I think this is the third salad I’ve ever posted on my blog. I tend to write salad recipes in times of desperation- break up, impending dinner party, and now overeating for the holidays. The problem is getting a little serious. During November I participated in five tastings in order to choose a caterer for our building’s holiday party. Yes, I had to try all the variations of whoopie pie that third caterer made. I also needed a third helping of truffle mac and cheese. It’s all a part of the job, I told myself.
Now it’s the second week of December. With gluttonous Thanksgiving behind us, we now have Christmas cookies at every corner threatening any promise of restraint. I participated in a food blogger cookie swap (my cookie recipe will be posted soon!) and received three batches of cookies from food bloggers through the mail in the past week. Holiday gift baskets have started coming into the office filled with cookies, candy and caramel popcorn. In defense of itself my body has been craving greens and fruit. I’ve been buying salads from sweetgreen around the corner when I’m feeling lazy but I know I’m perfectly capable of making a delicious and satisfying salad for myself. Here I’ve tossed shredded brussels sprouts, pomegranate arils, salty feta with a poppy seed vinaigrette. The simple dressing has some apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and some poppy seeds. It’s light but great seasoning for the salad. If you need a quick guide on how to get the arils out of a pomegranate check this out. I think I need to veggie load with salads from now until the end of the year when I make a resolution to break in 2015.
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of maple sugar
- 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 pound of brussels sprouts shredded
- pomegranate arils from 1 pomegranate
- 4 oz of feta cheese crumbled
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Whisk the first five ingredients together until emulsified.
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Toss together with sprouts, arils and cheese.
I LOVE the idea of combining brussels sprouts and pomegranate! This looks delicious and I pinned it for later 🙂
Thanks, Christin! Yes, it’s a tasty combination for sure. I want to try adding pomegranate on some roasted brussels sprouts next time 🙂
Love this! I have a coworker who keeps bringing in cookies, and I can’t resist either! This salad was exactly what I needed. Made it for dinner and added some roasted chicken for protein, and it was perfect.
Hmm who is this horrible coworker that forces cookie deliciousness into your life?! 😛 I’m glad you enjoyed the salad, Jennifer!
That is a combination I never would have thought of, but it looks delicious!!
Thanks, Rabia!
Wouldn’t it be better to blanch the brussel sprouts before putting them into a salad ? If not, aren’t they hard and a little hard to digest ? I always understood that blanching or cooking brussel sprouts before eating until fork tender might be nicer . In this case, if cooked you would have to do this step a couple of hours before putting them into a salad of course. What is your view on this ?
Hey Mary Jo, if you slice the sprouts as thinly as possible with either a sharp knife or a mandolin (or even a food processor!) they’re fine to eat raw. I think of the texture as being similar to that of shredded cabbage for coleslaw (since they are in the cabbage family). The vinaigrette also helps “cook” the sprouts and breaks it down a bit. It has a nice crunch but it isn’t tough at all when served this way. If you want to cook them before tossing them into the salad I’d recommend you let them cool completely before tossing them with all the other ingredients in the salad.
You just made brussels sprouts look good! I’ll have to be a sneaky chef and make this for my non-brussels-sprouts-eating husband. Looks awesome. Thanks!
Thanks, Danielle! 😀 Yes, just tell him it’s “coleslaw” and he probably won’t know the difference! 😉