This salad is a healthy fall feast. Not only does it have all of the great nutritional value of the Brussels sprouts, but it also has luscious seasonal pears, brightly-colored and piquant dried cranberries, chopped pecans and a sprinkling of cheese. Its crowning glory, however, are the quickly-fried shallots that are added at the end, elevating this salad beyond the ordinary.

But the real star of the salad may be the ingredient that is almost invisible:  the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. It gives the salad a savory, tangy, and slightly sweet taste appeal that will give your taste buds a reason to five thanks!

 

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

12 oz. Brussels sprouts, raw, uncooked, with tough outer leaves pulled away (10oz weight after trim)

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles

1 pear, chopped

2 jumbo shallots, thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

For the Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Using a very sharp knife, thinly shred/slice Brussels sprouts while holding onto the core end, then discard cores and add shredded sprouts to a large bowl with dried cranberries, pecans, gorgonzola cheese, and chopped pears. Set aside.

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the shallots and fry until light golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Scoop onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then repeat with remaining shallots. Sprinkle with salt and let cool slightly.

Add ingredients for Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette together in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over salad then toss to coat. Add fried shallots, toss to combine, and then serve.

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Quick Tip:   Although you can usually find bags of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts in your local market, you can get a much better texture to your salad by thinly slicing your own. Just be careful, making sure you have a firm grip on the core of the sprout before slicing them, so that your knife doesn’t slip and cause you injury

Recipe and image courtesy of Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats