Oil-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate

Whether it’s at your holiday table or for an easy weeknight side dish, these Oil-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate will be a favorite.

Honestly, I never liked Brussel Sprouts. Every time I was forced to eat them I almost gagged. Even when I started eating a plant-based diet, they were off the table…until…

I had them roasted with a delicious glaze at a restaurant. Someone had ordered them as an appetizer (ugg! How appetizing is that I thought?) After my first reluctant bite, the fight was on. We fought over every one of those little weird tiny cabbages. Ya gotta admit, they are weird. Even the way they grow is weird.

Just sayin’.

Since then I’ve tried several recipes and none were quite right. Until this one. The sweet and savory mix is what did it for me.

You can use a variety of herbs to enhance this dish. Try basil, chives, dill, flat-leaf parsley and thyme. I’m thinking of using a little bit of rosemary next time.

Okay, gather your ingredients and let’s get roasting.

Start by trimming the spouts of any ratty leaves and cut in half. Rinse them and toss them into a medium sized bowl and add the salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy, oven-proof sauté pan (cast iron works the best)  over medium heat. Add the sprouts and turn them cut side down. Sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Take the pan off of the heat and add the shallots and garlic and any herbs you are using. Place the pan into the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and add the brown sugar and toss well to coat the sprouts. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar over medium-high heat. Stir to coat the sprouts well.

Taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Add pomegranate seeds and almonds and stir to mix.

Aren’t pomegranate seeds pretty? Like little jewels.

Go ahead…eat the whole bowl. I did.

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Oil-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate

Whether it's at your holiday table or for an easy weeknight side dish, these Oil-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate will be a favorite.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword: Oil-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Author: Trish Hall

Ingredients

• 1 lb. medium sized Brussel sprouts trimmed and halved
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 large shallots (about 1/2 cup) sliced thinly
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar sherry vinegar also works well
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted, if desired
• 2-3 tbsp herbs of your choice, fresh or dried basil, chives, dill, parsley, thyme, rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Toss cut Brussel sprouts with salt and pepper. 

3. Heat an oven-proof sauté pan (cast iron works well) over medium-high heat. Add Brussel sprouts, cut side down. 

4. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. 

5. Remove pan from heat and add shallots and garlic and any herbs you are using. 

6. Place pan in preheated oven for about 10 minutes. You should be able to pierce the spouts with a sharp knife with a bit of pressure. 

7. Remove pan from oven and add brown sugar and toss to coat the sprouts. 

8. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar over medium-high heat. Toss well to ensure spouts are covered with the glaze. 

9. Taste and add seasoning if needed. 

10. Add pomegranate seeds and almonds and toss gently. 

11. Garnish with fresh herbs if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Recipe Notes

• The sprouts I used were about 1"-1.5" diameter. If yours are larger add a few minutes to the oven time. 
• Red onion in place of the shallots would work nicely. 
• I think dried cranberries might be a nice sub for the pomegranate seeds.