Asian Brussels Sprouts With Lemon Miso Sauce

Asian Brussels sprouts are roasted to crispy perfection and then drizzled with the creamiest lemon miso dressing. This adaptable side dish is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan.

This dish was inspired by a recent trip back to our old stomping grounds in Denver. We went to one of our favorite sushi joints and ordered something new to us: the crispy Brussels sprouts with toasted cashews and a creamy lemon miso sauce. It was hands down the highlight of the meal.

Although I’ve created a lot of delicious Asian-inspired sauces such as carrot ginger dressing, vegan oyster sauce, and Japanese spicy mayo, this miso lemon dressing is one of the very best.

Ingredients

• Brussels sprouts.
• Raw cashews.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Kosher salt.

Dressing

• Extra virgin olive oil – the dressing base.
• Lemon juice and zest – don’t leave out the zest, it really enhances the sauce for that full-on lemon flavor.
• Rice vinegar – a subtle acid that helps balance out the acidity of the lemon.
• Chickpea miso – a great soy-free miso option.
• Cashew butter – helps to emulsify the dressing and make it super creamy.
• Organic cane sugar – a little sweetness to balance out the tartness and helps keep the color a nice yellow hue.
• Kosher salt – to taste.

How to Make Asian Brussels Sprouts

STEP 1

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Trim off the knobby ends of the Brussels sprouts, cut them in half, and discard any wilted leaves. If any non-wilted leaves fall off, you can add them to the bowl with the halves (they become chip-like little crunchy morsels once cooked.) Toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes, stir and cook another 15-20 minutes.

STEP 2

Toss the raw cashews in a little olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown but not burnt. You can roast them while the Brussels sprouts are cooking to cut down on time. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop them into smaller pieces.

STEP 3

Make the creamy lemon miso sauce by whisking all the ingredients together until smooth. Add salt to taste. You’ll have some sauce leftover, but I can assure you it won’t be a problem.

STEP 4

Serve the Brussels sprouts warm topped with the roasted cashew pieces, and a generous drizzle of the lemon miso sauce plus more on the side.

Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make these Asian Brussels sprouts with creamy lemon miso sauce using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

• No raw cashews? – use macadamia nuts, almonds or pepitas instead.
• No chickpea miso? – white miso (soy-based) is very similar in flavor and can also be used.
• No rice vinegar? – champagne or white wine vinegar will provide a similar flavor.
• No cashew butter? – use tahini instead.
• No organic cane sugar? – you can use raw honey instead but I’d avoid using a darker sweetener as it will affect the color of the sauce.

Equipment

To make these brussels sprouts, all you’ll need are a few basic kitchen tools such as a chef knife, sheet pan, whisk, mixing bowl, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons.

More Sides You’ll Love

• Roasted Red Cabbage Wedges With Smoky Mustard Vinaigrette
• Maple and Miso Roasted Carrots
• Life-Changing Crispy Smashed Potatoes