Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Quinoa Salad

January 6, 2020 by Nicole Collins

I feel like brussels sprouts are making a comeback.

You guys know how I feel about brussels. I love them! Cooked, raw, roasted, pan fried...I don't care how we make them. I just love them.

And recently, I feel like I've been seeing brussels sprouts EVERYWHERE.

So, I do this thing. It may be a little strange. But, I love reading restaurant menus.

I know.

I just love getting ideas and inspiration from all of the great local places around me. So, in addition to figuring out the next place I want to eat, I like to see the unique food pairings that chefs come up with.

Anyways, I've been seeing brussels sprouts on menus all over the darn place. And, I love it! I feel like brussels are getting some fame on social media recently too. I don't know if it's just their season or if people are starting to embrace the amazingness of these little funky babies, but I'm loving the love they're getting right now.

So today, we're celebrating the brussels sprouts in their raw form today.

Today, we're making Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Quinoa Salad!

This recipe is so simple. Assemble and serve is basically all we need to do. Can it get any better than that?

We start with some quinoa. We're going to cook up the quinoa according to package directions, then let it cool completely. That's the most important part...that it's nice and cooled. We don't want to wilt the greens we toss in our salad by mixing them with warm quinoa.

To the quinoa, we're going to add lots of great stuff. Shaved brussels sprouts, chopped cucumber, arugula, spinach, bacon, feta, and craisins all get tossed in to really beef up our salad. And, I love how each component adds a different flavor bomb. The bacon and feta are salty. The cucumber is cool and crunchy. The brussels and greens bring some brightness. While the craisins add a touch of sweet. Each item compliments the other so well!

Now, you can't have salad without dressing. So, we're going to make a nice tangy, mustardy dressing to coat our delicious salad mix. Two types of mustard mix with a little honey, vinegar, and olive oil to make the perfect accompaniment to our dish. I like to mix this dressing in a little food processor or personal blender to make sure it fully emulsifies and gets perfectly creamy.

Now, this salad makes a lot! And, it's filling enough that you could make it as a side dish or a main dish. I like to use this as a unique party salad. However you make it, if you're making this ahead, toss everything together except the bacon and the dressing. Save those for the very last addition when you're ready to serve so that the bacon stays crisp and so the dressing doesn't drown the salad.

Ultimately, this salad has every going on. Creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty, tangy, and totally yum. If this is what healthy eating looks like, I am ALL in!

So, tell me. Have I converted you guys to brussels sprouts lovers yet? If not, this salad is sure to swing you over to our side!

'Til next time...let's eat!

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Quinoa Salad

Serves: 6-8 Print

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• ½ cup quinoa

• 1 cup water

• pinch of salt

• 1 ½ cups brussels sprouts, shaved

• 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

• ¾ cup cup arugula

• ¾ cup baby spinach

• 4 oz feta, crumbled

• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• ½ cup craisins

For the Mustard Vinaigrette:

• ¾ cup olive oil

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp stone ground mustard

• ¼ tsp pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, make the Mustard Vinaigrette: add all vinaigrette ingredients to the bowl of small food processor or a blender. Blend until fully combined. Set aside.

3. Assemble the Salad: Once the quinoa has cooled, add quinoa, cucumber, brussels sprouts, arugula, spinach, bacon, feta, and craisins to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Dress with vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Serve.

Recipe notes:

*I actually found an arugula/spinach mix at Aldi, so that's what I used.

*I use the small bowl of the Ninja Food Prep blender ALLLLLL of the time. It's the perfect size for blending up this vinaigrette.

*You can mix the salad and make the dressing in advance. Just dress the salad before you're ready to serve.

*To get a nice shave on the brussels sprouts, cut the root off at the bottom, slice the sprout in half, and thinly slice each bulb.