Brussels sprouts….you either love them or you hate them. There is no in between. When I first came across these vegetables, resembling mini cabbages, I was intrigued and quickly fell in love with them.
Brussels sprouts come from the same group of species as broccoli, cabbage, collard greens and kale. They are about the size of a tennis ball or smaller and tend to have a funky smell just like their big brother, the cabbage.
During the winter, I tend to gravitate towards brussels sprouts a lot more often. A little olive oil, salt and pepper, roasted for about thirty minutes, transforms them into a super tasty side dish. I typically have them with some protein and use leftovers in omelettes or fried rice.
Salad Construction – No Hard Hat Required!
This salad comes together pretty fast, especially if you use a food processor to shred the brussels sprouts. I added in some quinoa, which I prepared the night before, and toasted some sliced almonds to throw in as well.
The one element that I haven’t mentioned yet, but definitely takes this salad to another level, is the grilled bosc pear. Grilling the pear is definitely the way to go, if you can. The grill softens and caramelizes the pear beautifully and brings the perfect amount of sweetness to the salad.
To complete the salad, dice some red peppers and add in some corn kernels. Add a little flare to the salad by adding in carrot ribbons. If you have a vegetable peeler at home, it makes the ribbons an easy addition.
The salad dressing comes together easily as well. I had some apricot ginger jam in the fridge, which I used as my base and added in some coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar and a few more ingredients to finish it off.
Asian Inspired Brussels Sprout & Quinoa Salad
Shredded brussel sprouts, grilled pear, quinoa and some add-ins brings this salad to life for a filling summer meal.
- 10 – 12 bulbs brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup red peppers (diced)
- ½ cup quinoa (cooked)
- 1/4 cup corn (kernels)
- 1 carrot (ribboned)
- 1 pear (halved, deseeded/cored) (grilled)
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds (toasted)
Apricot dressing
- 2 tbsp apricot preserves
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Prepare the quinoa according to instructions on the package. When quinoa is done, spread it into a thin layer on a freezer safe plate, and put it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to cool down* (see note). While quinoa is cooking and cooling down, proceed with following steps.
Using a grill or grill pan on a seperate burner, grill the pear halves, flat side down and allow them to soften/caramelize for about 5-7 minutes.
Toast the sliced almonds in a toaster oven until lightly brown. Make sure you watch them as they are toasting to make sure they don't burn. Dice the red pepper and either boil an ear of corn or heat up frozen corn.
Wash the brussel sprouts thoroughly and dry with a paper towel. Peel of the other skin and place the brussel sprouts through the top feed of the food processor. Set the blade to the slicing disc and pulse.
Wash and dry the carrot. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outer skin of the carrot and discard. Continue peeling the carrot to create ribbons for the salad.
If you boiled an ear of corn, use a knife to cut the corn kernels off of the cob.
Make the dressing by whisking all of the apricot dressing ingredients together. If you don't have a whisk, a fork is fine.
Split the shredded brussel sprouts between two plates, add the chilled quinoa, diced red peppers, corn kernels, carrot ribbons and grilled pear. Top with the dressing and enjoy.
Top with wonton strips (optional)
- You can make the quinoa the night before and chill it in the fridge overnight to save time day-of.
- You can remove the core of the pear by cutting the pear in half and using a small spoon to scrape out the seeds.
- Feel free to use soy sauce in place of coconut aminos if that’s what you normally buy
- Instead of grilling the pear, feel free to slice it thin and use it fresh.
