Delicious crispy low carb chips made with Brussels sprouts. These will convert any Brussels sprouts haters!
Today I get to introduce you to Vijay Nathan and I couldn’t be more pleased. Vijay is the co-founder and editor of NoshOn.It, a daily recipe site that curates great food blogger content. Since the beginning, Vijay and Noshon.It have been very supportive of food bloggers, respectfully asking for permission to post photos and link back to the original author. No recipe stealing here! And since Vijay used to live in the Boston area, we met for brunch one day. He’s a great guy who loves food, talking about food, and dreaming about food. A perfect guest poster for All Day I Dream About Food.
Do you remember the first time you had a dish that completely changed the way you thought about an ingredient? For me, my fateful meeting with the unfamiliar brussels sprout (I didn’t really eat it growing up) was about 5 years ago at SPQR Restaurant in San Francisco. It was a different restaurant back then, with a different chef and different menu, but those brussels sprouts still stand out as memorable.
Got an air fryer? Then you need to try out these Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts from Vegetarian Mama!
Why, you ask? It wasn’t any fancy flavors or ingredients. It was simplicity at it’s best. Small halved sprouts, tossed in oil and plenty of salt (they need it) and roasted on very high heat until crackly on the outside. Addictive, crunchy, and salty, it was everything I wanted in a side dish…in any dish for that matter.
Ever since then, I’ve been making brussels sprouts just like that. Roasted at a high heat with just oil, salt, and pepper until really dark brown with charred spots. Since brussels sprouts are like little cabbages, they take on a kind of mushy texture when braised, boiled, or steamed…which is why most people hate them. This is the only way I make them, and it’s converted many a friend.
These chips, though, are a “happy accident” recipe. Whenever I make roasted brussels, there’s always inevitably a bunch of individual leaves that end up coming off and I usually just toss them on the pan with everything else. When it comes out of the oven, these are usually what I consider to be the “cook’s share.” It’s the little snacking present I give to myself as a pat on the back for cooking. It’s like the corner piece on a pan of brownies. Or the crispiest pieces of roast chicken skin. You know what I mean.
So then, I thought, if these are the pieces I love the most, why don’t I turn them into a dish all by themselves? And so, brussels sprouts “chips” were born. You just peel all of the leaves off of the brussels sprouts, toss them with oil and roast them just like that. When they come out of the oven (on high heat of course), they’re crispy, salty, and absolutely addictive. (Note from the pictures that the tub isn’t actually full…oops). One note is that they don’t hold up for hours like other kinds of chips so it’s best to serve them straight out of the oven.
Plus, in true All Day I Dream About Food style, they’re vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, gluten free, low-fat…all of your bases are covered here! So what does that mean? Make more of them. And eat more of them. Then brag to your friends about how you had a bowl of chips for lunch. And smirk.
The recipe below calls for 1 pound of brussels since that’s a nice round number but in all reality, it’s just a guide and you can scale it up and down as much as you’d like. Just make sure you give them plenty of room on the baking sheets so they can crisp up.
If you’re not a brussels sprouts lover, these will change your mind, guaranteed. I hope you’ll give them a try and let me know what you think on Facebook! Thanks again to Carolyn for having me and happy noshing!
Brussels Sprouts Chips
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- To prepare the brussels sprouts, trim off the stock and peel and discard the outer of leaves. Continue peeling off the leaves one by one until you’re all the way to the core, adding them to a large bowl. If you’re having trouble getting them off, just trim the stalk some more. Repeat for all of the sprouts.
- Add the oil to the sprouts leaves and toss with your hands to coat, making sure to rub the oil all over the leaves with your fingers to ensure they’re well coated. Add the salt and toss to coat.
- Spread evenly on 1 or 2 baking sheets, spreading the leaves apart so they’re not stacked on top of each other or touching too much. You want plenty of room around them to crisp up.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until deep brown and crispy. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and taste. If needed, sprinkle with more salt and serve.
- Note: You could also toss these with other spices for a different flavor. Smoked paprika and cumin would be delicious.
