Recipe :: Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

Kale and Brussel Sprouts Salad

kale_saladSo everyone knows kale and brussel sprouts are all the rage. I’ve been enjoying eating these salads out (though some have nailed it down better than others), and recently I thought, I can do that. I can make a kale and brussel sprout salad at home that tastes good and enjoy the health benefits at the same time.

I did a little research, came up with what I thought was the right concoction & hit pay dirt. The first time I made this, I knew it was a hit. Here goes:

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

1 lb brussel sprouts, washed & cleaned (ends cut, loose leaves off)
1/2 bunch of kale (about 12 oz)
1 apple, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 c. toasted slivered almonds

Dressing
2 T. apple cider vinegar (I used Bragg’s.)
2 T. stone ground mustard
juice from 1 lemon (a little more than 1/4 c.)
1/4 c. sesame oil

Chop the brussel sprouts. (I use a food processor to make the consistency of slaw.) Chop the kale finely and add to sprouts. (You don’t want huge pieces of kale, so as thinly as you can muster.) Add apple, blueberries and avocado.

Mix ingredients for dressing. In full disclosure, I have one of those vinaigrette hand mixer from Williams-Senoma, and except for the lemon juice, these measurements are approximate. But I do believe they are pretty close. Feel free to adjust if you like.

Mix the dressing with the greens & fruit. Add almonds last.

Notes:

First, the apple, blueberries & avocado were my choice, but you could also add pear, dried fruit like cranberries or chopped apricot or even orange slices. I like avocado, but to be honest, it didn’t add a whole bunch. I’ve seen recipes with toasted walnuts instead of almonds. So in short, I think this something that you can adjust to your taste easily.

Another great thing about this salad is that it held up, even with the dressing added. I made the whole recipe for a potluck on Sunday, and then ate it every day for lunch for the rest of the week and was just as fresh as the day I made it.

You can use oils other than the sesame, but I love the rich, nutty aroma of the sesame oil. I think it adds tremendously to the overall salad.

It is also great topped with protein like grilled chicken or salmon.

The picture above doesn’t really do it justice, because it actually is a very pretty salad as well.

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