Brussels tops and root veg stir-fry with sesame

Brussels tops, parsnips and carrots combine in this gorgeously simple Winter veg stir fry, flavoured with garlic, ginger, sesame oil and black sesame seeds.

I love getting a seasonal veg box delivered! From time to time we receive unusual vegetables that we might not otherwise experience. That’s how we found ourselves with a bag of Brussels tops – a fabulous leafy green vegetable, that sadly often gets thrown away.

What are Brussels Tops?

Brussels tops are a wonderful, seasonal, but highly underrated vegetable. They are essentially the big bunch of leaves that grow on the top of a Brussels sprout stem. Some people call this a ‘crown’ of leaves, which seems like a suitably reverent way to refer to this fabulous veg!

We recently got a bag of them in our organic box – complete with a few teeny tiny sprouts attached to the bottom of the stalk.

Farmers often cut off the ‘tops’ to encourage the sprouts to grow – similar to pinching out the leaves on a tomato plant. This means that you’re more likely to find Brussels sprout tops before the main season for sprouts – in early-mid Autumn.

Look out for them in farm shops, farmers markets, or local green-grocers. I’ve yet to see them in a supermarket, but you never know your luck!

Are Brussels tops good for you?

These leafy and delicious veg are packed with nutrition! As well as containing plenty of dietary fibre, they also contain a generous dose of vitamin C, and are a good source of calcium and iron. Brussels sprouts and their tops also contain lots of vitamin K, and a host of additional B vitamins and minerals.

What can you do with Brussels tops?

You can use Brussels tops as you would any substantial leafy greens. They belong to the same family as cabbages, kale, kohlrabi, and other cruciferous vegetables. They have a similar flavour profile and work well cooked in similar ways.

They have a pleasant mild flavour, similar to Spring cabbage and of course Brussels sprouts! Although you can eat them raw, I prefer them cooked. They’re great wilted down in some butter or olive oil, used in a stir fry (see below) or they can be simply steamed or boiled, like you would do with a cabbage.

Simply wash the leaves well, shred, cook and enjoy!

Making exciting dinners

Alongside our Brussels sprout tops, we also received some carrots and parsnips in our organic veg box. I’d initially thought of doing something boring and traditional – roasting the roots, steaming the greens, blah blah blah. Nice, but not very exciting.

Then, I saw a packet of noodles, and thought how it was ages since we’d had a stir-fry.

Sesame oil, and sesame seeds

I’m still on my sesame-oil-with-everything kick (after eating something a bit like this on holiday) so it was easy to decide what kind of seasoning would go in with the veggies. I also recently bought some black sesame seeds and was looking for an excuse to use them.

I decided to stir fry all the veggies, and season generously with sesame-based extras. A good dose of garlic and ginger gave everything a bit of pizazz! The stir-fried Brussels tops and winter veg was quick to make and tasted delicious.

Brussels tops stir fry

We had our Brussels tops stir fry with noodles, but it would also be good with rice. You could just serve it up as a side dish too. It would be a nice twist on the traditional vegetable accompaniments for seasonal holiday dinners. Plus a lot easier to throw together!

What can be used instead of Brussels tops?

If you don’t have any Brussels tops you can substitute shredded savoy or pointed cabbage, or even sliced Brussels sprouts. The flavours are similar enough that this would still be delicious.

Optional additions

We often eat vegetable based meals like this one, and I don’t miss having identifiable lumps of protein. However, you could certainly add cubed tofu, edamame beans, or ‘chicken style’ pieces to this stir fry to make it even more substantial. 

We ate our Brussels tops stir-fry with noodles as a main dish and it served three of us. Obviously it would go further as a side dish. Give it a whirl!

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📖 Recipe

Winter root & brussels tops stir-fry with sesame

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Brussels tops, parsnips and carrots shine in this simple Winter veg stir fry, with garlic, ginger, sesame oil and black sesame seeds.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 4

Calories 310 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 350 g parsnips
• 350 g carrots
• 250-300 g brussels tops (1 large one) or use cabbage instead
• 1 medium onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger
• 2-3 tablespoon coconut oil
• 50 ml sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon tamari
• 1-2 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

 

• 350 g (12 ⅓ oz) parsnips, 350 g (12 ⅓ oz) carrots, 250-300 g (8 ⅚ – 10 ½ oz) brussels tops (1 large one)
  First prepare all the vegetables – peel the parsnips and carrots and slice thinly on the diagonal. Thoroughly wash/soak the brussels tops, trim off any little sprouts, and remove the tough 'ribs' from the leaves. Shred the leaves into 1-2cm (approx. ½-1 inch) strips.
• 1 medium onion, 3-4 cloves garlic, 2 cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger
  Peel the onion and slice. Peel the garlic and cut each clove in half. Peel and finely chop the ginger.
• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil
  Heat the coconut oil in a wok. Add the onion and cook for a minute, then add the carrots, parsnips, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes then add the shredded brussels tops and any little sprouts. Continue to stir-fry for another 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the brussels tops are cooked.
• 50 ml (3 ⅜ tablespoon) sesame oil, 2 tbsp tamari, 1-2 tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)
  Whisk/shake the sesame oil and tamari together then pour over the vegetables with the sesame seeds and stir/toss quickly to combine. Serve!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Winter root & brussels tops stir-fry with sesame

Amount per Serving

Calories

310

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

20

g

31

%

Saturated Fat

 

8

g

50

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Sodium

 

591

mg

26

%

Potassium

 

832

mg

24

%

Carbohydrates

 

32

g

11

%

Fiber

 

10

g

42

%

Sugar

 

11

g

12

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

15244

IU

305

%

Vitamin C

 

42

mg

51

%

Calcium

 

114

mg

11

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword brussels tops, carrot, garlic, onions, parsnip, sesame oil

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