Brussels Sprout Salad
Sometimes, a dish is so stinkin’ simple you don’t know how you didn’t think of it yourself. For me, vegetable slaws and simple salads are where it’s at. Broccoli slaw, coleslaw, and asparagus salad are all variations on the same delicious theme. Slice a crunchy vegetable thin, dress it with something salty and acidic, and you’ve got a delicious, easy, healthy, side. So why then, was I unable to think of a shaved brussels sprout salad?
When I eat brussels sprouts at home, I usually roast them with bacon until they are sweet and caramelized. Then, after dinner at the Bazaar I remembered how much I like brussels sprouts when they are done just the opposite, either barely cooked or raw. That reminded of a Jonathan Waxman salad I had been dying to try. Shaved brussels sprouts, lemon, pecorino and walnuts combined to make a super crunchy and healthy dish that is both substantial, yet light. It’s better if you buy whole brussels sprouts and shave them really thin with a mandolin, but I used a bag of pre-shredded brussels sprouts and found it was still delicious.
Fresh Brussels Sprout Salad
Adapted from Jonathan Waxman’s Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Ingredients
1 10 oz bag shredded brussels sprouts (or raw sprouts shaved with a mandolin or sliced thinly by hand)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, roasted and roughly chopped (fresh roasting/toasting raw nuts leads to much better flavor)
2 tblsps grated pecorino romano
salt/pepper to taste
Place the shredded sprouts in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, adding gradually to the Brussels Sprouts. The thinner your sprouts, the less dressing you’ll need, so don’t just dump it all in. You want all the sprouts dressed but not drenched. Add the cheese and the walnuts, toss together and taste. Add salt/pepper to taste. I’m not a big fan of much pepper in the recipe, and go easy on the salt, the pecorino is salty so you might not need it at all.
Enjoy.
