The Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pomegranate Molasses
- Preheat your oven (with tray inside) to 220 degrees Celsius
- Mix your olive oil and pomegranate molasses in a bowl.
- Now add your halved sprouts and toss them around in the mixture until they're coated with the mixture.
- Remove the hot tray from the oven and add your sprouts, making sure they're spread out in a single layer.
- Roast for around 20 minutes, turning half way through, until soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.
- Add to a serving plate and sprinkle the fresh pomegranate seeds over the top.
Notes
- Roasted Brussels sprouts can be eaten as an accompaniment to a main meal. Or, if you eat them cold with the yoghurt dressing, as a meze dish.
- When preparing your Brussels sprouts, leave the loose leaves in place as these are the ones that go dark and crispy and they are what make roasted Brussels sprouts extra tasty.
- All ovens are different. Keep an eye on your sprouts as some ovens will cook them quicker whilst others may take longer.
- Calories per serving are approximate and include the yoghurt dressing.
Nutrition
Whichever recipe you decide to follow, your Brussels sprouts will make a perfect addition to your meze table.
They’re also a tasty side dish to grilled meat dishes. The recipe using pomegranate molasses goes particularly well with kuzu pirzola (lamb chops) or kuzu şiş (lamb shish).
We just love the pomegranate and lamb combination, hence why we love to eat lamb when we make Gavurdağı salatası.
Afiyet Olsun!
- You can find both roasted Brussels sprouts recipes in the meze section of our complete page of Turkish recipes. We hope that page makes it easier for you to find the recipes you are looking for.
Backto Bodrum
Friday 14th of November 2014
We have them sautéed with chestnuts and bacon. Haven't seen any in Bodrum yet.
Turkey's For Life
Saturday 15th of November 2014
Well, it was cooking them like that - but with sucuk in place of bacon - that converted us. I'm wondering if maybe we have a specialist grower in Fethiye. He doesn't have many on his stall at the pazar but they're always lovely.
Alan
Thursday 13th of November 2014
. . and 'Bubble & Squeak' is just not the real thing without Brussels!
Turkey's For Life
Saturday 15th of November 2014
Ha ha, we love bubble and squeak and now we like Brussles sprouts, too, we'll have to make sure we add them to the recipe. :)
Ozlem's Turkish Table
Thursday 13th of November 2014
Delicious! I must say, I do like brussels sprouts and these are delicious ways to enjoy them - I can imagine how tasty they are on garlicky bread with yoghurt! I add them sauteed to my rice with chickpeas, delicious. Elinize saglik! :)
Turkey's For Life
Saturday 15th of November 2014
The Brussels sprouts worked much better with the yoghurt and garlic than we had anticipated. :)