How to Cut Brussels Sprouts with Step-by-Step Instructions

There are several ways to enjoy Brussels sprouts! You can roast them with a variety of different seasonings. They are also tasty raw and shredded, added to salads for a bit of crunch. Or you can sauté the Brussels sprouts and add them to stir-fries or creamy pasta dishes. But, to do all that, you need to know how to cut them. Here are six different ways to cut Brussels sprouts.

The different ways to cut Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts have had a rather bad reputation for most. However, with modern cooking, there has been a fresh take on preparing these crunchy bite-size cabbages. Depending on how you want to cook or prepare your Brussels sprouts, there are a few different ways to cut these crunchy little vegetables.

• For roasting and braising, cutting Brussels sprouts in half works well.
• If you want to blanch or steam your sprouts, you can leave them whole.
• For sautéed Brussels sprouts, you could either cut them in quarters or slice them.
• Use raw shredded Brussels sprouts in salads and coleslaws.

How to cut Brussels sprouts off the stalk

Brussels sprouts are at their tastiest fresh off a Brussels sprouts stalk. You can roast the vegetable as is with the little sprouts attached to the stalk. It makes for a fun addition to the dinner table. The stalk itself is also edible. However, it is very fibrous. Removing the sprouts from their stem is simple:

• Rinse the entire stalk well.
• Gently remove each sprout by tugging it back and down from the stem. It should snap off easily.
• Rinse the individual sprouts again before proceeding with one of the cutting methods below.

How to cut Brussels sprouts for blanching

Clean your Brussels sprouts of any tough or damaged outer leaves. At the base of each sprout is the area where it was initially attached to a stalk. This bit becomes dry and brown during storage. Trim the stem to remove the dried end and then cut a cross in the bottom of the stem. The incision allows the center of the vegetable to cook at the same time as the outside. This helps the Brussels sprouts to cook more evenly when steaming or blanching them whole.

How to cut Brussels sprouts for roasting

Roasted Brussels sprouts have a slightly sweet and deliciously nutty flavor. The simplest way to roast them is with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and black pepper. 

The flavor of roasted Brussels sprouts can pair with many other flavors too. Toss your mini cabbages in soya sauce, sesame oil, and honey before roasting for a sweet and salty Asian-inspired flavor. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. For roasted Brussels sprouts, you can leave them whole or cut them in half. If you cut them in half, place them cut-side down on your roasting tray. Roast for thirty to forty minutes in an oven preheated to 400 °F.

• Trim the stem of the sprouts and remove any damaged or yellowed leaflets.
• To halve, cut the Brussels sprouts down the vertical midline. In other words, cut from top to bottom.
  • If you cut the sprouts in half longitudinally, you will have an intact core on one side and a handful of loose leaves on the other side.

How to cut Brussels sprouts for sautéing

Brussels sprouts may become bitter if they are overcooked. To get an even cook with the quick cooking time of stir-fries or sautéing, it is best to slice your Brussels sprouts.

• Wash the sprouts and remove any leaves that are damaged or discolored.
• Trim the stem of your Brussels sprouts.
• Slice the sprouts from bottom to top.

Sautéed Brussels sprouts are excellent in creamy pasta dishes. For example, basil pesto linguine with zucchini. Or, crispy bacon and Brussels sprouts with gnocchi.

The trick is to fry thinly sliced sprouts until they are crispy. Then use these as a textural topping for your shepherd’s pie or green bean casserole. Toss the thinly sliced sprouts through with olive oil and parmesan, then pop the dish under the grill for a few minutes for extra crunch!

Can you chop Brussels sprouts in a food processor?

Shredded Brussels sprouts are a great addition to salads and coleslaws. You can shred them by hand by slicing the sprouts very finely with a sharp knife. Or, you can put them through a food processor with a fine blade attachment.

How to separate a Brussels sprout into its leaves

This is a very time-consuming process, with few applications. You could use the individual leaves in a salad. Or you could fry them until crispy and use them as a garnish for a savory dish. To separate a sprout into its leaves, start by trimming the stem just above the attachment point of the first few rows of leaves. Pluck off the leaves that you can. Then cut the stem again to loosen the next few layers of leaves. Pluck these off. Continue until the leaves become too tricky to remove or until you reach the core. 

Buy your Brussels sprouts online

With an Instacart delivery, you can save yourself the time and hassle of heading down to the grocery store. Select your produce from local and national retailers in your area. You may even leave specific instructions about how to choose certain products so that you can rest easy knowing that you will receive exactly what you need.

Instacart

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.