Brussel Sprout Salad | From a Reluctant

This Brussel sprout salad recipe is for Christopher!  It is delightfully mild and super tasty! And this is from a Brussel sprout disliker. 🙂

Explanation is in order

Why did I name this the reluctant Brussel sprout salad?

Because I do not like Brussel sprouts. Poor Christopher. He either has to get them when we go out to a restaurant or eat them at a relative’s house. In the 30 years that we have been married, I have never made Brussel sprouts.

This recipe is my first foray in making this vegetable.

Here’s the funny thing about this vegetable. You either love it or hate it. You never really find someone who is neutral about Brussel sprouts.

The why

It’s all in your genes whether you love or hate this cute little vegetable. A study in 2011 by Cornwall College states that the Brussel sprout has a chemical similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation to a certain gene.

The research says that approximately 50 percent of the world’s population has a mutation to that gene.

I’m one of the people with that mutation.

Brussel sprouts taste so bitter to me, I can’t believe that people actually like them.

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How to make the Brussel sprout salad

Pre-step

Gather a sauté pan and food processor.

Step one

Brussel sprouts, bacon, a red onion, spinach and shaved parmesan cheese.

Step two

Heat a sauté pan on medium low and add three slices of bacon to the pan. Fry the bacon until it becomes crispy. It should take around 8 minutes.

Transfer the bacon to a paper towel and blot them dry. Set aside.

Step three

Wash the Brussel sprouts, chop the stems off and peel away any damaged outer leaves.

Step four

Insert the slicing attachment to the processor and add the Brussel sprouts to the chute and slice them thinly. (A)

Step five

In a big mixing bowl add the shredded sprouts along with 3 cups of chopped baby spinach. (B)

Step six

Gather the ingredients for the dressing – lemon, mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Step seven

In a medium mixing bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and salt. Whisk them together until the dressing thickens and is mixed together.

Set aside so the flavors will meld.

Step eight

Slice two rings out of the onion and chop them into smaller pieces. Sprinkle the onion on the salad. (C)

Step nine

Crumble a piece of bacon and sprinkle it on the salad. I save the other two pieces for future salads. (D)

Step ten

Take a small handful of chopped walnuts and sprinkle them on the salad. (E)

It’s always nice to have a bit of crunch to your salad.

Step eleven

Sprinkle shaved parmesan on top. (F)

Step twelve

Transfer the dressing into a pouring receptacle.

Pour the dressing on the salad.

I choose not to make a huge salad and dress it because it would just get soggy. This way, Christopher can have fresh salads everyday until the shredded Brussel sprouts and spinach are used up.

Lucky Christopher!

I hope you enjoyed this Brussel sprout salad recipe.

Christopher enjoyed eating it!

Please feel free to leave me a comment to tell me what you don’t like to eat, that others think you should.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Brussel Sprout Salad

This Brussel sprout salad is perfect to serve at a dinner party, provided that peeps like Brussel sprouts 🙂

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Salad

Keyword: brussel sprout salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 salads

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Elaine Benoit

Ingredients

• 18 Brussel sprouts stems chopped off, washed and damaged outer leaves discarded, shredded or sliced thinly
• 3 cups baby spinach chopped
• 2 red onion sliced thinly then chopped
• 3 slices bacon fried and blotted dry, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons walnuts chopped
• 3 slices Parmesan cheese shaved

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Fry bacon and set aside when done

Dressing

• In a medium mixing bowl, add ½ cup olive oil, vinegar lemon juice, mustard and salt. Whisk until combined and thickened, set aside

Salad

• Combine the shredded Brussel sprouts and spinach
• Put some sprout mixture in a salad bowl
• Sprinkle red onion on sprout mixture
• Crumble 1 or more slices of bacon on salad
• Sprinkle walnuts on salad
• Sprinkle shaved parmesan on salad
• Dribble dressing on salad
• Eat
• Smile
• Enjoy

Equipment

food processor

sauté pan

mixing bowl

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Notes

This is for 4 servings but I made only one salad for Christopher and saved the rest for leftover salad

Nutrition

Serving: 1Salad | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2755IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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