These Brussels sprouts are grain-free, yet breaded and crispy, yet baked. That makes them a healthy, yet oh-so-yummy finger food for your next side dish or appetizer. The garlicky nooch seasoning is delicious, and the Avocado Dill Aioli sends these over the top!
Last week I was making burgers (some incredible lentil burgers, which I’ll share with you soon!), and I needed a side dish. When having burgers my mind automatically goes to fries, but I try not to eat a whole lot of those. I had some Brussels sprouts I wanted to use and started to think about how I’d like to serve them up.
I love Brussels sprouts, but the way I normally cook them just didn’t seem to go with burgers. I decided I’d just make the Brussels sprout equivalent to French fries. Though fries may not be breaded, they still have that crispy, hand-held, “dip me” kind of thing going on. So that’s what I chose to do.
I’d never heard of breaded Brussels sprouts (though I’m sure there’s got be some others out there), and I thought, “Why not!?” We bread every other kind of vegetable I can think of, so I figured these should work just fine.
You do know I don’t like to do too much actually breading, and of course, anything with gluten was out of the question. I was already having my burger on an actual bun, which is completely abnormal for me, so I definitely wanted to keep it at a light breading, and preferably something grain-free.
I got the idea for almond flour from an eggplant parmesan alternative I make. I thought the almond flavor would go nicely with the garlic powder and nutritional yeast which I already knew I wanted to use.
At first, I made more of a batter than a breading, which was against my gut but decided to try it anyway, and this didn’t work at all. The batter wouldn’t stick to the sprouts. I set that aside to use for something else, and decided to try what I was originally thinking.
I whisked together some ground chia and water in a large bowl, making a diluted “chia egg.” After that, I added the sprouts to the bowl and tossed them until they were well coated. Once they were, I poured in a mixture of almond flour, nooch (nutritional yeast), garlic powder, and some salt and pepper. I tossed the sprouts some more until they were then covered in the breading.
Once nicely coated, I laid the sprouts out on a parchment-coated baking sheet, cut side down, and stuck them in the oven, heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. I checked them after 15 minutes to make sure the bottoms were nicely browned, then flipped them over and stuck them back in for another 10 minutes. I was really happy when the final product was exactly what I’d been hoping for!
The Avocado Dill Aioli I made back in August when I created my Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Cakes with Cucumber & Lemon Aioli. When making those cakes I’d thought up the two aiolis and couldn’t decide which sounded better, so I made them both and tried each with the mashed cauliflower cakes. Though I loved this Avocado Dill Aioli (in fact — I think it was my favorite), I decided the Cucumber & Lemon Aioli went best with that recipe. I saved this one for later use, and when I thought up these Brussels sprouts I decided it might be just the right recipe for it!
Making this aioli is really simple. All you do is add the avocado to your food processor along with some Vegenaise, fresh dill, lemon, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt — then blend until smooth, and voíla! It’s all ready to be dipped into!
The Brussels sprouts I used to create this recipe were extra delicious because I got them from West Coast Tomato Growers, which is a local family farm here in Oceanside. I knew when we got them I wanted to create a post using them, and I’m so glad I was able to do so! There’s nothing like having a home cooked, farm-to-table meal!
I hope you enjoy these as we did! If so, please leave a comment below, and make sure to take a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis!
Garlicky Nooch Sprouts
Ingredients
For the sprouts...
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and sliced in half horizontally
- 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 Tbsp nooch (nutritional yeast)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the aioli...
- 1 small avocado
- 2 1/2 Tbsp vegan mayonaise (I use Follow your Heart Vegenaise — select their soy-free variety if necessary)
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ground chia seeds with 4 tablespoons water. Add the Brussels sprouts to the bowl and toss until they're completely coated with the chia mixture.
- In a separate, small bowl, mix together the almond flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt. Sprinkle this mixture over your sprouts and toss until they are coated well.
- On a lightly oiled, parchment lined baking sheet, arrange Brussels sprouts, cut side down. Place baking sheet in the oven. After 15 minutes, the bottoms should be lightly browned. Flip each one. Place the baking sheet back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until your sprouts are nicely browned.
- While the Brussels sprouts cook, make your aioli. Add all ingredients to the food processor and mix until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or ramekins for serving. Dip the sprouts and enjoy!