Warm Brussels Crunch Salad
User Reviews
4.9
Warm Brussels Crunch Salad
Description
The salad features Brussels sprouts sliced thin and cooked in olive oil with garlic, salted and peppered to enhance natural flavors. Once softened yet still bright green, they are combined with cooked quinoa, which adds a fluffy, mildly nutty base. A homemade lemon vinaigrette, made with lemon juice, champagne vinegar, honey, garlic, and olive oil, is tossed in to give the salad a lively acidity that ties the ingredients together.
Seasoned panko breadcrumbs sautéed in butter provide crunchy topping along with chopped Marcona almonds. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds savory richness, rounding out the flavor profile. The mix of warm cooked ingredients with crisp, textured garnishes creates interest in each bite.
This salad works well as a side dish or a light vegetarian meal. Since the dressing and breadcrumbs can be prepared ahead, the recipe allows some flexibility for serving. Using leftover quinoa helps reduce cooking time, although freshly cooked quinoa works just as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs seasoned
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts stems removed and sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ⅓ cup marcona almond chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
lemon vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic finely minced or pressed, cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- I love using leftover quinoa for this. If you don’t have leftovers, make a batch of quinoa! It will only take 15 minutes. You can also use another favorite grain for this.
- I like to prep by making the lemon vinaigrette first. You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge, it will last a few days. You can also make it fresh. Shake it up before using.
- I also like to make the breadcrumbs too, this way everything is ready to go. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat them in the butter. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are golden in color and crunchy. Turn off the heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the brussels sprouts and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the brussels softened slightly and are bright green in color. Stir in the cooked quinoa.
- Transfer the brussels and quinoa to a large bowl. Drizzle with the lemon dressing and toss. Top with the marcona almonds, parmesan cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately while warm. Leftovers are good cold too!
lemon vinaigrette
- In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. This dressing stays great in the fridge in a sealed container for a week or so, so feel free to make a double batch if desired!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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