Salads have this stigma around them that they are just lettuce, that they’re boring and least accurate of all that they can’t be filling! I’m out to prove this wrong. The right salad can stand alone and a filling and satisfying meal. If you don’t believe me, it invite you to try this recipe, Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette.
This recipe is based on a dish Andrew and I ate an awesome restaurant Lula Cafe, in Chicago. If you live in Chicago or come to town, try to go there, the food is fabulous and it’s a great date night spot. They also have a fabulous vegetarian tasting menu that Andrew and I can both vouch is amazing. This specific salad was inspired by our first course from the tasting menu which was the “Avocado Tarine”. It was essentially a Brussels sprouts salad with walnuts, bright fresh vinaigrette dressing and topped with creamy avocado. It was perfect and I decided to try to make something similar at home.
I jacked up this salad a little bit by adding in crispy coconut bacon to give it that interesting, smoky flavor throughout the salad. I also added some of my favorite toppings to winter/autumn inspired salads like apples, radishes and pumpkin seeds. These all add to this salads beautiful color scheme and delicious crunchiness! Yes, I know that it is almost Spring, but here in Chicago it’s still freezing so I’m in winter salad mode.
The dressing for this salad is also great. It is loaded with fresh mint and parsley which give it a bright, refreshing flavor and also has smoked paprika and Dijon mustard for smokiness and a hint of spice. And the paprika gives it this rich, beautiful red color when you mix it that compliments the green color of the salad very well.
As a quick warning, when I made this recipe the first time, I totally over looked the fact that slicing the Brussels sprouts by hand would be quite a bit of labor. If you have a slicing attachment on your food processor I recommend using it as it will be quicker and easier. If you don’t have one no worries! I eventually got it done and I know you can too, cooking is a labor of love sometimes. I assure you this crisp, refreshing salad is still worth the effort of chopping!
The best part about this salad is that Brussels sprouts are a sturdy vegetable, so not only are they so filling that you can easily eat this salad as a meal by itself, but they also soak in the dressing without getting soggy so you can keep this one in your fridge for a week and it will still be delicious!
Until Next Time,
Jackie
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Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad, Lunch, Side, Dinner
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Description
Crispy Brussels Sprouts tossed with a fresh and tangy dressing and topped with smoky coconut bacon, crunchy apples and radishes and finished with creamy avocado for a delightful contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
- Brussels Sprout Salad and Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, shredded thin
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2 lemons juiced (about 2 tbs of juice)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Generous Pinches of Salt and Pepper
- 2 apples, sliced thin
- 8 radishes, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- Avocado for garnish
- Coconut Bacon
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbs maple syrup
- 2 tsps cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsps Liquid Smoke
- Small pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start with the coconut bacon. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the coconut flakes in a thin layer.
In a small bowl add the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, smoked paprika, liquid smoke and salt and pepper and whisk them all together. Once you have mixed all of the ingredients, pour them over the coconut flakes and toss until they are completely covered.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until they start to turn crispy. If they are browning but still a little soft, remove them because they will crisp up as they dry a little.
- While the coconut bacon is cooking, shred the Brussels sprouts. You can use a sliding disc attachment on a food processor, but if you don’t have one you can cut them by hand. I cut mine by hand by trimming the end off, slicing them in half lengthwise and then slicing the halves very thin. Don’t worry if some of the pieces seem too hard, they work in great with this crispy deliciousness of this salad. Place the shredded Brussels sprouts into a bowl when you’re finished.
- To make the dressing, add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, chopped garlic, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper to either a large bowl or a jar with a lid. I used a mason jar because it’s easy to shake but you can also use a bowl and just whisk all the ingredients together.
- To put the salad together, toss the Brussels sprouts with the apples, radishes, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and Coconut Bacon. Then add the dressing and toss.
Notes
Make this gluten-free by substituting Tamari for soy sauce
