Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad

Looking for a fresh-tasting and healthy salad that will wow your guests this weekend?

I saw this recipe in Food & Wine magazine in October or November 2011. It looked good and simple, but time-consuming so I passed it by. Lo and behold, Robbb and I spent our Thanksgiving with my brother and sisterinlaw, Pat and Julie. And Julie busts this salad out! I was psyched to try it since I had seen the recipe and was familiar with it.

Ingredients

This salad is so easy, hearty, and tasty. It tastes so fresh and makes your mouth sing. The dressing is so bright and tangy from the shallots. You can also add some crumbled bacon to the top if you like!

Doesnt it look awesome?

And you can make EVERYTHING in advance and just quickly assemble it. So it carries well if you need to bring a salad to someone’s house as part of potluck dinner. I made this salad for my Girls Night Dinner and then took leftovers to my brother, Jerry’s, house for dinner the next night.

Part of my Girls Night Dinner

Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad 

Ingredients for Dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients for Almonds:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped (I usually do 3/4 cup)
• salt

Ingredients for Salad:

• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife (I buy pre-shredded at Wegmans)
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino (I use 1.5 – 2 cups)

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl.  Stir to blend.  Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

DO AHEAD:  Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Serves 8-10

Tags: Salad