Brussels Sprout Recipe
kale, brussels sprout, manchego, spicy marcona almond, bacon, dried cherry, lemon manchego dressing 680 cal
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Ingredients
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Salad
Spicy Marcona Almonds
Bacon
Lemon Manchego Dressing
Method
Spicy Marcona Almonds
- 1
Toast and glaze almonds
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil and the 0.75 cups Marcona almonds and stir to coat. Sprinkle in 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 0.125 tsp cayenne, and 0.5 tsp kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3–5 minutes until the almonds are fragrant and beginning to darken. Add 1 tsp honey, stir quickly to glaze (about 30 seconds) and remove almonds to a plate to cool so they crisp up. Set aside.
Bacon
- 2
Render and crisp the bacon
Place the 4 slices of thick-cut bacon in a cold skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel–lined plate. Carefully pour off and reserve about 1 tbs of the rendered bacon fat in the skillet (optional — this will be used to lightly warm the shredded Brussels sprouts for extra flavor). When the bacon is cool, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
Salad
- 3
Prepare vegetables
Trim the stem ends from the Brussels sprouts and discard any loose outer leaves. Thinly slice the sprouts on a mandoline or with a sharp knife until you have about 3 cups shredded Brussels. Stack the cleaned kale leaves, roll tightly, and thinly slice to yield about 3 cups. Place the shredded Brussels and sliced kale in a large mixing bowl.
- 4
Optional quick-wilt Brussels
If you reserved bacon fat and want a warm element, return the reserved 1 tbs bacon fat to the skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and sauté, tossing, for 60–90 seconds until they just begin to soften and take on color. Remove from heat and allow to cool 1–2 minutes before adding to the salad bowl.
- 5
Assemble base
To the bowl with kale and Brussels, add 0.33 cups dried cherries and 0.5 cups Manchego shavings. Add the chopped bacon pieces. Add 3/4 of the dressing (see Dressing section) and toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust: add remaining dressing if desired, and a pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
- 6
Finish and serve
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or divide between plates. Scatter the cooled spicy Marcona almonds over the top for crunch, and finish with an extra sprinkle of shaved Manchego if desired. Serve immediately.
Lemon Manchego Dressing
- 7
Make the dressing
In a small bowl or jar, combine 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 0.5 tsp kosher salt and 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk or shake to combine. Add the 0.25 cups finely grated Manchego and whisk until incorporated. Slowly stream in 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify. If the dressing is too thick, whisk in up to 2 tbs cold water, 1 tbs at a time, until you reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust salt, pepper or lemon as needed.
