Crunchy Brussels Sprout with Pecorino + Apples and Candied Pecans

Amongst all of the candy and cakes and cookies during the holiday season, I always love a good salad. To be completely honest, I think salad belongs on every table all the time. I grew up despising salads because my mom thought it’d be a great job to pass the duty off to me during dinnertime prep, and I couldn’t stand making them. And that’s because they were uninspired—I was only 14 so salad wasn’t all that interesting to me! But fast-forward to now and I’d love nothing more than to talk to you about how to make a salad delicious.

For this post, I teamed up with KitchenAid® and their Artisan® Stand Mixer. I used the Food Processor attachment to make this salad, which made it a total breeze. I did it in about 15 minutes and it was DELICIOUS!

Ok so the recipe starts with the simplest iteration of candied pecans. They are slightly sweet, salty and maple-y. I love them and they add a nice burst of texture and flavor in the salad. It makes more than what you’ll need for this salad but they’re great to put in the pantry for future use.

The brussels sprouts are shredded in the food processor attachment. I think I processed about 14 brussels sprouts in about 3 minutes flat—pretty good!

And then I moved onto processing the apple. And then after that, the Pecorino Romano.

After that, I simply assembled all of it and served it. The salad is crispy, refreshing, tart and delicious. It’s simple in its preparation and the food processor attachment made it all go so quickly. I loved it!

After I made this salad, I stuck the leftovers in the fridge. I wasn’t sure how they’d taste hours after (usually salad doesn’t have that long of a life) but I had it the next day and it was almost better after it marinated. So, consider this an amazing salad to make-ahead.

Happy Holidays!

xo
Adrianna

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Crunchy Brussels Sprout with Pecorino + Apples and Candied Pecans

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Serving Size: 4 TO 6

Ingredients

Candied pecans:

• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Simple Garlic Dressing: 

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• Freshly ground pepper

Brussels Sprouts Salad: 

• 1 pound brussels sprouts ends trimmed and cut in half  
• ½ Honeycrisp apple cored and quartered 
• 2 ounces Pecorino Romano 
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley minced
• 2 scallions minced
• ⅓ cup candied pecans 
• ½ avocado diced
• Handful of pomegranate seeds 

Instructions

To Make Candied Pecans:

• To a small skillet, set over medium-low heat, add the white sugar, brown sugar and salt. Mix together and cook until the sugar has melted and dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the pecans and toss until they’re evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool completely, about 5 minutes. This recipe only uses ⅓ cup of pecans so be sure to save the rest for later use! 

To Make the Dressing:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and a few rounds of freshly ground pepper. 

To Assemble Brussels Sprouts: 

• Using the adjustable slicing disc on the thinnest setting, add the brussels sprout halves and have them fall into a bowl. Repeat until you’ve worked through all of the brussels sprouts. Next, using the julienne disc, add the apples quarters and process. And then, using the same julienne disc, add the cheese. 
• To a medium bowl, add the brussels sprouts, apples, cheese, Italian parsley, scallions, and pecans. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until properly combined. Top with avocado and pomegranate seeds. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4g

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