In the midst of all of the rich, heavy holiday fare—Cauliflower Cheese or Potato Gratin, anyone?—we thought it might be nice to offer everyone a lighter option for their roster of potential Thanksgiving sides. This dish of shredded brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds, chopped nuts, parmesan and maple-dijon vinaigrette seemed like the perfect option. It can serve as either a salad course or a side dish and has the truly fantastic distinction of being completely raw, which means that it won’t take up a square inch of space on your stove top or in your oven should it make its way onto your holiday menu. That is a win/win if ever there was one.
While the thought of a bowl full of individual, peeled leaves sounds beautiful and breathtaking, you would basically have to start peeling them from the sprouts now in order to have them ready by Thanksgiving. (Unless, of course, you have young children and are willing to thumb your nose at the child labor laws, in which case their little fingers would make much quicker work of it. Kidding. Sort of.)
Taking a cue from last year’s Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Thyme, we broke out the good old food processor, fitted it with a slicing disc and turned an hours-long prep time into just a few minutes. That freed up an awful lot of time for more important ventures, like drinking, eating, rinsing and repeating.
If you’re a fan of chopped salads, you could just as easily use the grating disc on your processor for more of a confetti-style cut, but we prefer the extra body and crunch of the sliced version.
Another time-saving tip, courtesy of the wonderful folks at Pom, is to buy a container of pomegranate seeds instead of fighting with a whole fruit, trying to liberate those lovely little gems. Once assembled, the whole thing is lightly tossed with a simple dressing made of apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and maple syrup, seasoned with salt and pepper with a dash of cayenne to give a little heat and depth of flavor that elevates the whole salad.
From the crunch of the sprouts, the sweet/tart burst of the pomegranate seeds, and the brininess of the parmesan to the sweet, smoky bright notes of the dressing, this dish offers a well-rounded plethora of textures and flavors that will leave everyone satisfied while still having room for dessert.
As with all of our favorite “special occasion” recipes, this can be prepared in advance. Simply whisk up some of the dressing, shred the sprouts and the parmesan, chop up the nuts and have the pomegranate seeds at the ready. Store each component individually and when dinner time arrives, give everything a quick toss and serve.
In the event that this recipe doesn’t make the cut when planning your holiday menu, keep in mind that it is a perfect option for your post-holiday weight loss goals. We’re just trying to cover the bases here. You’ll thank us later. Enjoy!
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 12 ounces brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and shredded
- ¼ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, vinegar, mustard and cayenne pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large serving bowl, toss together brussels sprouts, pecans, parmesan, pomegranate seeds and dressing, reserving a bit of the pecans, cheese, and seeds for garnish.
- Top with reserved garnishes and serve.
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