Recipes

Monday, March 12, 2012

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Remember when I went to Maine for a lovely weekend in February??  Well I mentioned it in my post but I had the most delicious salad that weekend at a restaurant called Walter’s in the Old Port. 

I’ve been wanting to re-create this salad ever since.

My grandmother’s birthday party was on Saturday!

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Looking good for 87 right?? 

I wanted to bring a salad or some sort of veggie dish, as I knew we were having a Turkey-dinner-esque meal.  I wanted something fresh and light!

Plus there are so many great cooks in my family that there is always that unspoken pressure to come up with something different and delicious.

So I figured it was as good a time as any to try that salad!

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If you’re making a large quantity of salad I highly recommend using a food processor with the slicing attachment to shred all the Brussels sprouts.  Otherwise, I’d just use a sharp knife and thinly slice them.

Another tip I learned after the fact was that you might want to cut out a bit of the core first.

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I ended up with some of those thicker slices like in the photo above.  Not that you can’t eat it, but if eating raw they are better if that thick middle part is cut out.   

I prepped the Brussels sprouts the night before.

The next morning I cooked the bacon (in the oven), sliced the onion, made the dressing and assembled everything else when I got to the party.

Dressing…

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Brussels, onion, and bacon ready to go!

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When I arrived at the party, I added the almonds, cherries, and grated the cheese fresh on top!

Then tossed with dressing:

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I left the nuts in a small dish to the side as some people can’t eat them.

I LOVED it!  I tweaked the recipe as written below to have a tad more honey and olive oil than what I had made.  Make sure to taste the dressing as you go to make sure it’s as sweet or sour as you like it!

Here’s what I did for a big party size salad:

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 2 lbs (or just under) Brussels Sprouts, washed, stalks trimmed
  • 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 5-6 slices apple smoked bacon (nitrate free!)
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
  • 1/2 cup Marcona almonds (or your favorite nut!)
  • Pecorino Romano cheese, about 2 oz, grated
  • 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice (just from 1 large lemon)
  • 1 T honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • salt & pepper to taste
  1. Shred or thinly slice Brussels sprouts (use food processor or knife).  This can be done the day before.  Set aside in large bowl.
  2. Cook bacon until just crisp (I did this in the oven).  Drain on paper towels then give the bacon a rough chop.
  3. Thinly slice red onion and add to the Brussels sprouts.
  4. Prepare dressing in a small mason jar…easy to transport and then just shake it up real good.  Otherwise prepare in a bowl and whisk until combined and frothy.  Taste and tweak as needed.
  5. Pour dressing all over salad.  Add in bacon, cherries, almonds, and grate the cheese on top.
  6. Toss all together..SERVE!

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Other goodies from the party…

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Fresh Challah bread from the bakery!  No, my family is not even Jewish…we just love good bread!! 

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Feast!!  Unpictured was also a HUGE platter full of twice baked potatoes!!!  Haven’t had one of those in ages and it was delish!!   

Hope you try the salad!  I want to try it again and maybe make it as a warm salad :)

I LOVE BRUSSELS!!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like SPRING around here :)

9 comments:

  1. That brussels sprout salad sounds amazing! I may have to try that one next.

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  2. mmmmmm. I'm not much for bacon, but I bet this salad (even without the bacon) would be AMAZING. Brussels are the best veggie. What a fabulous celebration

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  3. Super yummy use of seasonal produce ... looks good enough to ... wait ... eat!

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  4. Love that you used all those brussel sprouts in the salad in place of greens!  

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  5. FunandFearlessinBeantownMarch 13, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    Yum!  I made a Brussels sprouts salad last night that I fell in love with!

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  6. Brussels sprout salads are the best! The mix of flavors and textures from the bacon, brussels sprouts, and cherries sounds amazing. 

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  7. You can't have Brussels sprouts without bacon, and I love the bright, mustardy vinaigrette!

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  8. Emily @ A Cambridge StoryMarch 15, 2012 at 8:54 AM

    I adore Brussel sprout salads - warm or cold! This recicpe sounds excellent. Your parties always have the best spreads! 

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  9. there are so many ways to make brussels sprouts into an awesome salad. I have made a warm one with goat cheese and apples. I am trying your way next!

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