Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

One of the biggest culinary mysteries of the past few years is how the once-reviled Brussels sprout, source of miserable childhood memories, somehow got the trendy treatment and became a de rigueur side or even entrée at any hipster eatery worth its pink Himalayan salt. Even if you're still not on board with the whole "cabbage for the tiny food crowd" fad, though, don't write off this salad. The important thing to know is that it's made with raw Brussels sprouts rather than cooked ones, and therein lies the difference.

As recipe developer Stephanie Rapone puts it, "What's great about the sprouts raw in the salad is that they aren't super bitter like cooked sprouts can be. The flavor and texture are more like raw cabbage (think coleslaw) than cooked Brussels sprouts." She says she saw a similar Brussels sprout salad prepared on a cooking show, but she made some tweaks to suit her own preferences and to use what she had on hand in her pantry. Well, whatever kitchen magic she used, we think you're going to be pleased with the results!

In addition to the main star of the show here, aka the Brussels sprouts, you'll be using red wine vinegar, agave nectar (Or honey, if you prefer!), whole-grain mustard, and olive oil to make the dressing. For salad mix-ins, you'll be going with dates, manchego cheese, and sunflower seeds. Plan to use shelled ones, please! Otherwise, the salad will be a bit too crunchy.

If you're intrigued by the addition of dates, which are definitely not your typical salad ingredient, Rapone says of her family, "We love dates as a snack and include them in many recipes, often using them instead of raisins." She also adds that she likes including some type of sweet element in her salads. As to why the choice of cheese, she notes, "Dates and Manchego are a really classic flavor combination."

To make the Brussels sprouts salad-friendly, you can't just throw them in the bowl as-is. Instead, you'll need to rinse them off, then dry them on a towel. When they are relatively dry, cut off their stems, and then halve the sprouts, top to bottom. Lay them on their flat sides on a cutting board, and slice them into thin strips. Once all the Brussels sprouts are sliced, you can go ahead and put them in that salad bowl.

Mix the vinegar with the agave nectar (or honey), mustard, and oil, along with the salt and black pepper. Either pour the dressing into a lidded jar, and shake it, or else whisk it in a bowl, but however you mix it, you'll want to keep going until it has emulsified. Once it gets to this point, pour it over the sliced sprouts.

Rapone does note, "White wine vinegar could also work well [for this salad]." Balsamic, however, is a no-no, since, as she explains, "[It] is probably too strong of a flavor profile with everything else going on." What's more, she says, "The dark color of balsamic would throw off the overall look of the salad, too."

Chop the dates and the Manchego cheese into small pieces. The sunflower seeds are already tiny, so no need for chopping there. Reserve a bit of all three ingredients as a salad topper, then mix the dates, cheese, and seeds into the salad. Toss the salad, then sprinkle it with the reserved dates, cheese, and seeds.

As to what to serve with your lovely salad, Rapone says, "I usually make a quick pork chop or chicken dish on a busy weeknight." She does note, though, that if you want to make the salad itself into a main dish, "A simple roasted pork tenderloin sliced and placed on top would be delicious!" This recipe is a keeper to prepare as a yummy, healthy meal or side!