While I don’t jump on the weight loss bandwagon every January, I do tend to crave salads this time of year. I enjoy the holidays and all the food that comes with them so by the first couple of months of the new year my body seems to crave fresh produce and lots of greens. There is a feeling that I need to remind my body that sugar cookies aren’t a food group and that vegetables can be eaten without butter and bacon.
We decided to eat extra healthy this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas in preparation of the holidays. I found that salads were an easy lunch option and a great way to add extra veggies to our day. We are trying to stick with that momentum and are continuing to eat salad for lunch a couple days a week.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salads seem to be all the rage so I decided to create a salad of my own. I loved the texture and crunch that the Brussels sprouts added to this salad. They have a consistency similar to cabbage, which I loved. Most grocery stores sell shredded Brussels sprouts in bags with the other bagged veggies in the produce department. I preferred to shred the Brussels sprouts myself. I just halved each Brussels sprout then thinly chopped it with a knife.
The avocado adds creamy texture and the Parmesan cheese is a lovely addition of saltiness. In addition to beautiful color, the pomegranate seeds add crunch and a lovely tart element to the salad.
The vinaigrette is perfection. I tossed the sprouts in the dressing and let them sit for about 15 minutes so that they could absorb the dressing well. I then added the other salad ingredients and tossed again. A shaved Brussels sprouts salad is a delicious and filling lunch. Add grilled chicken and it would make a great dinner as well.
ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ Tbsp honey
1 lb Brussels Sprouts, shredded
1 avocado, chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Pomegranate seeds
instructions
- Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add shredded Brussels Sprouts to a large bowl. Pour dressing over the sprouts and stir to coat. Allow the Brussels sprouts to sit in the dressing for 15-20 minutes then add the avocado and Parmesan. Toss again.
- Divide salad among plates then sprinkle with Pomegranate seeds.