What do you do with Brussels Sprouts leaves? Sauteed Brussels Sprouts tops in a garlic butter sauce are a very healthy keto side dish. If you have been throwing them out, you are throwing away nutritious food!
I used to be the person who would throw away beet tops, turnip tops, Brussels sprouts tops and even carrot tops!
Now, I realize that that they are actually packed with just as much nutrition as the veggies itself, if not more!
So, here is a very simple recipe using any one of these tops and use it as a side dish.
Tips for making it
- Remove the tops right after you bring them from the grocery store or from your garden.
- Wash them thoroughly! They have a lot of dirt on them and the last thing you want is to taste them with garlicky flavor.
- You can refrigerate them for a few days and then place them in your vegetable crisper. Try using it up within 5 days of refrigerating it.
- Use fresh garlic because it helps balance out the strong flavors the beet tops.
- I used Kerrygold’s grass fed butter in this recipe, but you can use coconut oil and make it vegan friendly.
- The tough spines and stems are edible too, but, I don’t use them. Instead, I remove and then compost them.
Vegetable tops you should never throw away
- Beet tops – Just 1 cup of beet tops has 290mg of potassium and 44mg of calcium
- Brussels sprouts tops – In the fall, I like to grow Brussels sprouts in my garden. This year, I had 3 plants which were delicious. That’s a lot of tops to throw away, so, I turned them into a delicious garlic side dish. These tops are a good source of Vitamin A, C, calcium and potassium. Source – OfTheDirt.com
- Radish tops – Just like the radishes themselves, the leaves have a bite to them. They are packed with 1309mg of Potassium making them even more potassium rich than bananas. Plus, they have 220% of your RDA. Source – Nutritionix.com
- Carrot tops – There is nothing funny about throwing away carrot tops! They are packed with Vitamin A, C, K, calcium and iron. Plus, they have a ton of dietary fiber. Source – Greenmatters.com
Check out my guide on buying, storing and cooking Brussels Sprouts.
What to serve with these sprouts
- Meatball casserole
- Roasted whole cauliflower
- Air fryer tempeh
- Stuffed poblanos casserole
- Vegan pot pie
Yes, Brussels sprouts leaves and tops are edible. They are packed with just as much nutrition as Brussels sprouts and they are very easy to cook with.
Just like Brussels sprouts, the leaves or tops are bitter and have a bite to them. These leaves shield the sprouts while they are growing and so, they are made of the same stuff. They get the same nutrition from the soils.
Yes, tops like carrot tops, radish tops, beet tops and sprout tops are easy to compost. Place them in your compost pile or put them into a countertop compost container.
The whole sprout is edible. From the tiny cabbage like veggie to the leafy greens, it’s a very edible veggie. The leaves have so much more nutrition than the sprouts.
How to chop Brussels Sprout Tops
- Make sure you wash the sprout tops or leaves thoroughly.
- Remove any stems or tough spines on the leaves.
- Fold the leaves into half, lengthwise.
- Roll up the halved leaves tightly into a cigar shape.
- Cut them into thin strips.
- Open up the cut strips and you will see the ribbon shape, AKA Chiffonade cut. They are ready to be cooked now
How to cook veggie tops
- Use a stainless steel, strong bottom pan to cook these Brussels sprouts tops. Add 1 Tbsp melted butter and 3 cloves of minced garlic (about 1 Tbsp garlic).
- Brown the garlic for 30 seconds and then add the veggie tops.
- Add 1 tsp salt and mix well.
- Keep the heat at medium and wait for the greens to be reduced to half their size. It should be about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the sauteed Brussels Sprouts Tops to a serving bowl and top with almond slices. Serve immediately.
This method can be used to cook any vegetable tops. Try it with radish tops, beet tops, carrot tops and even ruttabega tops
If you have actual Brussels sprouts, make this za’atar roasted sprouts.
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How to cook brussels sprouts tops or leaves
Equipment
- Large kitchen knife
Ingredients
- 15 leaves Brussels Sprouts tops
- 1 Tbsp butter I used grass fed, organic butter
- 3 cloves garlic Minced, and comes out to about 1 Tbsp
- 1 tsp pink salt
For garnish
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds
Instructions
- Make sure you wash and dry the sprout tops or leaves thoroughly.
- Remove any stems or tough spines on the leaves.
- Fold the leaves into half, lengthwise.
- Roll up the halved leaves tightly into a cigar shape.
- Cut them into thin strips.
- Open up the cut strips and you will see the ribbon shape, AKA Chiffonade cut
- Add melted butter and minced garlic to a stainless steel pan
- Brown the garlic for 30 seconds and then add the veggie tops
- Add salt and mix well.
- Keep the heat at medium and wait for the greens to be reduced to half their size. It should be about 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with almond slices. Serve immediately.
This method can be used to cook any vegetable tops. Try it with radish tops, beet tops, carrot tops and even ruttabega tops
Notes
- Remove the tops right after you bring them from the grocery store or from your garden.
- Wash them thoroughly! They have a lot of dirt on them and the last thing you want is to taste them with garlicky flavor.
- You can refrigerate them for a few days and then place them in your vegetable crisper. Try using it up within 5 days of refrigerating it.
- Use fresh garlic because it helps balance out the strong flavors the beet tops.
- I used grass fed butter in this recipe, but you can use coconut oil and make it vegan friendly.
- The tough spines and stems are edible too, but, I don’t use them. Instead, I remove and then compost them.
These sound fabulous – I’m going t0 make them tonight and instead of sliced almonds, I’ll sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan. Can’t wait for dinner 😀
Let me know how it turns out. Thank you, Robin.
The pictures are stunning! Looks yummy.
This is embarrassing but I’ve been growing brussels sprouts in my garden for years and it has never occurred to me that we could eat the leaves. After making this recipe all I can think about is all the brussels sprout tops I’ve dumped straight into the compost pile without another thought. The leaves are seriously so delicious. Thanks for teaching me something new about one of my favorite vegetables!
Thank you so much Becky. I am glad you are setting it to compost and not just throwing it away! The leaves have the nutrition which they have to transfer to the actual vegetable. They have a huge reserve of nutrition that they didn’t get to pass on when the vegetable was harvested. The leaves have so much potassium alone that makes it worthwhile. Thanks for your wonderful comment and let me know how you enjoy the tops now.