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Brussels Sprout Salad, a Healthy Side Dish

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This Brussels Sprout Salad can be prepared in just a few simple steps and is a delicious side dish for the autumn or winter holidays. This crowd-pleasing salad is prepared with sliced Brussels sprouts, diced apple, pine nuts, dried cranberries, and a homemade salad dressing topped with grated cheese. You can even prepare it in advance with no problem!
This Brussels sprout salad is one of my favourite salads as it is full of delicious autumn flavours. It’s simple to make, has great textures, and you can even prepare the salad ahead of time. It’s such a breeze to put together, so it’s the ideal stress-free holiday side dish

This salad is perfect for any get-together because it requires no preparation and can be thrown together at the last minute. The handmade salad dressing is the most time-consuming part of this dish. This hearty salad dish is surprisingly crisp and refreshing. This Brussels sprouts dish is so good, even Brussels sprout haters will eat it.

Ingredients for this dish

  • I use a homemade salad dressing and mix it with the Brussels sprouts. Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper are whisked together in a bowl before being seasoned with a few simple spices.
  • To prepare Brussels sprouts for the salad, you can either halve them lengthwise and finely slice them, or shave them using a mandoline. You can purchase a package of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts to save time.
  • Apple A Honeycrisp apple, which is both delicious and juicy, would be a great addition to the salad. Apples don’t brown as quickly on this apple, and it’s excellent for snacking.
  • Pine nuts; toasted pine nuts have the best texture. If you don’t have any pine nuts on hand, you can substitute walnuts or pecans.
  • Cranberries, dried — the dried cranberries give the salad a pleasant tart flavour. You don’t like cherries, do you? Try some preserved cherries or raisins.
  • Cheese — I recommend using Pecorino cheese, which gives the salad a piquant saltiness and a hint of tang. If you wish, you can substitute Parmesan cheese instead.

Brussels Sprout Salad: A How-to Guide

  1. Combine the mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to flavour with the vinegar and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Olive oil should be added gradually while mixing.
  2. Remove the wilted outer leaves and cut off the seedlings’ stems. The sprouts should be halved and then finely sliced. You could also leave them whole and use a mandoline to thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. A mandoline is the best tool for making uniformly cut Brussels sprouts for the salad. Wear protective gear like mitts or a face shield.
  3. Blend the salad dressing with the chopped brussels sprouts, apple, nuts, cranberries, and cheese.
  4. Mix by tossing. If desired, season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to several hours before serving.

Expert Advice on Preparing This Dish

  • Honey can be substituted with maple syrup.
  • Salt is an often-overlooked ingredient in dressings, but it’s essential. To achieve a more harmonious taste, salt should be added to the acid rather than the oil. After whisking, taste the vinegar mixture; it should be sour and faintly salty. Depending on how sour the lemon juice is, I’ll add between a quarter and a half teaspoon of salt to the vinaigrette.
  • Substitute 4 cups of finely sliced cabbage for the Brussels sprouts if you can’t find any.
  • Always use fresh ingredients for the finest taste. Instead of using packaged lemon juice in your salad dressing, try freshly squeezed. Similarly, freshly grated cheese is superior to pre-grated cheese in every way.
  • Add some orange pieces or mandarin segments to the Brussels sprout salad for a burst of fresh, tangy flavour.
  • Substitute a buttery cheese, like goat cheese, for the Parmesan to make a creamier salad.
  • You can make this salad a meal by including some sort of protein like chicken or fish in it.

FAQs

Is prepping this possible?

The salad can be made ahead of time, but only for a few hours. The salad and vinaigrette can be made up to four days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in two airtight containers. The Brussels sprouts slices won’t become mushy. The apple may turn dark as it oxidises after being chopped. Alternatively, you can prepare the Brussels sprouts up to four days in advance by slicing them and storing them in an airtight receptacle in the refrigerator. The salad can then be assembled just before serving.

Where should I put my extra food?

The salad will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight receptacle, but the Brussels sprouts’ crunchiness will diminish after two days due to the dressing.

Should Brussels sprouts be soaked before using?

The Brussels stems need not be presoaked. To sanitise the Brussels sprouts, just run them under cold water.

Quick Glances

Equipment:

  • a bowl for mixing
  • Whisk
  • Mandoline (optional)

The Dressing Should Have These Five Elements:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The Salad

  • One pound (450 grammes) of brussels sprouts
  • One small Honeycrisp apple,
  • sliced One-third cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts or pecans) (40g)
  • Cranberries, dehydrated, a quarter cup (33g)
  • a quarter cup of shredded Pecorino (20g)

Nutrition Per Serving

  • 363 Calories;
  • 32 Grams Carbohydrates;
  • 11 Grams Protein;
  • 24 Grams Fat;
  • 4 Grams Saturated Fat;
  • 6 Grams Polyunsaturated Fat;
  • 13 Grams Monounsaturated Fat;
  • 7 Milligrams Cholesterol;
  • 7 Grams Sodium;
  • 792 Milligrams Potassium;
  • 10 Grams Fiber;
  • 11 Grams Sugar;
  • 908 International Units Vitamin A;
  • 101 Milligrams Vitamin C;
  • 143 MilliNutrition Per Serving:
  • 363 Calories;
  • 32 Grams Carbohydrates;
  • 11 Grams Protein;
  • 24 Grams Fat;
  • 4 Grams Saturated Fat;
  • 6 Grams Polyunsaturated Fat;
  • 13 Grams Monounsaturated Fat;
  • 7 Milligrams Cholesterol;
  • 7 Grams Sodium;
  • 792 Milligrams Potassium;
  • 10 Grams Fiber;
  • 11 Grams Sugar;
  • 908 International Units Vitamin A;
  • 101 Milligrams Vitamin C

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