Marinated Brussels Sprouts (2024)

These blanched and marinated Brussels sprouts take less than 5 minutes to cook and taste nothing like the sprouts you hated growing up.

Brussels sprouts seem to have had a scarring effect on many during their childhoods. Lucky for me, I don’t remember ever eating them – probably because my parents were protecting me from a scarring experience of my own. So when I tried this Best Brussels Sprouts method for the first time a few Thanksgivings ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find them totally delicious. (Yet another crucifer to add to the hall of fame!).

I fully appreciate childhood memories causing food phobias — I’m still getting over bananas. But I decided to challenge Alex to face his fear head on when we saw a beautiful stalk of spouts at theIndy Winter Farmers Market, a new and wonderful local food market in Indianapolis (a must visit if you’re from the area!). Plus, I’d seen an interesting appetizer recipe for crispy Brussels sprouts inThe Food Matters Cookbook.

This marinated Brussels sprouts recipe uses a cooking technique called blanching to prep the veggies. Blanching the Brussels sprouts prevents them from going totally mushy and leaves them with a nice bite even after you’ve marinated them. These sprouts won’t smell or taste bitter like the ones you were served growing up, but they still have a slightly earthy flavor I think you’ll really enjoy.

This easy Brussels sprouts recipe is a good place to start if you think you don’t like this veggie, as the Dijon mustard and vinegar slightly mask the strong “healthy” flavor of the sprouts. We served these crispy Brussels sprouts for a recent meal to celebrate local foods, and there was nothing but praise for this underappreciated veggie. Even Alex is a new believer!

How to make boiled Brussels sprouts

Blanching is one of the easiest cooking techniques you can learn. Essentially, blanching is when you scald a fruit or vegetable in boiling water, cook it for a specific amount of time, and then dunk said fruit or vegetable into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Blanching can be used to cook veggies (like we’ve done in this recipe), or it can be done to prepare fruits and vegetables for freezing.

The key thing to remember when you’re blanching Brussels sprouts is to have everything prepped and ready to go beforeyou start cooking anything. Put a pot of water onto the stove and crank up the heat until it’s boiling. While the water is heating up, trim the Brussels sprouts and place them into a bowl so you can easily drop them into the water (careful not to splash yourself!). Finally, have a bowl of ice water sitting in your sink before you add the sprouts to the boiling water. You only have to blanch the Brussels sprouts for a few minutes, so it’s essential that you have your stations all set up first.

How long to boil Brussels sprouts?

To blanch 1 pound of Brussels sprouts in boiling water until they’re crisp-tender, you should cook them for only 3 minutes. If you cook them longer than this, the Brussels sprouts will become mushy. It’s important that you immediately drain the sprouts and place them in ice water after the 3 minutes is up to stop them from cooking further.

Looking for more easy Brussels sprouts recipes?

• Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe
• Cozy Farro and Brussels Sprouts Soup
• Pomegranate Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese and Harissa
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Salad
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Pecans

This marinated Brussels sprouts recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Print