Why You Should Massage Your Brussels Sprouts Before Tossing Them In A Salad

Brussels sprouts: You either love them or hate them. But there's far more to these little cabbage-like balls than meets the eye. Named after the capital of Belgium, Brussels, they are usually associated with being crunchy in texture, somewhat bitter, and quite musky in aroma, as veggies in the cabbage family often are. Brussels sprouts are not only good for you — packed with nutrients like vitamins C and K, potassium, fiber, calcium, iron and potassium — but there are also many ways to prepare them that make them soft and sweet, dampen the bitterness, and ease the powerful smell.

One of those ways may seem a bit unorthodox — massaging your Brussels sprouts. Yes, you read correctly — massaging the sprouts' leaves with salt draws out the water, makes them softer, releases a natural sweetness in them, and gives you a whole new world of flavor and cooking possibilities that you didn't know they were capable of.

While you don't lay your sprouts down on a massage table and give them a good rub (although that does make for a highly amusing mental picture), you do shred them to break the leaves apart and pop them in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt per 200g of sprouts. Your next step is to start rubbing them with the salt, squeezing them as you do, for about two minutes. Then you throw the leaves into a colander, pressing them to drain out the water that has been released by the salt massage. The salt rub also tenderizes your Brussels sprouts.

There is actually quite interesting science behind salt's effect on certain water-filled veggies like Brussels sprouts, aubergines, tomatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, and even cucumbers. Adding salt to the surface results in a higher ion concentration at the top, and water will naturally travel to those areas to restore balance. This is called osmosis.

Once you've drained your Brussels sprouts, give them a good rinse to get rid of excess salt. Your sprouts are now ready for action. You can toss them into a salad to bring a sweet and slightly crunchy texture to your salad; or mix them half-and-half with raw and shredded, but un-massaged, sprouts for a lovely mixed texture and flavor.

Other ways to prep your Brussels sprouts are to boil them, steam them, or better yet, roast them with some olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese, or even balsamic vinegar.