Roast Brussels Sprouts With Bacon (& Green Herb Sauce)
Brussels Sprouts are rich in fiber, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, carotenoids, folate, and anti-oxidants. Wow. Despite consistently appearing on ‘most hated vegetable’ lists due to their slightly bitter taste, top them - or anything else - with a bit of bacon and I defy you not to clean your plate.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and quartered if you have tiny sprouts, leave them whole or cut in half
- 3-4 slices of bacon, cut horizontally into ½ inch pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Optional
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
OR
- 3 tbs Green Herb Sauce (recipe below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking tray with baking paper. (Note: baking paper is reusable, so you can simply wipe it down after you’ve transferred your sprouts and save it for next time.)
- In a bowl or directly on the baking sheet, drizzle your sprouts with olive oil and toss to coat. Spread them out on your tray so they have a little breathing space. Sprinkle with sea salt and top with bacon pieces (I try to make sure each spout gets its own piece of bacon, but it’s not essential).
- Roast for 20-30 minutes without disturbing (every oven is different; mine is slow). You want to give the sprouts a chance to cook through and carmelize around the edges without burning the bacon. Normally when roasting vegetables, I’d advise shaking things around, but in this case the bacon does best when it’s sitting safely above the fray and stays there. When the sprouts are fork-tender and the bacon is just this side of mahogany, you’re done. Pull the tray out and transfer the sprouts to a bowl.
- If you are in a hedonistsic mood, now is the time to grab your Balsamic vinegar. Splash a tablespoon over your sprouts and stir through. Or, if you’re feeling virtuous and want a double hit of anti-oxidants, top them with Green Herb Sauce - it’s a potent zingy mouthful that balances out the richness of the bacon.