A fresh, tangy, crunchy Brussels sprout salad with bacon, artichokes and seeds - single-handedly reversing the terrible reputation of the classic boiled sprout.
Brussels sprouts don't have a great reputation. I think mostly because of the sad, soggy, droopy boiled sprouts our parents made us eat and maybe enforced on us? Did they? Sorry if they did. Don't let your mind drift there! I'm hear to change the sprouts game for you starting with this: Brussels sprouts are actually good raw. You do not need to cook them. Also, in a side note, if you do prefer cooked, my god do not boil them. Pan fry them with butter and bacon and tonnes of garlic. Please.
We're always on the hunt for a new salad. Salads get boring very easily, let's not dance around that. It's important for both health and sanity that you change things up regularly. Try new things, introduce new foods. Enjoy your dishes, even those that contain sprouts.
I like my sprouts two ways: raw or pan fried and slightly charred. This salad finely shreds the sprouts, and the mustardy vinegarette softens the leave just slightly. Combine with a variety of textures, including seeds, bacon and artichoke and you have yourself a winner. Serve this salad with a side of your favourite protein for a healthy dinner, or as is at your next barbeque (whenever that will be, re COVID).
I hope this dish changes your opinion of sprouts and encourages you to give them another go. All foods deserve a second chance!
PrintBrussels Sprout Salad
A fresh, tangy, crunchy Brussels sprout salad with bacon, artichokes and seeds - single-handedly reversing the terrible reputation of the classic boiled sprout.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 serves 1x
- Category: Savoury
- Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients
- 200g bacon, diced
- 500g brussel sprouts, washed
- 275g marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- ⅓ cup pepitas
- ½ cup shaved parmesan
Dressing
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp seeded mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place diced bacon into a non-stick fry pan over a medium to high heat. Sauté until browned and the edges are beginning to go crispy. Take your bacon as far as you'd like. Remove and turn out on to a paper towel to cool.
- Remove any discoloured leaves on the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Remove the tough core by cutting a small triangle at the base of each half of the sprouts. Then slice the sprouts thinly and throw into a large serving bowl. Repeat with all of your sprouts.
- Chop artichoke hearts roughly and add to sprouts. Add cooled bacon, pepitas and parmesan.
- To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify. Alternatively, whisk all ingredients in a small jug. Pour over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you do not have a non-stick fry pan available, add in a teaspoons of oil or butter before cooking your bacon to prevent it from sticking.
- For this dressing, you could easily subsitute lemon for the vinegar, maple syrup for the honey and dijon or horseradish cream for the mustard.
- If you're not serving the salad immediately, reserve dressing and pour over right before serving.
Looking for more salads? Try my go-to simple summer salad or Vietnamese salad with poached chicken.
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