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Brought this (minus nuts) to Thanksgiving dinner last night and it was a huge hit. The biggest brussels sprouts hater ate 3 helpings and asked for the recipe!
Nicole
I’m sneaking bites of brussel sprout salad from the fridge every 3 minutes. I think that means I’m a grown up now.
Brussel sprouts in and of themselves are kind of fun, but really, how fun are shaved brussel sprouts? This salad is full of fun things. Like using a nifty mandoline, making your house smell like bacon, and whisking emulsions. Just try saying that. Emuuuulsion.
But it’s not fun to get cut with the mandoline, eat all the bacon impulsively, and whisk dressing onto your new shirt, so don’t do any of that.
DO make this salad and be happy with your crunchy little self, because it is a flavor and texture wonderland. There’s so much to love: smoky bacon, chopped almonds, sharp shredded cheese, citrus and shallot vinaigrette, and those cute green balls of joy – brussel sprouts – shaved into adorable, um, shreddings.
My crazy adorable brothers are proof that this salad is serious YUM. Even these wild ones looooved the sprouts.
Speaking of new shirts with oil on them, remember that other shirt that I told you about? The Mossimo swim cover-up that I thought was a REAL shirt, and then made fun of myself for buying more Mossimo? It all came full circle yesterday. As I was making this salad, Bjork asked me where I got my new (oil-stained) shirt. After giving myself a minor neck injury trying to see the tag when I really could have just asked him to look for me, good ol’ Mossimo made its second appearance in my life within, like, 48 hours.
Does Mossimo make you think of a suave middle-aged man with dark longish wavy slicked back hair?
I don’t know. I just try to be honest.
Now let’s eat bacon.
PST! I’ve since made an updated version of this recipe that is just barely slightly tweaked and has new pictures. Check it out here!
AND WAIT! Here’s the mandoline that I’ve used for this recipe for the last three years – works like a charm every time. I also use this for thinly sliced potatoes (I’ve got a recipe for those coming up that I am oh so excited about – eeeeeeh!) and thinly sliced apples for this cake, but honestly, this bacon and brussels sprout salad (and brussels sprouts salads in general) is the thing I use my mandoline for the most often. And even if that was all I ever used it for, it would be well worth the $14! It’s an early Merry Christmas to your brussels sprouts loving self.
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Bacon and Brussel Sprout Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8–14 1x
Description
This bacon and brussel sprout salad is so good! Thinly sliced brussel sprouts, crumbled bacon, Parmesan, almonds, and shallot citrus dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
- 4 dozen brussel sprouts
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon and orange into a large bowl with the shallots. Pour the oil into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking to form an emulsion (it should appear more creamy and less transparent). Season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Using a mandoline, shave the brussel sprouts (not including the stems) into thin slices to make a shredded/slaw texture. I rinsed and dried mine again after shaving them just to be sure they were totally clean.
- Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until chopped coarsely. Add 3/4 of the almonds, cheese, and bacon to the shredded brussel sprouts; toss to combine. When ready to serve, toss with the dressing and sprinkle remaining almonds, cheese, and bacon over the top. If needed, add a few more tablespoons of olive oil and toss.
Notes
The serving size depends on how you are eating it. If it’s for an entree sized portion, you’ll get about 8-10 servings. If it’s a side, it could be closer to 14. We served this on Mother’s Day with eleven people and we had some left over.
Keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bacon and brussels sprout salad, thanksgiving salad, brussels sprout salad
In other news, we’ve finally picked our apartment in Cebu!
Pictures on Friday!
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I’ll be honest – I’m not much of a brussel sprouts fan but I will most definitely devour this! (As for the mandoline, I’ve cut myself a countless number of times that I finally had to invest in mandoline gloves – it’s seriously a life-saver!)
I mean, really, is there anyone who IS a brussel sprout fan? Besides Julia (her comment claims that she is!)? I know I’m not really, but I love love love this salad. And mandoline gloves? Yes please.
Due to an illness, I’m presently on a very restricted diet. I’m up in the middle of the night looking for delicious recipes to try after i recover. I can hardly wait to make this!
Mandolin glove owner as well. Should have purchased at the same time – would have save many many cuts!!
Hi, I used to use the mandolin but now use the food processor and it’s done in seconds – not the 90 minutes it used to take me.
Be careful.
On so many levels, I can’t wait to try this salad – number one is the mandoline. My husband will totally be on board as my shredder! Ok, and bacon, of course is tied for first place. And the fact that I’ve still NEVER EATEN brussel sprouts? C’mon now. There can’t be a better way.
Mossimo, my friend, is where it’s at. As you are learning. Back in the day they were a skater brand. Now, they are actually cute. They’ve done a turn about with their target consumer, I think about 5 years ago. Erase all those greasy skater visions and visions of skeevy grey-haired men!
Mossimo is apparently taking over my life, so I’m glad you’re telling me this is a good thing. 🙂
I make something similar with walnuts. YUM!
I am on a walnut kick too! Great idea!
This salad has everything that makes my life worth living. If I’m eating this, we’re looking at 4 servings. Which is okay by me.
So true. I’ve always been a little generous with my own portion sizes as well.
I am ALL OVER THIS. I just discovered pre-shaved brussels at Trader Joe’s, like, yesterday….sooo, perfect timing AND no mandoline-finger-slicing necessary.
BAAAACOOOONNNN.
pre-shaved? You mean so I don’t have to slice off more of my fingers? Yay!
I live in a deprived small town with no Trader Joe’s! Walmart also carries shaved BS’s!!
What a great shortcut! How many TJ’s bags did you use for this recipe (to equal 4 dozen)?
My main problem with brussel sprouts is that they’re so big and round but I’m super keen on them when they’re shaved. And served with bacon obviously.
Agreed. Texture is everything.
Oh yum this looks so good! I would definitely fall under the category of injuring myself while making such a recipe. I think it’s par for the course when it comes to cooking or baking for me. If I’m not burning my skin off I’m slicing my finger.
Battle scars, that’s all.
this looks awesome. i was just talking about brussel sprouts with a friend who doesn’t like them. maybe this will convince her!
They are so not brussel sprouty in this recipe. She has to try it!
Brussels sprouts are one of my favorites and with bacon, even better!
Really? How are they your favorites? How do you usually make them?
I’m late to this party but just found this recipe, going to try! I LOVE brussels sprouts roasted–cut off bottoms, slice in half, toss with olive oil and kosher salt and roast those babies. LOVE. I esp love the little leaves that fall off and get crispy/crunchy. I mean seriously.
Glad to have you at the party even if it’s late! 🙂 hope you like the salad!
I love brussels sprouts, too.
I like to steam them and eat them dipped into melted butter with a few drops of lemon juice mixed into it. Also, love them steamed, or cooked in water until tender, with melted cheese sauce on top…yummy! They are also good roasted. They are one of my favorite vegetables, and I can make meal out of just brussels sprouts sometimes.
Not really a brussel sprout fan…but that was wise of you to add in bacon…I’d love to try this =)
I am very wise. 😉
Hmm, sneaking brussel sprouts into my bacon is generally frowned upon. This looks pretty yummy though. 😉
Ha! Caught red handed.
This recipe looks really tasty! I’m not a fan of cooked brussel sprouts, but I do think I’d enjoy this recipe since they’re raw.
I am the same! I don’t think I would have enjoyed it if they were cooked.
this made my mouth water…this salad looks AMAZING. like, i wouldn’t even think i’m eating salad. yum, Lindsay!!
It’s a non-salad. 🙂
ALL. OVER. IT. AND. IN. IT. TOO.
Exactly.
I actually just learned to love brussels sprouts not that long ago so I’m super excited to try something like this(so far I pretty much only like them roasted). This looks beautiful, and delicious!
Thanks Heidi!
Mmm, love sprouts! I tried one of these shredded sprout salads awhile back and it was so vinegary that I couldn’t even eat it. I’m happy to see a recipe with zero vinegar in it. 🙂
None! Just oil and citrus.
The video shows you adding apple cider vinegar but it isn’t listed in the ingredients or instructions?
Shaved brussel sprouts rule! I made a shaved brussel sprout salad for Thanksgiving last year, and everyone loved it. Only after eating did someone ask what was in it. When I told them the response was.. “really?” “RAW brussel sprouts??” “hmmmmm”. It was amusing because the idea of raw brussel sprouts really does sound vile 🙂
Nice to be here, I am a first time visitor!
xo
Heidi
I know! Nobody believed it was just brussels!
Interesting use of brussel sprouts. I have never tried one, this will be my debut to eating them. Looks great!
It’s a good way to introduce them into your life. 🙂
Wow oh wow. What could be better than a salad with bacon in it? A Brussels sprouts salad with bacon in it. So amazing!
Ha! True dat.
This looks so good. I had a salad like this at a restaurant a few years ago; it was the best salad I’ve ever had and have been trying to duplicate it since, but haven’t been able to. This might just be the recipe I’m looking for. Thanks for sharing!
Funny – was it Bottega?? This recipe is adapted from a Bottega restaurant recipe! 🙂
It was actually a restaurant called Bacco in Michigan where I live. I can imagine Bottega’s would be even better than the one I had though!
The one from Bottega actually had a hard boiled egg in it (pushed through a sieve, to be exact) but I’m not a big fan of eggs and that sounded like a lot of work, so I skipped it. I’ll have to check out Bacco next time we’re in Michigan! 🙂
We eat brussel sprouts at least twice a week in our house. Roasted in the oven with a little olive oil , salt and pepper….Yum!
Yum! Great idea Kay!
Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite things ever. I would eat this for dessert. Can’t wait to get to the store and whip this up!
Hahahaha – brussel sprouts for dessert! You are my hero.