Lemon roasted brussels sprouts are a quick, easy to make recipe that brings a bright and fresh flavor to brussels sprouts.
I feel like I have posted a lot of sweet recipes in the past year that I wanted to bring another savory dish to the table: Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables. They can be tender and crunchy and have a great taste. I know the smell can be a little off putting and it’s a love it or hate it type of vegetable.
One issue I have with brussels sprouts that I need to talk about before I move forward is the word brussels. Whenever I have heard brussels sprouts pronounce, the s at the end of brussels always seems to be silent. Maybe I am pronouncing this wrong, but I have heard this from several people and TV shows. Which makes me question everything. Including my sanity when I was typing this article and spell check kept yelling at me.
Anyway, back to the recipe! I love having lemon on vegetables because I think it really brightens the flavor and enhances the dish. Lemon juice also helps bring a vibrant color to the brussels sprouts. The vanity in me wants a dish to look attractive as well as taste delicious. While taste is really the most important part of a dish, you first feast with your eyes.
Check out the Make section of MCG for more fun recipes like desserts and savory dishes.
Ingredients
The ingredient list to make lemon roasted brussels sprouts is relatively small. All that’s needed is brussels sprouts (obviously), olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little thyme. Also, a little time. Word play is fun. It’s a simple ingredient list. Once I got the star of the dish (brussels sprouts), I had the remaining ingredients already in my kitchen.
Process
The process to make lemon roasted brussels sprouts is simple enough that it does not need to be broken down into multiple sections.
I started by cutting up the brussels sprouts. Some were cut in half; others were cut into quarters. My main goal was to make each piece as similar as possible. Having the brussels sprouts be the same size means that they will cook at a relatively similar rate. This prevents some from being undercooked or others from burning. Although I do like them more on the browned side.
Then I tossed the brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and thyme. I really got my hands in there because I wanted each brussels sprout to be fully coated by the mixture. This will help during the roasting phase as well.
Then I placed all the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and roasted them in the oven. See? It’s a simple process! That’s a pretty minimal amount of work for a delicious result. The most difficult part of making these lemon roasted brussels sprouts is waiting for them to finish cooking!
Reflections
This was a simple dish, easy to cook, but has good flavor. I would make these again in a heartbeat. I don’t get enough vegetables in my diet as I probably should so this is an easy dish to cook. And I really like how it both tenderizes and crisps up the brussels sprouts giving them good texture along with the good flavor.
Lessons
Ugh, Names…
After my rant above, I was curious where the name brussels sprouts came from, so I did a little research. I have come across two reasons behind the name. First, they are a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages which is also known as Brassica oleracea. This group of cabbages are grown for their edible buds / sprouts. The word Brassica could have modified over time.
The more popular belief behind the name is that it was named after the city of Brussels in Belgium. This is where they were seemingly first cultivated in the 13th century and were one of the most popular crops of the region in the 16th century.
recipe
Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 package Brussels Sprouts halved or quartered
- 2 Tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice plus extra for finishing (optional)
- 2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or piece of parchment and set aside.
- Prepare brussels sprouts by halving or quartering them. Place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and thyme.
- Turn out brussels sprouts onto a baking sheet making sure that they are evenly spread across the pan without any clumps.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown around the edges.
- Finish with extra lemon juice to add more flavor after cooking.
- Enjoy!
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