Once I was rising up, salads by no means appeared to be a consideration for the vacation desk. The greenest factor we had was my aunt’s cream of mushroom inexperienced bean casserole (try my healthfied model!)
A couple of years again after I hosted Thanksgiving I created this stunning butternut squash brussels sprouts caesar salad and my friends not solely fell in LOVE with the flavors and textures, however in addition they appreciated having one thing recent and inexperienced on the desk.
I had been desirous to make a vegan or vegetarian caesar salad with an Formidable Kitchen inventive twist, and this salad really checks the entire bins. It’s crunchy, candy, savory, and has essentially the most unbelievable vegan caesar dressing with a tahini base. Add it to your weekly meal prep or serve it for the vacations!
Brussels sprouts caesar salad components
This isn’t your common caesar salad, so don’t count on it to be. Moderately, it’s a singular tackle a standard caesar salad jazzed up with recent seasonal produce. As a substitute of primary romaine within the caesar salad, I made a decision to make use of shredded brussels sprouts and likewise add tender roasted butternut squash. However I couldn’t cease myself there. I tossed all of it along with a easy vegan caesar salad dressing that’s actually SO FREAKING GOOD you wouldn’t even comprehend it’s vegan. Right here’s what you’ll must make this fabulous recipe:
- For the roasted butternut squash: olive oil, butternut squash, honey or maple syrup and a little bit of salt and pepper.
- For the toasted pecans: you’ll simply want maple syrup, pecans and salt.
- For the salad: we’re skipping the romaine and including shaved brussels sprouts, apple, dates, pomegranate and manchego (or parmesan).
- For the vegan caesar dressing: you’ll want tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, caper brine (from the jar), dijon mustard, a bit of heat water to skinny and salt & pepper.
I’M TELLING YOU, THIS SALAD IS DAMN GOOOOOOOOOD.
Customise this brussels sprouts caesar salad
- Add protein. Add a lift of protein with chickpeas or rooster breast.
- Make it vegan. Merely omit the cheese or use a sprinkle of dairy free cheese to maintain the salad vegan and dairy free. Be sure you additionally use maple syrup as an alternative of honey.
- Select your toppings. Combine up your toppings with candied walnuts, sliced pears, dried cranberries, and even bacon crumbles!
Easy methods to make vegan caesar salad dressing
Making a vegan caesar salad dressing is lots simpler than you’d suppose. You’ll merely combine collectively tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, caper brine (from the jar), dijon mustard, a bit of heat water, salt & pepper till it’s easy and creamy. You may as well shake up the entire components in a mason jar!
I prefer to make the bottom of my caesar salad dressings with tahini as a result of I like the nutty taste it provides. Nonetheless, essentially the most essential a part of making a caesar salad dressing is utilizing capers, caper brine, recent lemon juice, garlic and a tiny little bit of dijon mustard; these components create a pleasant conventional salty, sturdy taste that’s present in caesar salad dressings.
Straightforward methods to shred brussels sprouts
- Use a meals processor: trim the small stem off of the brussels sprouts and add them to your meals processor a few handful or so at a time. Use the slicing attachment in your meals processor and pulse till they’re good and shredded.
- Use a field grater: you’ll be able to shred your brussels sprouts in opposition to a field grater on the facet with the biggest holes. I’d counsel spraying the grater with a little bit of cooking spray in order that the sprouts simply glide in opposition to the grater.
- Shred them with a knife: that is the strategy I sometimes use, and when you get the dangle of it it would go fairly rapidly. Utilizing a pointy knife lower the stem off of your brussels sprouts after which lower them in half lengthwise. Then, with every half laying flat facet down, chop your brussels sprouts into nice shreds. No want for them to be excellent!
Suggestions for cubing butternut squash
I’ve a full tutorial right here the place you’ll be able to learn to simply (and safely) peel and dice your butternut squash! You may, in fact, purchase pre-cubed squash, however this tutorial makes it tremendous straightforward when utilizing recent butternut squash.
Seeking to serve a crowd?
If you’re serving this to a crowd/gathering, I like to recommend layering it on a platter. Begin by tossing your brussels sprouts within the dressing in order that they get good and coated, then unfold them out on a platter. Evenly high with the roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, dates, shaved manchego, after which the toasted pecans.
Storing suggestions
Another excuse you’ll love this twist on caesar salad is that the brussels sprouts maintain up superbly for day! No soggy lettuce right here. Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container for a number of days. You may both retailer it with the dressing blended in or save the dressing on the facet so as to add once you’re serving. I’ll say that the dressing marinates the brussels to make them additional scrumptious, so don’t be afraid to decorate it up and serve later!
Extra seasonal salads you’ll love
Get all of my salad recipes right here!
I hope you fall in love with this brussels sprouts ceasar salad, as a result of we have now! Deliver it to Thanksgiving to impress everybody, or just throw collectively in your weekday meals for one thing a bit of completely different and enjoyable. If you happen to make it, make sure you go away a remark & a ranking so I understand how you appreciated it!
Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Beautiful brussels sprouts caesar salad stuffed with taste because of tender roasted butternut squash, shaved brussels sprouts, apple, pomegranate, dates, candy & salty maple pecans and tossed in a savory vegan caesar dressing. This scrumptious vegetarian caesar salad makes the right lunch or festive facet dish!
Components
- For the butternut squash:
- 3 cups ½ inch cubed butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
- Freshly floor salt and pepper
- For the candy and salty toasted pecans:
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- sea salt
- For the salad:
- 1 pound (16 ounces) brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow outer leaves eliminated
- ¾ cup seeds from 1 small pomegranate
- 1 massive apple, thinly sliced (honeycrisp or pink woman apples are nice)
- ½ cup chopped Medjool dates
- ⅓ cup shaved manchego (or shaved parmesan)
- For the caesar dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from ½ massive lemon
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon finely diced capers
- 1 teaspoon caper brine (from the jar of capers)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons heat water, to skinny dressing
- Freshly floor salt and black pepper
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 levels F. Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper and add butternut squash cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the butternut squash with the oil. Roast for half-hour, flipping midway by. Butternut squash is completed when fork tender.
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Whereas butternut squash is cooking, you’ll be able to toast pecans: add the pecans to a pan and place over medium warmth, stirring often for 4-5 minutes till they’re barely golden brown. As soon as golden brown, flip off the warmth and stir in a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup to coat the pecans, adopted by a sprinkle of sea salt. Take away from warmth and permit to chill.
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Subsequent, shred your brussels sprouts: shave the brussels sprouts by utilizing a meals processor with the slicing attachment and pulse till the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. If you happen to don’t have a meals processor, be at liberty to make use of a pointy knife to thinly slice. Add shredded brussels sprouts to a big bowl.
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Subsequent, combine the dressing components collectively in a small bowl till easy: tahini, olive oil, recent lemon juice, garlic, diced capers, caper brine, dijon mustard, heat water and freshly floor black pepper. Style and add a pinch of salt if obligatory.
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Pour dressing over shredded brussels sprouts and toss along with tongs to coat the brussels. Earlier than you add anything, I extremely advocate tasting the brussels to see if they’re salty sufficient to your liking. If not, season with a little bit of freshly floor salt and pepper. Subsequent, you’ll be able to select to serve this on a platter or in a bowl. Platters are fairly for entertaining or serving friends and bowls are nice for date nights, household dinner and meal prep.
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If making on a platter: add the entire brussels sprouts coated with dressing to a big platter. High with roasted butternut squash, then pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego and at last, the toasted pecans.
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If making in a bowl: stir within the cubed roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego, and toasted pecans. Gently toss once more in order that every thing is mixed. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
If you wish to make this a full meal, I counsel including 1 (15 ounce) can of drained chickpeas.
Vitamin
Serving: 1serving (based mostly on 6)Energy: 345calCarbohydrates: 45.9gProtein: 8.5gFats: 17.3gSaturated Fats: 2.9gFiber: 8.9gSugar: 27g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Formidable Kitchen | Images by: Eat Love Eats
This submit was initially revealed on November 2nd, 2020, and republished on December 4th, 2023.
