shaved brussels sprouts salad with toasty nuts and parmesan
Inspired by my favorite salad from Scopa Italian Roots in Los Angeles, this salad feels like a spring awakening: Brussels sprouts, the sturdy mini cabbages of winter more often roasted than raw, get a significant brightening here thanks to fresh herbs and a zingy vinaigrette that’s a little bit mustardy, a lot lemony, and a tiny bit sweet from the world’s least detectable amount of honey. But for all the lightness of the fluffy Brussel base, the salad retains just enough of its richness to make it, you know, good, with toasted nuts and salty cheese studded throughout the salad in large enough quantities that you’ll get one of the two (if not both) in every bite of it.
I am not someone who will ever say they find greens “addictive",” nor will I pretend to believe that’s possible, but as greens go, this is definitely a salad I always think I’ll eat less of than I actually do.
This is the ideal companion to all kinds of grilled stuff (chicken, salmon, white fish, theoretically even steak), slices of herb-roasted pork tenderloin, some slow-cooked pork ribs, or a panko-crusted and pan-fried chicken cutlet.
RECIPE
A fresh, substantial salad with lots of texture and flavor—tender shreddy Brussels sprouts, crunchy toasted nuts, salty Italian cheese, and a perky lemon-djion vinaigrette—can confidently fly solo, but also pairs well with chicken or fish.
Effortful time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes 4-6 salads; this is the rare salad that keeps leftover fairly well
YOU NEED
For the salad
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, tough outer layers removed and stems trimmed; you can also buy pre-shredded
1/4 cup pistachios or roasted almonds, chopped
1/4 shredded Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (forgotten in the pictured recipe, but they add a lot of value!)
Fresh cracked pepper
For the dressing
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. honey
1/3 cup lemon juice
Freshly cracked black pepper
make it
Prep your sprouts. Using a sharp knife, cut each Brussel in half, stem to top. Lay the cut side down and cut perpendicular to the root end in very thin shavings. Then roughly chop your parsley.
Toast your nuts. In a small skillet over medium heat, add your nuts (no oil) and stir them until just lightly toasted. Pull from the heat and set aside.
Make your dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together in a cup.
Assemble. Add the shaved sprouts to a bowl and pour the dressing over. Gently toss and then let sit for 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors. Add the parm, toasty nuts, and parsley and toss again to dress. Serve!