Our family tends to eat salads all summer long with the juicy tomatoes in season, crisp cucumbers and all kinds of stone fruit.. but let’s not forget about them during winter! Don’t get me wrong, I am ALL about hearty, comforting, warming foods in the Fall but love to pair them with a salad. I was recipe testing for Thanksgiving last week and was thinking about how to minimize the amount of items we had in the oven. Anyone else with me?! Sometimes it’s just too much. I had some brussels sprouts and instead of roasting them with fig jam and bacon like usual, I decided to whip up a SUPER simple raw salad that I have literally been making on repeat ever since. Might be one of the easiest things to whip up for lunch or to serve as a side for dinner.
I tend to overthink salads sometimes. I want to add so many things and they’re usually delicious but take up an afternoon to chop everything and create a dressing. This recipe calls for minimal ingredients and is so quick plus the flavor just gets better the longer it sits. I found that I was eating it slowly as I was throwing in laundry, doing dishes and chasing a toddler and as the lemon juice and olive oil combined with the toasted nuts and salty cheese, it truly just got more flavorful.
The reason it’d be great for Thanksgiving is because you could easily prep it the day before or earlier in the day (with the dressing) and serve it a few hours later.
INGREDIENTS
12-16 ounces trimmed Brussels sprouts
8 leaves of tuscan kale
1 lemon juiced
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 cup pecorino cheese, grated
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Thinly slice sprouts (I like to shave mine really thinly) and place them in a large bowl with the shaved kale - make sure to remove the stems. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Massage/toss together and let it sit for at least 1 minutes.
Toast your pecans or walnuts (or even almonds!) and let them cool then chop and set aside.
Whisk the honey with the olive oil and add to the salad, toss together. Mix in the nuts and shredded cheese. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice or olive oil if needed!
Trust me, it is so simple but so satisfying and delicious.
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