If there are two vegetables that tend to turn off carnivores at the very mention of them, two top qualifiers would be “kale” and “Brussels sprouts” (or “brussel sprouts”, if you’re into spelling it wrong).
Kale is typically used as a garnish rather than something you’d willingly go out of your way to make a salad from. (And for those of you who’ve decided that pushing kale through your Mr Juicer because kale juice is said to help grow hair, it’s kinda gross from what we’ve seen our friends go through.)
And everybody knows that Brussels sprouts taste best when sauteed in tons and tons of bacon fat.
The Top 31 Brussels sprouts Recipes
It’s the bacon fat that may make Brussels sprouts edible to meat-eaters, but you’ve got to trust Web Watch on this one. We’ve found the ULTIMATE KALE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD RECIPE and just have to share it with you. We’ve been serving this for the past few months to friends and family, and we’re not kidding – every single person who has had it has absolutely loved it and asked for the recipe.
So here you go.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, the base of this salad was inspired from BON APPETIT magazine, in part because they’ve named the CRISPY KALE SALAD with LIME DRESSING as their dish of the year, and they have THEIR OWN VERSION of a Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad on their site. While our version is similar, there are some key differences. So pay attention.
Recipe: The Best Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
By:
Summary: This is the best Kale and Brussels Sprouts salad that we’ve found – it has a pleasant, citrus dressing with garlicky undertones and enough crunch to satisfy anyone. Inspired by Bon Appetit
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large bunches of kale (about 1.5 pounds). Washed well, without the center stem
- 12 oz brussels sprouts
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup of almonds with skins, slivered
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese, light flavor (Pecorino can be used instead, depending on personal taste)
- 1/2 cup chunked honey crisp apples
Instructions
- To prepare the dressing:
- Combine the lemon juice, mustard, shallots, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper into a small bowl. Whisk to blend, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- To finish the dressing after some time has passed:
- whisk in olive oil into the dressing mixture, and season with salt/pepper as desired. The dressing can be prepared in advance.
- To prepare the salad:
- Using kitchen shears, snip long strands of the kale and cut into reasonable fork-sized pieces.
- Using a grater, shred the Brussels sprouts into tiny, tiny pieces.
- Using 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat, lightly toast the almonds in a skillet until they begin to turn golden brown. Transfer the almonds to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil, then sprinkle lightly with additional kosher salt.
- To serve the salad:
- To minimize discoloration, try to avoid cutting the apples until before the salad is to be served.
- Toss the kale, Brussels sprouts, almonds, cheese, and apple chunks together with the dressing.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Total time: 15 minutes
Recipe type:salad
Culinary tradition: American
My rating
December 11, 2012
What we found through multiple iterations of the salad is that the kale can lend a little bitterness that may be unexpected to those unfamiliar with the taste of kale. The addition of the apple is just enough sweetness to counter that bitterness, and it helps balance the citrus acidity of the dressing. And absolutely nobody noticed the Brussels sprouts, as they were finely shredded and crunchy. Who knew that raw Brussels sprouts would taste this good?