Chopped Brussel Sprout Salad

Some of you might be surprised that my first foray into brussel sprouts was less than a year ago.

I know right?  I am a veggie loving vegetarian, and I haven’t tried brussel sprouts yet?!?

Now, if I was in the blame naming game, I’d be pointing my finger right at my Dad.  Legend has it, he HATES brussel sprouts and decreed not a one would be cooked in his house, or heads would fly!

Ok, that might be a bit fictitious, but since he didn’t like ‘em, my mom didn’t cook ‘em.

Luckily James introduced them to me at a dinner party awhile back and I migrated over to Team Brussel Sprout.

Why should you give brussel sprouts a chance?

Because…

• Brussel Sprouts are high in vitamins K and C and are high in folic acid.  Good for the pregnant ladies, of which I am NOT. I just love to eat the green things.
• These mini-green cabbages (not really baby cabbages, but do belong in the same family) are also high in protein
• They get a bad rap probably because of the sulfurous odor they produce when cooked, however, you can avoid the smell by cooking them right. 
• Cook ‘em how you like ‘em – roast, boil, steam, pan fry.  They’re not picky.
• More and more research has been pointing to brussel sprouts as “cancer protection” because of the glucosinolates, which are important phytonutrients.
• They grow on cool looking stalks

Picking up one these bad boys in your local Trader Joe’s, will show people you know your produce.  Or not.  But I like to think it does.

The other day, I had a bag of brussel sprouts that needed to be eaten, so I searched for a way to make them.  Really, I wanted to recreate the salad James had used when she first introduced them to me, but couldn’t find an exact match.  So I combined a few online recipes and came up with the following.

Chopped Brussel Sprout Salad

Here’s what you need:

• 1 lb of brussel sprouts
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp shallots
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/3 cup walnut oil
• craisins
• silvered toasted almonds
• goat cheese
• facon

First things first, wash the brussel sprouts, cut off the bottoms, and peel off any of the bad leaves.

I made little x’s in the bottom of each sprout to help with the cooking process.

Then take out the steamer you bought almost a year ago and use it.

Fill the pot with about an inch of water and get it a-boiling. Place the brussel sprouts in the metal basket and cook for about 3-4 minutes, covered.

I let the brussel sprouts cool while I mixed up the vinaigrette. 

Whisk together the sherry vinegar, maple syrup, shallots and mustard in a small bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes. Slowly mix in the walnut oil in until the mixture emulsifies.

Chop up the warm brussel sprouts into bite size pieces.

The rest is easy squeezy.  Toss the brussel sprouts, almonds, craisins, facon, and goat cheese in a bowl and pour the dressing over the top.

And send me a thank you email at amystartstorun@gmail.com. 

Lets just say this didn’t last long in my house.  And I’m the only one in my house that likes brussel sprouts.

Feel free to pair this salad with a veggie kielbasa.