Lemony Almond Brussels Salad
Are you a fan of Brussels sprouts? If so, this salad recipe is for you. In the spring and summertime, I like to eat this salad after it has chilled in the fridge overnight. But during the colder months, I find its best served warm out of the oven. Serve it as a side, or add a protein like grilled chicken or fish on top to make a full meal out of it. To make this salad you will need the following ingredients:
2lbs of Brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
4 slices of good bacon (such as Wright’s)
¼ cup sliced red onion
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp of kosher salt
½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup of coarsely chopped almonds
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of shredded or shaved pecorino romano cheese
You’ll start by trimming the ends off the Brussels sprouts and thinly slicing the Brussels lengthwise with a sharp knife or a mandolin. Coarsely chop ¼ cup of almonds. Set the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and chopped almonds aside.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, cook 4 pieces of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once your bacon is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place it onto a paper-lined plate to cool. Reserve your bacon drippings in the skillet.
Add the juice from two lemons, 1 tsp of kosher salt, ½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp of olive oil into the bacon drippings in the skillet and stir well. Add ¼ cup of sliced red onions to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and chopped almonds to the skillet and toss all ingredients together. Continue to cook all the ingredients over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spread the contents of the skillet onto a sheet pan and roast the Brussels sprout salad in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Be careful not to let the Brussels sprouts get too brown.
While the Brussels sprout mix is in the oven, chop your cooled bacon into ½” pieces.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and place the Brussels sprout mix in a large bowl. Toss well with chopped bacon and pecorino romano cheese. The salad can be served warm or cold. To serve the salad cold, transfer the salad to an airtight container after it has cooled for 1 hour and chill for at least 4 hours before serving; however, for best results, I prefer chilling overnight before serving.
Bacon, lemons, and almonds are all ingredients that I keep stocked in my kitchen. This recipe was born out of me tossing my staple ingredients together with a bag of Brussels sprouts that needed to be used before expiring. I loved the flavor of this happenstance salad so much so that I worked on perfecting a user friendly recipe. I often cook this recipe outside in an electric skillet or in a cast iron on a gas grill (both at 375 degrees Fahrenheit as well) before I finally roast the salad in the oven. I hope you will try making this savory salad!
-XOXO-
Sally
Lemony Almond Brussels Salad
2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
4 slices of good bacon (such as Wright’s)
¼ cup sliced red onion
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp of kosher salt
½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup of coarsely chopped almonds
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of shaved pecorino romano cheese
You’ll start by trimming the ends off the Brussels sprouts and thinly slicing the Brussels lengthwise with a sharp knife or a mandolin. Coarsely chop ¼ cup of almonds. Set the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and chopped almonds aside.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, cook 4 pieces of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once your bacon is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place it onto a paper-lined plate to cool. Reserve your bacon drippings in the skillet.
Add juice from two lemons, 1 tsp of kosher salt, ½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp of olive oil into the bacon drippings in the skillet and stir well. Add ¼ cup of sliced red onions to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and chopped almonds to the skillet and toss all ingredients together. Continue to cook all the ingredients over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spread the contents of the skillet onto a sheet pan and roast the Brussel sprout salad in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Be careful not to let the Brussels sprouts brown.
While the Brussels sprout mix is in the oven, chop your cooled bacon into ½” pieces.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and place the Brussels sprout mix in a large bowl. Toss well with chopped bacon and pecorino romano cheese. The salad can be served warm or cold. To serve the salad cold, transfer the salad to an airtight container after it has cooled for 1 hour and chill for at least 4 hours before serving; however, for best results, I prefer chilling overnight before serving.