Are you over salad but determined to eat it because you know it’s good for you?  Me too.  Iceberg has zero nutrients, arugula is boring, kale is overplayed and spinach is just plain unpleasant when raw.  Lucky for you, I’ve got a DELICIOUS alternative to leafy greens for salad and I can pretty much guarantee this will be your go to “lettuce” of choice from now on… brussel sprout leaves!  It’s a bit tedious but well worth the extra few minutes of prep, trust and believe.  With only four ingredients for the salad itself, you’d think it’d be boring but this salad is anything but basic.  Every guest I’ve made it for has wide-eyed wow-ed the delicious flavors.  This brussel sprout salad is super simple but an absolute stand out as a side dish!  It would even make a top notch entree if you threw some grilled protein on top!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2lb brussel sprouts

3/4 cup dried cherries and cranberries (mixed)

3/4 chopped walnuts (or chopped almonds)

Approximately 1/2 grated manchego cheese

Dressing

1/4 olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey

(1/2 – 1 tsp whole grain mustard, for extra kick)

salt and pepper to taste

Prep

Clean brussel sprout and chop off ends.  Peel leaves of brussel sprout and throw into a large bowl as you go. Discard end and middle of brussel sprouts once you can no longer peel the leaves off.

Add cranberries and walnuts.  Grate cheese into bowl and mix.

Whisk together ingredients for dressing in a small bowl until combined.  Store separately in refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  Pour dressing over salad and mix well when you are ready to serve.

Easy as pie… well, much easier than pie actually.  And much healthier to boot!

SHENAE GRIMES-BEECH

Shenae Grimes-Beech is an actor and YouTuber with a highly engaged community of like-minded women who are here to stand up for what they believe in and lean into discomfort, especially when it means doing the right thing.