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Crispy Brussels Afelia (Zaytinya Brussels Sprouts)

Make your own Zaytinya Brussels sprouts that taste just like the classic Washington, D.C. restaurant! Crispy, creamy, and full of mediterranean flavor! A healthy side dish that makes for a well-rounded, vegan dinner option.

zaytinya brussel sprouts

What is Zaytinya?

I’ll be the first to admit — this title will not make much sense to the vast majority of my readers.

I live in the Washington, D.C. area and throughly enjoy visiting a popular Mediterranean restaurant, Zaytinya. The menu is well regarded as one of the most high quality small-plate offerings in the city…and for good reason! I’ve mentioned before my affinity for this kind of food, in large part due to the multitude of vegetarian options.

OK, so what are Zaytinya Brussels Sprouts?

Every time I visit, their “Brussels Afelia” dish is the first thing I order. Crisp, somewhat charred leaves doused in a creamy, slightly tangy white sauce and sprinkled with jewels of ruby-red pomegranate arlis? YES PLEASE.

Eager to try out my own version of Zaytinya Brussels sprouts, I scoured the internet for possible interpretations. I did not want to completely fry the sprouts (although, this would be delicious) and I was hoping to keep things plant-based.

How can I make a restaurant-quality dish at home?

I was pleasantly surprised with how easy this dish was to recreate! Toasted coriander is key to the well-rounded flavor here, really don’t recommend leaving it out.

This is tastiest when serve immediately after preparing. If you are aiming to reheat, you can broil the sprouts by themselves for a few minutes until crisp again.

If you’re one of those people who thinks they will never like Brussels sprouts, I really encourage you to give this recipe a go. And if you’re ever in D.C., let me know so I have an excuse to visit Zaytinya again.

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zaytinya brussel sprouts

Zaytinya Brussels Sprouts (Brussels Afelia)


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4.3 from 4 reviews

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Make your own Zaytinya Brussels sprouts that taste just like the classic Washington, D.C. restaurant! Crispy, creamy, and full of mediterranean flavor! A healthy side dish that makes for a well-rounded, vegan dinner option.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb Brussels Sprouts (rinsed and halved)
  • 1 TBS avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
  • olive oil (used throughout)
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 5 TBS mix of pomegranate arils, pine nuts, craisins (whatever you have on hand!)

Instructions

  1. Heat a cast iron skillet to high. Once hot, add avocado oil and Brussels sprouts. Sear sprouts until slightly blackened, stirring throughout. This will take 7 – 12 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Once leaves are nice and burnt, remove sprouts from pan and set aside.

  2. Add coriander seeds to hot skillet and toast for 1 -3 minutes, until fragrant. Dump seeds in a small bowl and crush with the back of a spoon, until partially pulverized.

  3. In another small bowl use a fork to whip together yogurt, 1 TBS olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.

  4. On a large serving tray, assemble sprouts with dollops of yogurt sauce. Sprinkle coriander seeds throughout and top with a few TBS pomegranate arlis, craisins, and pine nuts. Enjoy!

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Sauteing
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: One third of recipe

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zaytinya brussels sprouts

Portrait of Emily Meyers, founder of Garlic Head

About the Author

Emily (Frigon) Meyers is the founder of Garlic Head, a plant-based recipe website for all eaters who want to easily, affordably, and sustainably incorporate more vegetables into their diets while saving time and money. She is a lifelong vegetarian and 10+ year vegan. Garlic Head does not focus on labels - it focuses on creating food that everyone can enjoy.

Emily earned a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University along with degrees in Economics, Spanish, and Global Sustainability from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been featured on numerous podcasts and websites including The Food Institute, VegNews, Buzzfeed, and the Boston Globe.

Meet Emily here.

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Comments

  1. Joyce says

    We were at Zaytinya yesterday and fell in love with this dish. I started looking for the recipe online and stumbled on your Website. I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Lucy says

    so glad I found this recipe! live in d.c. and am really missing Zaytinya amidst corona virus closures. excited to make these at home — thanks!

  3. mp says

    Unfortunately, this recipe didn’t work for me. Maybe the type of yogurt I was using wasn’t right, but it didn’t taste like the original. They were a little too charred for my liking.






    • Emily says

      Hi MP, I’m sorry to hear that! Thank you for letting me know. Would you mind sharing what kind of yogurt you used? I am happy to help troubleshoot. Also, I encourage you to try cooking them for 5-7 minutes instead of 7-12.

  4. Kaly says

    Just made this and it turned out excellent! My family and I are big fans of Zaytinya restaurant. After moving back to the West coast, I really missed their take on Brussel sprouts but I’m really glad to have stumbled on this recipe to recreate them at home! I made a slight change to the recipe and substituted the Greek yogurt with labneh. Labneh is a doubly strained yogurt that has a thicker consistency (similar to whipped cream cheese) so I added a few tablespoons of water along with the ingredients listed to help make it into a sauce. Although a little more pricey and harder to find, it gives the dish an additional nice tart but creamy taste. Thank you for sharing!






    • Emily says

      Hi Kaly, thank you so much for sharing this! That’s a great substitution idea and I am so glad you mention it. -Emily

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