Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Pinenuts and Parmesan Cheese
Blog world – I had no idea there was an “s” at the end of “brussels” sprouts. I thought they were brussel sprouts. Mind. Blown. Anyways, what else is there to do when this (see photo below) is on your kitchen countertop? I know what you’re thinking – BACKSCRATCHER. I thought the same, but then I figured I’d rather put it in salad. My most recent of roommates, Paige, is an excellent home chef and she recently sent me this recipe. I modified it with the ingredients I had on hand and adjusted the dressing a bit. Paige even added a handful of pomegranate seeds to her version of this salad – genius, no? Anyways, let’s go back to this backscratcher.
This is a perfect salad. It is perfect to bring to a dinner party because it incorporates two trendy food items and has the word “raw” in the title – great conversation topic. It is also perfect accompanying some roasted salmon. It’s also great topped with some additional avocado and quinoa stirred in. It’s easy to whip up on the week days, and if you hold out on putting on the dressing, this plain salad mix will hold up all week in the fridge. I’m so crazy about this recipe, it kales me
Most of this recipe is just mixing up the different ingredients. One part that is a little more unusual is the “massaging the kale” part at the beginning. For a full tutorial on kale massage, Cookie and Kate offers some great tips. You pretty much put your torn kale in a mixing bowl, and “knead” it like dough. Kale is a sturdy green, and a couple of scrunches will break down the fibers and bitterness. It will also improve it’s texture.
While you’re giving your greens a good massaging, check in on your pinenuts, which should be roasting at 350 in the oven. These are very easy to burn! I torn about a dozen brussels off the backscratcher and coursely chopped them. Mix your greens, brussels sprouts, parmesan and pineuts together. Add the dressing before serving. And voila! This salad packs a serious nutrition punch, tastes fantastic, and you even get the mental benefits of saying to yourself “I just had a raw kale and shaved brussels sprouts salad”. Might just be the best addition to your Thanksgiving table.
Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Pinenuts and Parmesan Cheese
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Chopped raw kale and shaved brussels sprouts are tossed together with toasted pinenuts, parmesan cheese and a homemade honey dijon dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, (any kind will do) chopped
- 1 dozen brussels sprouts, chopped/sliced
- ½ cup pinenuts
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Olive oil spray
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Place pinenuts on a baking sheet, spray on a little olive oil and salt. Pop in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until golden toasty brown
- In the meantime, put your kale in a large mixing bowl. Spend a couple minutes “massaging” the kale and breaking down the fibers. Almost like kneading dough
- Mix in brussels sprouts, pinenuts, and parmesan cheese
- In a seperate small dish, mix the olive oil, honey and dijon mustard. Blend together well!
- Before serving, pour dressing over salad
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I actually prefer “under-dressed” salads, so if you would like more dressing on your salad, use ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 tbsp mustard and 2 tbsp honey
Nutrition
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 4.3g
- Protein: 8g
