Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Sides: Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Chestnuts

By Maris Callahan
Brussels sprouts may be one of the most disliked vegetables on the planet but in early fall, their fans seem to spring forth from hibernation and rally around them at farmer’s markets until November, when they make a splash at Thanksgiving tables from coast to coast.
Brussels sprouts, despite their reputation for having a bitter taste and mildly offensive aroma, are well liked enough by professional and home chefs to have earned a permanent place on many a Thanksgiving dinner table.
Brussels sprouts have a nutty, noticeable flavor that pairs well when served alongside sweet dishes like butternut squash pureed with maple and brown sugar or tart cranberry sauces or relishes. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Brussels sprouts are also – you guessed it – gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Chestnuts

Serves 8
Though you can prepare Brussels sprouts a number of other ways – baked, roasted, au gratin, I like to make the on the stovetop on Thanksgiving day, freeing up coveted oven space for dishes that need to be baked or slow roasted (not to mention the turkey, which on many tables, is the main event).

Ingredients

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly with brown ends and outer leaves removed
1/2 cup diced onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 small apples, diced into small pieces
1/4 cup chestnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup dark maple syrup

Directions

Step 1: In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to appear translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add apples and Brussels sprouts and cook for about 6-8 minutes or until fruit begins to soften. Add chestnuts.
Step 2: Add red wine vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to combine and cook for five more minutes or until flavors or blended.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with additional chestnuts as a garnish, if desired.
More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

• Shells & Cheese with Browned Butter and Swiss Chard
• Curried Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche
• Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sage

About the Author:

Maris Callahan is the author of In Good Taste, an avid self-taught home cook, and is widely knowledgeable about all things culinary. She is especially passionate about helping new cooks learn how to prepare healthy, delicious meals and snacks, even when life is busy. She believes in Ghirardelli chocolate, farmer’s markets and cooking from scratch when possible. When she is not in the kitchen working on her next recipe, Maris works as a marketing professional in Chicago and in her spare time, contributes to several websites including SheKnows.com, Diets In Review and Shape.com.