Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Brussels Sprout Salad Ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts – you’ll need 1 1/2 pounds of raw Brussels sprouts. Or, to make this recipe faster, you can simply pick up two 10-ounce bags of pre-shredded (aka shaved) Brussels sprouts; may sub thinly sliced kale or shredded cabbage
• Bacon – crisp-cooked pieces of bacon add so much depth of flavor to this special salad, but you can simply omit this ingredient for a vegetarian salad
• Red onion
• Dried unsweetened cherries – or use dried cranberries or raisins
• Almonds – you could also use cashews or any nut of choice; omit for nut-free or use sunflower seeds instead
• Goat cheese – use a soft and crumbly goat cheese; omit the cheese for a dairy-free or Whole30 Brussels sprout salad

Homemade Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Orange – you’ll need 1/3 cup of orange juice, or the juice of 1 medium orange, as well as 1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest
• Lemon – use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, or the juice of 1 medium lemon
• Shallot – or substitute 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Dijon mustard – you can also use yellow or whole grain mustard
• Pure maple syrup – or you can use honey
• Fresh thyme – or sub any any fresh herb of choice, such as basil, rosemary, tarragon, or oregano; alternatively, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs
• Fine sea salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Combine the salad ingredients: In a large bowl, toss together the shaved Brussel sprouts, red onion, bacon, dried cherries, and almonds.
2. Make the citrus vinaigrette: Whisk together the oil, orange juice and zest, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, maple syrup, thyme, salt, and pepper. You can make the vinaigrette up to 3 days ahead.
3. Toss the vinaigrette with the salad: Wait until just before serving to toss the vinaigrette with the salad ingredients. Add the goat cheese just before serving.

_{Original Recipe From The Real Food Dietitians}