Ingredients
Brussels Sprout — Natural form

Natural form

Whole Brussels sprouts showing tightly layered green leaves and compact rounded heads.

Establishes the defining visual identity — compact spherical bud, tightly wrapped pale-green to deep-green leaves — so a reader can recognize the vegetable at a glance.

Produce

Brussels Sprout

Mini cabbages that caramelize sweet when roasted

Roasted hot, Brussels sprouts go crisp and nutty-sweet, shedding their bitter reputation; shaved raw, they make a sturdy slaw. Keep them cold and roast cut-side down.

Brussels sprouts are tiny cabbages that grow in rows up a thick stalk, and they've shed their soggy, bitter reputation entirely — the secret was always high heat. Roasted hard or fried until the outer leaves crisp and char, they go nutty, sweet, and addictive. Shaved raw, they make a sturdy, peppery slaw. Boiled to death they're miserable; given a hot oven and a little acid, they're a vegetable people fight over.

Measured in
g
Storage
Refrigerate
Shelf life
14 days

Find it in

Produce

Types & varieties

Green Brussels sprouts

The standard; small ones are sweetest and most tender

On the stalk

Sold whole on the stem; freshest and longest-keeping

Red/purple varieties

Anthocyanin-tinged; slightly milder, pretty

How to choose

Want firm, compact, bright-green sprouts with tightly closed leaves and no yellowing, black spots, or loose, ragged outer leaves. Smaller sprouts are sweeter and more tender; large ones can be more bitter and need halving. Buying them still on the stalk keeps them freshest.

How to store and prep

Keep sprouts unwashed in the crisper, loosely bagged (or left on the stalk), for up to a week. To prep, trim the dry stem end, peel off any loose or yellowed outer leaves, and halve them through the core — the cut side is what caramelizes. Tiny ones can stay whole; big ones quartered.

  • Refrigerate; on the stalk lasts longest
  • Trim the stem, peel ragged leaves
  • Halve so the cut face browns

Why high heat is everything

Slow, wet cooking releases the sulfurous compounds that give boiled sprouts their bad name. Dry, high heat does the opposite — roasting at high temperature or pan-searing cut-side down caramelizes the sugars, crisps the leaves, and turns bitterness into nutty sweetness. Finish with acid (lemon, balsamic, vinegar) or something sweet-savory (honey, bacon, maple) to balance.

Common uses

Roasted with balsamic and baconShaved Brussels sprout saladPan-fried with chili and fish sauceSautéed with pancettaGratinAir-friedHashHoliday sides

Tips & pitfalls

  • Roast hot and cut-side down for the crispiest, most caramelized result
  • Don't crowd the pan — sprouts need space or they steam instead of brown
  • Shave them raw for a sturdy, peppery salad or slaw
  • Balance with acid (balsamic) or sweet-salty partners (bacon, maple)
  • The crispy loose leaves that fall off are the best part — keep them

Nutrition

43kcal

Energy

180 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 26%Carbs 69%Fat 5%

Protein

3.4g

7% DV

Carbs

9g

3% DV

Fat

0.3g

0% DV

Fiber

3.8g

14% DV

Sugars

2.2g

of which

Sodium

25mg

1% DV

Notable micronutrients
Vitamin K148% DV
Vitamin C94% DV
Folate15% DV
Vitamin B613% DV
Thiamin (B1)12% DV
Iron8% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Brussels sprouts, raw

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

  • Findus Brussels Sprouts

    Findus Brussels Sprouts

    FINDUS · kg · Bonpreu

    €2.99
  • Bonpreu Brussels Sprouts

    Bonpreu Brussels Sprouts

    BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu

    €1.47
  • Medium First Quality Brussels Sprouts

    Medium First Quality Brussels Sprouts

    BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu

    €1.50

Good to know

Peak season
Late fall through winter; sweeter after frost
Flavor
Nutty, cabbagey, faintly bitter; sweet and caramelized when roasted
Origin
Cultivated near Brussels, Belgium (hence the name)
Nutrition
~43 kcal/100g; very high vitamin C, K; fiber, folate
How to buy
Firm, tight, bright-green heads; small is sweeter; no yellowing

Substitutes

  • Cabbage — Wedges or shreds roast similarly (they're close kin)
  • Broccoli — For roasted florets with char
  • Savoy cabbage — Shredded, for a tender braise or slaw

Also called

coles de Bruselas

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