Gluten-Free Gluten-Free Holidays Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Sides Vietnamese-Style Coconutty Brussels Sprouts 5.0 (1) 1 Review In this easy Brussels sprouts recipe, the sprouts get a double hit of coconutty flavor from coconut oil and coconut water, and a salty, umami kick from fish sauce. The coconut water is a tropical nod to the southern Vietnamese practice of cooking with coconut water, which is often used in braises and dipping sauces. Don't have a pan large enough to cook the sprouts in one batch? Cook them in two batches in a medium (10-inch) skillet. No coconut oil in your pantry? Substitute unsalted European-style butter or vegetable oil. Serve these simple but flavorful Brussels sprouts as a side to any protein for weeknight dinners or special meals--they'd be a great addition to your Thanksgiving dinner. By Andrea Nguyen Andrea Nguyen Andrea Nguyen is a James Beard award-winning author, cooking teacher and consultant. She lives in the Bay Area, where she experiments, writes, and also publishes Vietworldkitchen.com. Her latest cookbook is Vietnamese Food Any Day. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 31, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 2 cups Nutrition Profile: Low-Carb Nut-Free Dairy-Free Soy-Free High-Fiber Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe My family tried Brussels sprouts for the first time in May 1975 at a refugee resettlement facility in Southern California. We'd fled the communist takeover of South Vietnam and were joyful to be in America. However, the overcooked, sickly green, gassy Brussels sprouts gave us little joy. We didn't eat them again until the early 2000s. I had moved from Los Angeles to Santa Cruz, one of the major Brussels sprouts growing areas in the nation. Back then, Brussels sprouts were not yet a super-popular year-round thing. I waited till the fall, when there was a bit of a chill, for our locally grown sprouts to appear at farmers' markets and small grocers. Then, I rifled through the pile to pick firm, small ones, each about 1 inch in diameter. They have a sweet edge whereas larger sprouts have a stronger cabbagelike flavor. But as I selected about 5 pounds' worth for my family's Thanksgiving meal, I'd spaced out on our Brussels sprouts introduction decades earlier. I was excited to share the bounty of Santa Cruz County with my family, but didn't expect people to recoil at the sight of the mini cabbagelike vegetable. "Don't you remember the ones at the camp?" my sister Yenchi said, starring at the vivid green orbs. "Think of each as a petit chou," I said, hoping a little French would pull on some Viet-Franco heartstrings. It didn't work. The adults didn't want to trim and prep the sprouts. I marshalled my unassuming nieces and nephews into helping in the kitchen. That night, I boiled the halved Brussels sprouts and tossed them with brown butter. My parents and siblings changed their minds after their first bites. (Phew.) Since then, they've welcomed Brussels sprouts at our holiday table. The dead-simple Vietnamese-Style Coconutty Brussels Sprouts is based on what I served for Thanksgiving in 2016. It's akin to oven-roasted Brussels sprouts but takes less time and frees up the oven for other cooking duties! To enrich the sprouts, you may use a neutral oil or tasty butter, but I like virgin (unrefined) coconut oil for a fragrant tropical note. To reinforce the coconuttiness, I use coconut water (nước dừa in Vietnamese) to steam-cook the sprouts. It's a tropical nod to the Southern Vietnamese practice of cooking with coconut water, which is used in braises and dipping sauces. For years, Vietnamese Americans relied up on cloyingly sweet coconut soda, which I disliked. But thanks to the coconut water healthy hydration trend, nước dừa is nowadays stocked at mainstream supermarkets. When shopping, look for tasty brands like Harmless Harvest, Taste Nirvana and 365 Everyday Value (from Whole Foods). Cook with coconut water that you like to drink! The liquid lends extra sweetness to counter the Brussels sprouts' slight bitterness. Fish sauce adds a lovely, low-key savory note, though you can substitute soy sauce for a vegan take. My family has been in America for nearly 50 years, and we're happy to celebrate traditions from East and West. This easy dish combines ingredients and flavors that marry our life experiences across the Pacific. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 pound small-to-medium Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil ⅓ cup coconut water, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons fish sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce Directions Trim a bit of the dry stem end from each Brussels sprout, discarding any leaves that fall off. Halve the sprouts from stem to top. In a large (12-inch) skillet that holds heat well (such as cast-iron, carbon-steel or stainless-steel), melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, then use a spatula to turn and coat them. When they are all glistening, arrange them, cut-side down, in one layer. Increase the heat to high; cook, without stirring, until well browned in spots on the cut side, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add coconut water, stir and cover the pan to steam until the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Poke one or two sprouts with the tip of a paring knife; they should be just tender. If they are not, add a splash or two of coconut water, cover and continue cooking until just tender. Add fish sauce (or soy sauce); shake the pan and stir to distribute. Cook, uncovered, for about 1 minute longer to further develop the flavor and caramelize the sprouts. If needed, raise the heat to coax the cooking. When the sprouts are lightly glazed, remove from the heat and let rest for 1 minute. Serve the sprouts hot, warm or at room temperature. EatingWell.com, October 2019 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 114 Calories 7g Fat 11g Carbs 4g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Serving Size about 1/2 cup Calories 114 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Total Sugars 3g Protein 4g 8% Total Fat 7g 9% Saturated Fat 6g 29% Vitamin A 855IU 17% Vitamin C 98mg 109% Folate 71mcg 18% Sodium 269mg 12% Calcium 50mg 4% Iron 2mg 9% Magnesium 33mg 8% Potassium 484mg 10% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.