Our misunderstood hero

"Eat your vegetables" is a loaded phrase, which brings to mind finishing a plate of bland greens, raw vegetables, or under-prepared roughage in the name of "being healthy". Here's the thing: vegetables are delicious as well as nutritious. There are amazing vegetable-based flavours: tomato sauce, garlic dill pickles, caramelized leeks, sweet potato fries, roasted beets, and yes, broiled Brussels sprouts are just a small corner of a vast world of flavour. Our Brussels sprouts salad puts these fresh and roasty flavors on display. Let's dive in!

Our hero's origin story

Growing up, we always heard on various media how Brussels sprouts are disgusting, smelly, or a dinnertime fate worse than death. Fear not: Brussels sprouts are an amazing vegetable that, when cooked properly, have the potential to become a favorite. First, a bit of backstory: back in the mid-20th century, North Americans and Western Europeans cooked Brussels sprouts primarily by over-cooking them until soft. This would release a strong methane smell and a pungent flavor. It also turns them from a verdant green to a dead grey - yum! However, when not overcooked, Brussels sprouts resemble a seared cabbage: a little sweet, crunchy, and with a deep savoury flavour that pairs with almost any meat protein. Broiling, searing, frying, roasting, or even shaving raw into a quick salad transform Brussels sprouts into a star component of any side or main. We encourage you to try cooking them in different ways to find your favourite method.

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Salads are friends AND food

We get it- when thinking about fall comfort foods, salads are rarely at the top of the list. When conjuring up an image of a salad, we think of sad piles of soggy greens- the darling of diet foods. However, if done right, salads can be just as satisfying and convenient as your favourite weeknight meals. One of the many things salads have going for them is their simplicity. With a few ingredients and some chopping, you can throw together a balanced and delicious meal in no time. Because of this simplicity, salads are also extremely flexible, making them an easy meal to adjust to your needs. When developing the recipe for this autumnal salad, we decided to use ingredients that are in-season like Brussels sprouts, oranges, pomegranates, and green onions, but there are so many options that are readily available in fall.

Some great in-season additions to this salad include:

• Apples
• Shallots
• Beets
• Dried cranberries
• Pears
• Sweet potatoes
• Chickpeas
• Roasted broccoli
• Daikon
• Pumpkin

Though we have this salad listed as a main course, it alsomakes a fantastic side dish for a variety of meals.

Some pairings for this salad include:

• Roast chicken
• Grilled salmon
• Lentil patties
• Pork loin
• Steak
• Steamed white fish
• Grilled halloumi
• Tuna patties

Feel free to use this recipe as a blueprint. Experiment with adding, omitting, or replacing ingredients to suit your needs and what you have on hand, and find your new favourite salad.

How to Make it

Shred and Broil

Shred your Brussels sprouts, toss them in olive oil, and then season them with salt and pepper. Spread them out on a baking tray, turn your oven to a high broil and broil the Brussels sprouts until cooked through and slightly charred (about 10 minutes). Remove them from the oven and set them aside.

Fry it up

Dice up some bacon and add it to a cold pan. Starting it in a cold pan will help to render out the bacon fat, which will be used for the breadcrumbs. Fry the bacon in the fat until crispy, remove it, and set aside. Drain some of the bacon fat from the pan into a bowl. Chill the fat and freeze it, as it will keep indefinitely and can be used to cook other things. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan with the fat, toast them until golden, then set them aside.

Combine and serve

Whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste the dressing to make sure it's properly seasoned and the flavors are on point. Add the dressing and all the other salad ingredients to another bowl, and toss them together until everything is evenly coated. Serve in bowls immediately.