Kale and Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Happy New Year!  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are getting into the swing of things in the New Year.  Graham and I enjoyed spending lots of time with friends and family and eating way too much good food over the last few weeks.  We are now trying to get back to our normal (and healthier) eating and exercise habits, as I’m sure many of you are too.

To help facilitate healthy eating in the New Year, I offer you a kale and Brussels sprout salad.  I know it may sound like something that is way too much like rabbit food to cross your lips, but believe me it is delicious and was a big hit with guests at two parties where it was served.

The recipe for the salad comes from one of my classmates—one of the big benefits of being in a nutrition PhD program is that many of my classmates are excellent cooks!  Suffice to say, we have some pretty amazing potlucks.  This salad really stood out at one of our recent parties, and I so I tried making it myself for a dinner party we hosted recently.  It was a success, and I urge you to give it a shot.

Kale and Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Adapted from one of my classmates

• 1 small bunch kale
• 1 8 oz bag of Brussels sprouts
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced*
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, champagne vinegar, or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (almonds or walnuts would work too)
• 1/2 cup shredded pecorino or parmesan cheese, optional

Remove the tough stems from the kale leaves and cut into small pieces.  Put kale into a large bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and olive oil.  Use your hands to massage the kale and break down the fiber in the leaves (see this site for more info on massaging kale leaves).

Wash and dry Brussels sprouts. Cut off any tough stems, and using a food processor with a shredder blade, shave brussel sprouts into thin slices (you can also thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a mandoline or a knife).   Add the Brussels sprouts to the kale. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until emulsified.  The salad can be dressed several hours before serving, but stir in the nuts and cheese shortly before serving. 

*Squeeze lemon juice on the diced apple to prevent from browning.

Tasty Easy Healthy Green Recipe Ratings: