Are you ready for this? Up until yesterday I had never tried Brussels sprouts. I wasn’t necessarily avoiding them but I wasn’t exactly dying to try them. I can’t believe I waited this long to try them. They are a wonderful leafy vegetable that is very versatile. My friend, Lisa at Jersey Girl Cooks, recently shared that her Brussels sprouts recipe was one of her most popular recipes last year, so I knew I must be missing something. Thanks Lisa for the inspiration!

Without knowing exactly how this veggie would adapt to different ingredients, I decided to try a basic recipe. I turned to one of my favorite sources, Ina Garten, to adapt something she had made. I used her recipe and added a few tweaks to boost up the flavor profile. A splash of balsamic vinegar along with a few roasted peppers transform this dish into my new favorite side.

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Total Time: 45-50 minutes

Basic ingredients like olive oil, salt and pepper can bring out the flavor of almost any vegetable. Brussels sprouts are no exception.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 roasted red and yellow peppers, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt if desired. Toss with chopped peppers and 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten: Food Network