BRUSSELS SPROUTS CAESAR SALAD

Shaved brussels sprouts are my jam. The vegetable as a whole has really picked up a lot of steam in the past few years. Most trendy restaurants serve them covered in maple syrup with crunchy bits of bacon. Today I’m sharing with you a little bit of a healthier spin on this trendy veggie.

Let’s back up a little bit though. I love brussels sprouts. But I didn’t even eat them until I was about 15 years old. Can you believe that? My Dad always hated them and so we didn’t grow up eating them in the house. I first tried them at a friend’s house! Kind of crazy for such a vegetable enthusiast.

Now that I love them so, I typically roast them with olive oil and sea salt for the perfect crisp. A salty savory treat- quite the contrary to the popular sweet that restaurants serve! But today is a whole new flavor. I’m eating my brussels sprouts RAW.

That’s right. Shred those beauties up and toss them like a salad. After all, they’re basically tiny cabbages. I bought my brussels pre-shredded, but I’m sure you could slice them by hand too, maybe even use a mandolin if your brussels are big enough.

I tossed them in a homemade Caesar salad dressing (no oily anchovies included) with fresh croutons too. It was my first time making both homemade, so it’s simple to say that this is a very easy dish. YOU CAN DO IT! I know it.

For my homemade croutons, I actually used bagels because I wanted a larger cube-like crouton, but you can also use fresh bread if you have thick enough slices. My only pre-caution would be in using thinly sliced bread, because they would end up more crisp-like than crouton-like.

Side note: It is, in fact, brussels sprouts… which makes no sense.. it just sounds silly. But, who am I to name vegetables?

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CAESAR SALAD

Serves: 3

Prep time: 25 minutes

4 c shaved brussels sprouts

2 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp black pepper

For the dressing:

1/2 c avocado oil mayo

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tspn spicy mustard

1/4 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tspn salt

For the croutons:

2 bagels, roughly chopped into cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c fresh thyme

2 tsp dried ‘Italian seasoning’

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Toss bagel chunks with olive oil and herbs. Scatter on your baking sheet bake for 30 minutes. Broil for a minute at the end for an extra crisp.
Meanwhile, prepare your dressing by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
Toss shredded brussels sprouts in dressing. Sprinkle with additonal cheese, a dash of black pepper and croutons when cooled.