Shredded Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad

Are you ready for a hearty yet light fall and winter salad??

Simply combine orange juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a jar and shake. Hello, salad dressing. Make the dressing up to 1 week in advance and store in the fridge and you’re golden. In fact, the flavors are even better when the dressing has time to marinate in itself for days.

When you’re ready to serve, shred kale and Brussels sprouts. I used a sharp knife to shred them as thinly as I could, but you can use a food processor with a slicer attachment to do the work for you if you prefer. Then just toss the greens with a sliced pear, dried cranberries, blue cheese, and pecans. I like to add the salad dressing about 30 minutes before serving to help soften up the raw veggies.

If you know me, you know that I used to despise kale salads. I always felt like a cow gnawing each bite for at least five minutes wondering if it would ever be broken down enough for me to swallow. Well, I tried my hubby’s spicy kale caesar in a restaurant once and holy cow (no pun intended) I was determined to give good ol’ kale salads another go. In fact I eventually re-created that salad on my own (refer to: Spicy Kale Caesar with Chicken and Candied Pepitas). I found the key to a good kale salad is (1) shred thinly and (2) dress early. First, thin slices help avoid gnawing on kale and Brussels sprouts like gum. Second, letting the salad marinate in the dressing at least 30 minutes beforehand really helps to make the greens slightly soft without over-wilting.

This salad was born from my desire to offer one raw, lighter, veggie dish at Thanksgiving. I wanted something fresh and green on the plate. You don’t want every dish at Thanksgiving to weigh you down!

This salad will surely be gracing my table outside of Thanksgiving. I’m NOT one to ever eat leftover dressed salads. Texture for me is huge… I mean I can barely drink a smoothie if the texture is off (refer to: Tropical Cashew Cream Strawberry Smoothie) let alone wilty, soft veggies that are supposed to be crispy. Yuk. Well you’re in luck with this salad!! It’s even good leftover! The kale and sprouts are sturdy and hold up great for a few days of having this in the fridge. Bonus: the dressing even keeps the pear from browning.

Recipes pictured (clockwise starting with the salad): Shredded Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad; Candied Yams and Plantains; Rotkohl – German Red Cabbage; Rosemary, Orange, Cider Brined Holiday Turkey with Gravy; Homemade Stuffing with Apple and Sage.

To make this salad fit your diet, skip the blue cheese for paleo and vegan, and maybe add more cranberries, pear, and or pecans. This dish is naturally gluten free, whole30 and primal!

This dish serves 6-8 as a side dish.