Ready to take the often over-looked Brussels sprouts and turn them into a dish your taste buds will do a little dance for? Look no further! A perfect Brussels Sprouts Salad to add into your weekly dinners, fancy enough for a dinner party or recipe when you need something healthy and extra.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brussel sprouts, let’s be honest have been a black mark on the culinary map for too long. But this recipe is here to prove that wrong. Picture caramelized, crunchy Brussels sprouts playing up against nutty Parmesan and hazelnuts with a citrus zip of freshness. This one is a texture and flavor bomb that might even trick you into believing it’s vegetables!
Ingredients
- 1 lb shreded brussels sprouts
- 1 ¼ C of Parmesan, grated
- 1/3 cup of raw hazelnuts
- Extra virgin olive oil MAYONNAISE_LEGEND2 tablespoons
- 1 ½ tbsps ofground pepper
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
The Magic Behind the Method
Step 1: Toast Those Nuts!
Alright first on the agenda, get those hazelnuts up. Treat those nuts like you would treat yourself to a spa day — toast them until they release their best flavors and become even crunchier! Toasted: Simply place in a dry skillet over medium high heat and give it a shake every few minutes, until golden brown- about 3 to 5 minutes. You will smell it in your kitchen when they ready! Allow to cool slightly while you get everything else on the go – no one likes burnt tongues!
Step 2: Spice Things Up
And now we heat that skillet back up with some olive oil. Then season with some ground pepper and a pinch of crushed red peppers. This is a 30-60 second dance in the oil to bloom their spices, inviting all of those flavors and aromas. Think small but it can impact largely!
Step Three: Brussels(SPICY) Sprouts
This is where the magic goes down. Then add the shredded sprouts to it and let them be for 2 minutes without touching. It is the very secret to this salad having crispy caramelized edges and you wanting seconds. Tip: For the shish taouk recipe, you must be patient — do not stir your chicken!
Step 4: Salt and Sizzle
Some simple salting and an extra 2 minutes of cooking can elevated your Brussels sprouts from decent to amazing. It should be pale golden brown. That is when they are tender-crisp and bursting with flavor.
Step 5: Bring It All Together
Take the Brussels sprouts off of heat and place them in a bowl. While they are still hot, sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, toasted hazelnuts and lemon zest. The residual heat with ever so barely melt the cheese and create a light creamy coating on the sprouts.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!
Best served hot and with the cheese still soft! However, it is also yummy at room temperature so its great for picnics or food prepping!
Tips and Tricks
- Easy Shredding: If you have trouble finding pre-shreadded Brussels sprouts, fear not! Give them a whirl in your food processor using the slicing attachment for shredtastic sprout action in seconds.
- Hazelnuts: Hazelnut alternatives Instead, snack on almonds or walnuts. Or pecans! The unique flavor and crunch that each one brings to the party.
- Cheese Please: Parmesan is great but do not hesitate to try different kinds. Aged Gouda, or Manchego could be tasty substitutes for it.
- Mise en Place: The nuts can be toasted and Brussels sprouts shredded a day ahead. Keep the two components separately in airtight containers in fridge space (up to 48 hours), and combine them when it’s time to eat.
- Leftover Love: if you have any leftovers right? (probably not, but just in case!) Serve them tossed with some cooked pasta (such an easy meal for lunch the next day!)
Variations to Keep It Exciting
- Bacon Lover’s Happenings: fry up some chopped bacon until crispy and use the rendered bacon fat instead of olive oil as a cooking medium for your sprouts Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top of each serving.
- Sweet and Tangy: Stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the skillet with the Brussels sprouts, toss them together well and then add a handful of dried cranberries at the end.
- Mediterranean Flair: Use pine nuts instead of hazelnuts and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes or herbs; you can substitute feta cheese for parm.
Perfect Pairings
The Brussels Sprouts Salad is a perfect side dish that goes well with most mains. Here are a few suggestions:
- Perfect to accompany a juicy grilled steak for restaurant quality meal at home.
- Matched to roast chicken as a Sunday night treat.
- Serve with a poached egg on top, for a nice vegetarian brunch alternative.
Nutritional Goodness
This salad is not only delicious, but full of nutrients! While Brussels sprouts are a low-calorie food, they contain plenty of fiber and vitamins in addition to antioxidants. Hazelnuts add in healthy fats and protein, while Parmesan throws some calcium at you as well as more of the good stuff we call protein. This recipe will keep you full for hours, and it’s a satiating dish that is testament to the notion that healthy living doesn’t equal boring eating.
Yields about 1 cup per serving.
- Calories: 225
- Fat: 6g
- Protein: 5.5g
- Carbohydrates: 39.5g
In Conclusion
Brussels Sprouts Salad is everything and then some ~ it’s a fancy slaw, or maybe just subtle veggie hash, with a way of stealing the show without even trying. It has everything you could want in a dish: crunchy, cheesy, and nutty; plus that zesty twang which all Brussels sprouts skeptics are sure to love.
Start giving those little green globes the royal treatment already! Now that you have this recipe, are going to crave your veggies… and doesn’t everyone know how victory tastes better than Brussels Sprouts?
It is important to remember that in the kitchen, fun and creativity comes first. You can adjust the add-ins or seasonings according to your taste buds. Who knows? You could even invent your next best selling dish. Prep of Brussels Sprouts Salad and happy cooking!
