Brussel Sprout Salad Recipe - Dr. Monica Bravo (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak brussel sprouts before cooking? ›

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

Containing more vitamin C than an orange and with just eighty calories in a half pound, Britons eat more of them than any other European country, around 40,000 tonnes a year — and yes, we do eat them all year round. Two-thirds of Brussels sprout consumption in the UK is outside of the festive season.

Brussels sprouts contain anti-cancer plant compounds, including glucosinolates, which help us detoxify and remove carcinogens from the body.

Eating a lot of Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous veggies may help protect against cancers of the stomach, lungs, kidney, breast, bladder, and prostate. Crunchy veggies like Brussels sprouts may also help you stave off other health issues, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.

Not only can soaking make the centers more malleable, but the water that's absorbed into them will create a steaming action, whether you choose to roast, saute, or make your Brussels sprouts in your air fryer. The steam can help to ensure the cooking is even throughout the Brussels sprout.

To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half. If your Brussels sprouts are very small, you can leave them whole (and if they are very large, quarter them).

In fact, the tradition of cutting a cross in the base of a sprout might have less to do with culinary technique and more to do with superstition. In Medieval times, it was believed that evil spirits and demons lived between the leaves of the vegetable, and they would enter anyone who ate them, making them ill.

Surprisingly, it could be your genes that determine your feelings about these controversial little vegetables. A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene.

With all of these benefits, you may be wondering if it's okay to eat Brussels sprouts every single day. Rifkin's expert opinion is that it's safe to do so, but you also want to make sure you're eating other nutrient-rich foods too.

Throw out fresh brussel sprouts that have a foul odor, yellow or wilted leaves, a mushy or slimy texture, or dark spots. Use fresh brussel sprouts within 1–2 weeks of getting them. Store the brussel sprouts in a plastic bag inside your fridge, and wash them before cooking them.

When not to use brussel sprouts? ›

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

Brussels sprouts provide high levels of Vitamin C, sulforaphane and antioxidants. When these key elements are combined, they protect the body against viral infections and cancer. The high concentration of Vitamin C also supports collagen production, creating better skin elasticity for a more youthful appearance.

When Brussels sprouts are cooked, they may undergo some nutrient changes. Levels of the antioxidant vitamins E and K increase during cooking, but levels of some water-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin C, decrease.

Aside from boiling sprouts, you can also steam or blanch them, all of these can raise the temperature of the sprouts sufficient to kill off fatal bacteria without destroying the nutritional content of the sprouts, or ruining their texture or taste.

Steaming Brussels sprouts preserves more of the nutrients and antioxidants than any other cooking method. And they turn out tasting like crisp-tender, sweet little nuggets. Plus they're just about the quickest veggie side dish you can cook.

Answer: No, you don't need to forgo roasted veggies because of high heat. The fact is that all forms of cooking can destroy some of the nutrients (such as vitamin C and B vitamins) in vegetables.