Brussels Sprouts Salad

Brussels sprouts are the Jan Brady of the vegetable world. Overshadowed by more glamorous siblings such as brocclini, purple cauliflower and Swiss chard, too often badly dressed and socially awkward, they appear on the table and no one knows quite what to say. So they are ignored, and sit alone in their greyish state, stewing in overcooked juices, cooling in unpalatable sulk.

They need a makeover. Forget the weirdness that can happen when Brussels sprouts are cooked badly – funky color changes, strange spots and unfortunate and unmentionable aromas – quite like adolescence itself in fact. Think instead of these little beauties the way we think of their cousins – the other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and kohlrabi. All of these are packed with amazing nutritional elements, tremendous flavor and incredible versatility. Of them all, Brussels sprouts are most closely related to cabbages, and it dawned on me that if I treated the little darlings like the tiny cabbages they were, they would sine far more than if just boiled to death – which is how I was introduced to them as a child and why I fought them tooth and nail for the first 35 years of my life.

Cooked Brussels sprouts are much like cabbage, in that if overcooked develop a lot of their natural compounds that smell and taste like sulfur. If roasted, sautéed or baked however, they shine. When shredded and dressed uncooked, they become gorgeous little jewels, bright with crunch, popping with flavor and absolutely delightful.

Brussels sprouts salad is the extreme makeover for this underappreciated vegetable. Uncooked, each little leaf becomes a receptacle for a luscious, bright and assertive citrusy dressing. The sprouts retain rich flavor, bright crunch, and are a perfect pairing with the sweet-tart bits of fruit. Brussels sprouts salad is a perfect makeover!

Ingredients - Brussels Sprouts Salad

For the Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1 /2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1/2 small clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, leaves only

2 tablespoon dried blueberries

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

2 tablespoons dried pomegrantes

2 tablespoons almonds

Directions - Brussels Sprouts Salad

To Make The Dressing:

I find it easiest to use a mason jar with a lit – all the ingredients go in, and you just shake the fire out of it to combine, and then stash it in the fridge in one container. Alternately, you can whisk everything together, and then transfer to an airtight container to store. Be sure to taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Chill it for at least an hour to combine the flavors, or stash it for up to a week.

Trim the Brussels sprouts to remove the core, then slice in quarters. Rub them gently between your palms to loosen as many leaves as possible, but don’t worry too much about it. Place in a large bowl.

In a small dry skillet, toast the almonds until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Stir frequently and watch carefully so they don’t burn – it doesn’t take long. In the meantime, coarsely chop the dried fruit.

Add almonds and dried fruit to Brussels sprouts. Add dressing, tossing well, ½ cup at a time, until dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.