This brussels sprouts salad is always a hit when I take it to parties. It makes an excellent Thanksgiving side dish, and also works great when you want a hearty, yet healthy recipe to start the New Year off right.
This is the perfect dish to clean out all the crap you put in your gut during the holidays.
I really didn’t do too bad this year… Thanksgiving was late, and we traveled at Christmas, so I didn’t make cookies and candy with my mom like we usually do. I was able to say no to all of those treats that trotted through the office, steadfastly saving up my calories for things in New York City that would surely be 10 times better. But there began the downward slide and it didn’t take long for it to become a gluttonous descent into a “what-the-hell” bingefest. There was Chinese food on Christmas Day, there were tacos and margaritas, pecan bars and Prosecco, lamb burgers and lagers, Katz’s Deli pastrami sandwiches and Baby Cakes cupcakes, Brooklyn Brewery tall boys on the Staten Island Ferry, 4 courses at Felidia, and giant bowls of cafe au lait at brunch. Only to be followed by gin cocktails, artichoke dip and beef tenderloin on New Year’s Eve.
And after last night’s snow-maggedon finale of chocolate cupcakes with Ben and Jerry’s Americone Dream ice cream, it’s time to put a stop to the madness.
When I first got the idea for this brussels sprouts salad, I think I was inspired by something Giada made, where she actually used the leaves of the brussels sprouts. Well, I’ll be dipped if I can figure out how she peeled those suckers. So I just started slicing them into more of a slaw. Much easier. I like the contrast between the sturdy sprouts and the soft texture of the mache, and their varying colors of green, and the cheese and walnuts add heartiness and crunch. Iberico is a Spanish cheese that is made with a blend of cow, sheep and goat’s milk and it’s got a firm texture that stands up to grating and won’t go soggy in your salad.
This brussels sprouts salad is simple to make and very healthy, but it’s hearty enough to satisfy your winter appetite, too. The perfect dish to bring the green back into regular rotation in your meals.
Your gut will thank you for it.
Related recipes: For more fall and winter salad feels try Sheet Pan Italian Sausages with Roasted Root Vegetables and Arugula.
Brussels Sprout Salad with Mache and Tarragon Viniagrette
For the salad:
1 lb brussels sprouts
About 3 oz mache rosettes – also known as lamb’s lettuce (if you can’t find mache, try butter lettuce or watercress)
3/4 cup finely grated Iberico cheese
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Tarragon vinaigrette:
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
Now let’s talk about ratios of vinegar to oil in salad dressings. Many will say 2:1 oil to vinegar or even 3:1. I am not of that camp. I like my salads light and fluffy and still standing up straight on the plate. And since the vinegar is the only acid in this salad and the brussels sprouts are so darn sturdy, I think you need more acid to break them down a bit. However, this is one of those things that is really up to your personal taste so feel free to fiddle with the ratio until it suits you. This will probably also be more dressing than you need but it’s delicious and you will want to put it on other things, so you’re welcome.
Coarsely chop walnuts (or buy them chopped already!) and toast them lightly in a dry skillet. Just until you begin to smell the aroma and they release their oils. Set aside to cool.
Cut stems from sprouts. Thinly slice brussels sprouts starting at the rounded end, working your way toward the core or stem. Once you start getting to the hard stem, stop slicing. You just want to use the leafiest part of the sprout.
Sift through sliced sprouts with your fingers, breaking them up into little ribbons and removing any bits of core.
Grate cheese finely – using the smaller holes of a box grater.
Combine sprouts, mache, and walnuts in a large bowl.
In a small food processor (or separate bowl with a lid), combine vinegar, oil, tarragon, kosher salt and cracked pepper. Blend or shake vigorously to emulsify ingredients.
Gradually mix dressing into salad (your hands work as the best kitchen tool for this task) and serve.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 3 oz Mache rosettes
- 3/4 cup Iberico cheese finely grated
- 1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped
Tarragon Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp tarragon chopped
- kosher salt to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coarsely chop walnuts (or buy them chopped already!) and toast them lightly in a dry skillet. Set aside to cool.
- Cut stems from sprouts. Thinly slice brussels sprouts starting at the rounded end, working your way toward the core or stem. Once you start getting to the hard stem, stop slicing. You just want to use the leafiest part of the sprout. Sift through sliced sprouts with your fingers, breaking them up into little ribbons and removing any bits of core.
- Grate cheese finely - using the smaller holes of a box grater.
- In a small food processor (or separate bowl with a lid), combine vinegar, oil, tarragon, kosher salt and cracked pepper. Blend or shake vigorously to emulsify ingredients.
- Combine sprouts, mache, and walnuts in a large bowl.
- Gradually mix dressing into salad (your hands work as the best kitchen tool for this task) and serve.
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