Beautiful warm brussels sprouts salad with bacon that has been crisped up, hazelnuts that have been toasted, dried cranberries, and a light lemon dressing. This warm variation on the traditional salad is flavorful and a great lunch or side dish for the holidays!
This particular salad is made with bacon, dried cranberries (or dried cherries), toasted hazelnuts, parmesan cheese, somewhat shred or shaved brussels sprouts, and a beautiful lemony vinaigrette. It may be put together quickly—it only takes about 30 minutes—if you want to prepare all the components ahead of time and then assemble it the night before Thanksgiving dinner. Hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
It is a quick and easy recipe that uses only a few tasty ingredients. You’ll adore the savory, nutty, and tangy flavors in each mouthful of the brussels when the parmesan cheese is added and gently melted. What you’ll need to make it is as follows:
- You’ll need olive oil, lemon juice, pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
- Bacon: Chopped, crispy bacon gives the brussels sprout salad a great, savory flavor.
- Hazelnuts: This salad tastes amazing with the toasted, nutty flavor that hazelnuts contribute. Pecans and marcona almonds are further options.
The highlight of this festive salad is the brussels sprout! - Parmesan cheese: Use shaved parmesan to give dishes an extra salty, flavorful edge. Manchego would be a good choice too.
What you might do: Fruit that has been dried, such as cranberries, cherries, or dried blueberries, to add a touch of sweetness to counterbalance the savory flavors. Also fantastic would be apple slices.
How to prepare ?
- Construct the dressing. Mix all of the dressing’s components in a medium bowl, then save the dressing.
The hazelnuts are toast. Set a sizable skillet over a medium heat. Hazelnuts should be added and toasted for two to three minutes, until nicely golden and fragrant. Take out of the pan and place aside. - Prepare the bacon. Over medium heat, add the bacon to a sizable skillet or pan. Cook the bacon until crisp and golden brown on both sides. When the bacon is done, slice it into bite-sized pieces after blotting it with a paper towel to remove extra grease.
- Brussel sprouts should be cooked. Heat up the same big skillet over medium-high heat while adding the olive oil. Brussels sprouts are added and sauteed for a few minutes, or until they begin to get crispy and golden brown.
Put the salad together. Turn down the heat, add the bacon, parmesan cheese, and dressing. Sauté for a few more minutes to allow the cheese to melt, then serve right away. Serve the dish garnished with additional bacon, hazelnuts, and parmesan. - Adjust your dressing according on taste. To offset the tanginess of the dressing, I advise starting with just 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, but feel free to add a little more if you prefer.
- For simplicity, use a food processor. To acquire small and medium bits, simply pulse them briefly.
- Keep your brussels sprouts from becoming overcooked. Cook them in the pan after adding them until they start to become a light golden color. This will prevent them from turning into mush.
- Watch how you toast your nuts. Whether you’re using marcona almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts, roast them just until they begin to release their fragrance to avoid burning them. The ideal heat setting for this is medium-low.
- Add additional protein from chickpeas or chicken breast to make it a complete meal.
- Remove the bacon to make it vegetarian, or remove the parmesan cheese to make it vegan.
Simply omit step 4 and toss the raw brussels sprouts with the dressing, parmesan cheese, fried bacon, and hazelnuts to serve it cold! It would still taste good.
How to keep a warm salad of brussel sprouts?
This heated Brussels salad can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You are welcome to consume the salad cold or to briefly warm it in a skillet or microwave.
Make it beforehand
Despite the fact that you may prepare and store this in advance using the storing instructions above, I suggest making the dressing just and slicing the brussels sprouts and nuts the day before. If you want, you could also fry and dice your bacon in advance and reheat it the following day with the brussels sprouts