This maybe one of the best salads I have ever made. Not to toot my own horn, but seriously, the textures and the flavors of this salad really compliment each other in such a way that I want to make this over and over!
The dressing is my go-to! I make this dressing probably once or twice a month and always have it on hand. It goes on any salad, whether you’re tossing up a nice cobb, putting together niçoise, or simply throwing in what was left over in the fridge. I think I originally found a recipe for a Greek dressing from Ina Garten and then this just evolved. For most dressings you simply need an oil or fat base, an acid, some sort of sweetness, and salt. On top of these three things you then add whatever seasonings you’d like. You can use this as your base and add cumin and cayenne pepper to make this for a Mexican salad. Replace red wine vinegar for rice wine vinegar and salt for soy sauce for an Asian flare, I have even replaced honey with Chick-fil-A Polynesian sauce for my sweetness! Once you know the base you can play around however you’d like. But this recipe is my tried-and-true!
When I first thought about a brussels sprouts salad I was skeptical. Brussels, like cabbage, can be tough to chew in a salad and unpleasant when raw. The solution was simple, flash cook them! To add some extra crunch that is necessary in a good salad I decided to throw in some arugula and toasted pecans. The peppery flavor from the arugula and the nuttiness of the pecans meld very well with the warm brussels. The craisins add a tangy-sweet flavor to the mix, while the pear adds just the right amount of subtle floral sweetness. Mixed with the dressing this is just delish! If you are lacto free you can still enjoy this tasty salad, but last minute I thought to add gorgonzola crumbles and I’m sure glad I did! The salty, funky taste of the gorgonzola “pears” so nicely with all of these great flavors, really amping up my Warm Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad!
This serves as a great side, or top with protein and enjoy as your main dish. I suggest serving it warm, but it is also crazy good the next day served cold! I really hope you enjoy this as much as I do, and I also hope you enjoy this dressing recipe for many of your future salads! Cheers!
