Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad ♥ Recipe (2024)

Today's fall salad recipe: A raw salad, this time with raw Brussels sprouts shaved so thin they easily "cook" (if you will) in a lemon vinaigrette and then are tossed with grated romano for a certain lovely "sourness" and pine nuts for a touch of "crunch". Weight Watchers Friendly, WW 3 PointsPlus. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Primal. Vegetarian. Word to the wise, best left to rest for 24 hours before serving.

My dear college friends Laurie and Susan visited this week, meeting midway in St. Louis. As Laurie wrote afterward on Facebook, "Thirty years melted away as we honored our loved ones' memories, cooked and schemed together. Still friends of the heart after all these years!" We three had much catching up to do and wondered out loud, how and why, when we had once crossed the state just to have dinner together, did our friendship become relegated to Christmas cards? Children? Careers? Something else? Where did the years go?

Funny thing was: beforehand I fussed over what we would, you know, eat. Mid-October is that funny seasonal switchback time: the sunny day turned out to be cooler than the rainy day, we sat outside for lunch but quickly moved inside and almost built a fire. Plus, I wondered, should I have everything all at the ready, my usual style, or would cooking a meal or two together actually encourage our getting-to-know-you-all-over-again conversation?

In the end, I returned to a signature meal, a pair of Fast Roast Chickens rained with smoky sea salt, a pot of Rustic Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Carrots, warm rolls spread with Creamy Feta Mousse and for fun, a new salad, thin shavings of fresh Brussels sprouts and salty grated romano tossed in a lemony vinaigrette with a few toasted pine nuts.

That first night? The salad was good enough.

Four hours later? Good, quite good.

But the next night? AMAZING! Once the flavors had a chance to meld and the raw shavings of Brussels sprouts to soften, so fresh, so light, such a surprising mix of familiar flavors!

RECIPE for RAW BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 24 hours
Makes 2 cups

2 cups shaved Brussels sprouts, from about 10 medium sprouts
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, including the pulp if possible
1 tablespoon good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, be generous
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Mix shaved Brussels sprouts, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, tasting as you go and adjusting to taste. Stir in cheese and pine nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
BRUSSELS SPROUTS To shave the sprouts, trim any wonky outer leaves, wash but leave the stems on for a "handle". Very carefully, use a mandoline / benriner to shave the round part of the sprout. Don't risk your fingers: be prepared to waste more than you normally might. The inspiring recipe that a food processor may be used, my blade doesn't shave them thin enough. Would a sharp knife with a patient knife-wielder work? Probably. It took me about 15 minutes to shave just two cups of sprouts, that means this salad probably isn't one for large groups.
OIL I've made this three times now, once I left the oil out by accident: even just a touch is appreciated to balance the acidity of the lemons.
ROMANO Romano has that great sourness that's so cool but do grate it on the largest hole of a box grater. Parmesan would work too, so would the Mexican cotija. Look for a dryer, saltier more dense cheese versus a soft fresh cheese. Much to my surprise, the romano doesn't get "soggy" and melt into the lemon juice during the 24-hour rest period.
PINE NUTS We happened to love the sweet nuttiness of toasted pine nuts but they are pricey. Toasted walnuts would be good, toasted sunflower seeds would be the least expensive. Again, much to my surprise, these don't get soggy even sitting in the salad for 24 hours.

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION The much-missed Gourmet magazine, October 2005 issue, online at Epicurious.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 104 Calories; 8g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 4mg Cholesterol; 58mg Sodium; 6g Carb; 1g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: WW Old Points 2.5 & WW PointsPlus 3 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving, 1/2 cup.

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