Roasted Brussels sprouts Salad with Cranberries & Pecans

Roasted Brussels sprouts Salad with Cranberries & Pecans

Serves: 4

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Roasted Brussels sprouts Salad with Cranberries & Pecans

Are you looking for a salad with a little something different?  This could be it. Personally, I love Brussels sprouts – raw or roasted.  But if someone in your household is less excited by eating these baby cabbages – roasting them may be the answer. Like so many vegetables, roasting brings out the toasted sweeter flavor. Couple that with cranberries, nuts and vinaigrette and you have a divine flavor combination and great side course or entrée. Brussels sprouts might just be the rising stars of the vegetable patch. These once-reviled cruciferous vegetables – cousins to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale – are increasingly ubiquitous on restaurant menus and at farmers markets. The flavorless boiled version is now most likely to be served roasted, fried or even raw and shaved into a salad. Perhaps best of all, Brussels sprouts are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with vitamins, cholesterol-reducing fiber, folate and antioxidants.

These little beauties will taste great when roasted

When shopping, look for Brussels sprouts that are bright green, have tight heads, avoiding those with loose leaves, surface gashes or significant blemishes. They should be firm without any soft spots. Buying them in uniform size will help them cook more evenly. Store Brussels sprouts in a plastic bag in your refrigerator’s crisper, where they’ll keep for at least one week, if not a little longer.

• 6 Tb of olive oil (divided)
• 1 Tb pomegranate, or sherry, vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste (divided)
• 12 oz. of Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 oz. dried cranberries
• 2 oz. roasted pecans
• Juice from one lemon

Preheat your oven to 400 degree F.

To make vinaigrette: whisk 3 Tb olive oil, pomegranate vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

To clean your Brussels sprouts, rinse them off in cold water to remove any dust or dirt. Using a sharp small knife, take off the tip of the stem and discard. Remove any outer leaves with blemishes. Place the cut stem on your cutting board and slice the Brussels sprout in half from top to bottom. In a medium bowl, combine 3 Tb of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Toss in the cut Brussels sprouts – mix and coat in oil mixture. 

Brussels sprouts coated with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper - into the oven!

Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast in oven until dark brown and tender, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a salad bowl; add a Tb or two of dressing to warm sprouts. Mix and allow to cool to room temperature.

 

How the sprouts look when roasted

Pecans for the salad

Cranberries

Add torn lettuce, cranberries, pecans and remainder of vinaigrette to salad bowl with Brussels sprouts. Mix gently and serve immediately to accolades and your healthy family!

Larue