I have eaten waaaaay too many treats/sweets/creamy mashed potatoes the past few weeks. It's still not even Christmas (just a few days though!) and my body is already dying for the healthy kick that is January 1st.ย I can only eat so many cookies this holiday without feeling seriously bleh. So! A little bit of a healthy jumpstart for the upcoming new year and the perfect side dish for your Christmas feast? Chopped brussels sprout kale salad with a creamy pomegranate vinaigrette for the win!
...I know right?ย Brussels sprouts? ย One of those foods that takes you back to childhood "GROSS" moments. But if there is any delicious way to eat these super healthy morsels (other than roasted with olive oil, pepper and salt - yummm basics), I do believe I've found it. Oh and it pairs perfectly with your pot roast and mashed potatoes for Christmas eve/day dinner sooooo no excuses.
Basically, lets load up on green (and purple) produce, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and some red grapes to balance out our sweet tooth this month. "Chopped" doesn't quite do this salad justice, but "mandolined" or "sliced" brussels sprout kale salad just didn't roll off the tongue as nicely.
The best way to get your brussels sprouts down to delectable size is with a mandolin. Mine is a simple, hand held one that you can set on top of a container and slice to your hearts content. It's also super speedy.
Some solid knife slicing skills also wouldn't do you any harm here. Even a food processor with the shredder attachment would work! Essentially, make sure those brussels sprouts are shredded up into thin little pieces for ultimate tastiness.
The rest of the produce I went ahead and sliced up by hand; broccoli, kale, purple cabbage, and grapes. Sounds like too much trouble? Trust, it only takes 10 minutes and it's totally worth it. Even if just for that dressing alone!
I usually go for a straight up oil and vinegar vinaigrette, with a smidge of salt and pepper to taste. However, brussels sprouts need a little bit more to balance out it's underlying bitterness. In an effort to stay away from any sweet, I didn't want to just add sugar to my vinaigrette. Instead, pomegranate arils, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of honey, and a couple spoonfuls of greek yogurt makes for a perfect creamy, flavorful vinaigrette. Also, you just throw all the ingredients in a food processor and VOILA salad dressing. Gotta love those things.
PS. I definitely ate this chopped brussels sprout kale salad for three days straight. The grapes, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and that dressing are just the right amount of sweet to satisfy the craving with tons of healthy produce (even broccoli!) making up the bulk. Who knew brussels sprouts could be SO tasty?? Ready for it? Recipe in 3..2..
Chopped Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Creamy Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 10-15 brussel sprouts, halved lengthwise
- 1 ยฝ cups fresh, raw broccoli florettes, roughly chopped/sliced (about 1 head of broccoli)
- 1 ยฝ cups purple cabbage, shredded (about a ยผ of a head)
- 1 cup kale, roughly chopped
- 1 cup grapes, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ยฝ cup walnuts
For the Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- โ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate arils
- ยผ teaspoon coarse salt
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400หF. Place walnuts onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Shred/slice halved brussel sprouts until you get a fine shred.
- Pulse all ingredients for the dressing together in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle dressing over all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and toss to coat. Top with a little fresh ground black pepper!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
Lauren says
I cannot wait to try this in the fall when sprouts are in season again.
Aberdeen says
Me too! I've been craving it. I miss Fall!