Reading Time: 3 minutesI’ve learned the secret to enjoying the wonderful Brussels sprout: caramelize them! When I was little, I hated Brussels sprouts. They smelled like, well, we don’t have to say what they smelled like. But it was enough to turn me off ever wanting to eat them.
Thankfully, my palate has changed, and as an adult I truly enjoy this little sprout. I typically make Brussels sprouts in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and they are delicious. But today, I’ve added some things to the party to spice things up: pecans and balsamic reduction.
This recipe makes a delicious side to any meal, but is also a beautiful, tasty dish for the holidays (and it’s so easy, you won’t believe it). The leaves will be crispy, just like a good chip, and the cores of the sprouts will be nice and caramelized — so good!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Balsamic Reduction
This recipe makes a delicious side to any meal, but is also a beautiful, tasty dish for the holidays (and it’s so easy, you won’t believe it).
Ingredients
- 1 lb of Brussels sprouts washed and dried
- 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pecans pieces and halves (not whole)
- 1 tsp balsamic reduction store-bought (watch the ingredients) or make your own
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350F.
-
Cut the bottoms off the Brussels sprouts and peel some of the leaves off the sprout. Place the leaves on an ungreased sheet pan. Cut the remaining sprout in half and place it on the sheet pan as well. Repeat with the entire pound of Brussels sprouts.
-
Drizzle the sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands until everything is coated. Bake the sprouts for 10 minutes.
-
At the 10 minute mark, open the oven and sprinkle the sprouts with 1/4 cup of pecan pieces and halves. No tossing necessary — you don’t want to disrupt the caramelization process! Bake for another 10 minutes.
-
Pull them out of the oven and drizzle with 1/2 to 1 tsp of balsamic reduction. Toss to coat. Serve warm.
For a walk-through on how to create this simple recipe, watch this video:
Photo 1 (CC BY-ND 2.0) by mealmakeovermoms.
You can check out her recipes for both food and for life at Delectable You. There you will also find over ninety cooking videos for your viewing pleasure.
Lauren lives in Malibu, California with her adventurer husband, Ted. Together they own a yoga studio called 5 Point Yoga, as well as an Adventure Yoga Retreats company that takes people all over the world doing yoga and, well, having adventures! Think skiing, yoga, and P90X in Jackson Hole, Mammoth, and Chamonix, surfing and yoga in Costa Rica, hiking Machu Piccu in Peru — you know, that kind of thing.
When she’s not cooking, recipe testing, and living and breathing health and wellness (and now chasing after her infant), she’s writing about it all on her blog. She’s also been published on The Good Men Project, Babble, Beyond Yoga, and The Elephant Journal, and has been regularly writing for a health and wellness PR firm for the last three years.
