I wanted to get this Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Kale and Blood Orange recipe posted before Thanksgiving, so I hope I’m not too late for you to slip it on the menu! We always have a huge extended family celebration at my parent’s house on the big day, and I’m planning to bring it this year. (Along with my annual big batch of pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing, of course. Because I’m all about balance, naturally.) 🙂
I know this is technically a salad but I kinda prefer to think of it as a big plate of sliced and shredded veggies. It really shows that simple can be best, and nature gives you some amazing flavors to showcase here. It’s pretty much a texture and flavor party on your plate. Thinly sliced red onions, salty crushed roasted almonds, juicy bursts of tart blood orange, and chunks of creamy feta – all tossed around in a lemon vinaigrette.
So this dish is good (and highly recommended!) for just about any day, but I’m especially excited to bring it to Thanksgiving because of all the perfect fall colors and because I hope to convince some people they actually DO like Brussels sprouts. It’s going to take up some valuable stomach real estate on a day when we Americans love us some stomach real estate, but it’ll be WORTH IT. Not like when you eat salad hoping to fill up but then you’re left feeling sad and wanting and deprived. Or when you think you should be virtuous and scoop some salad but there’s so many other great dishes that you bypass the greens altogether. Nope, these are greens you’re going to actually WANT to eat.
Let’s take a moment to get up close and personal with it, shall we? Can’t you just imagine how good it’s going to taste when you bite into it?!
Honestly the only kind of annoying part of this recipe is shredding the Brussels sprouts. BUT if you have a food processor, then you can shred the sprouts in less than five minutes with the slicing blade (pic below). If not, you can either slice them thinly (which will take a bit more time) or look for them pre-shredded at the grocery. Once that happens, the rest is easy! Let me know if you try it. And if you prefer your salads more of the “straight up kale but still tastes great” variety, check out my Shredded Kale and Pomegranate Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette here. (Apparently I really like shredding veggies lately…)
This seasonal salad highlights the amazing flavor and texture of fresh veggies and fruit! Crunchy Brussels sprouts and kale are combined with red onion, crushed almonds, feta, and juicy blood orange segments for a dish that will make you reconsider the concept of boring salads.
- 1 ¼ lbs Brussels sprouts stems trimmed and outer leaves removed
- 2 cups curly leaf kale ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
- 1 cup red onion sliced very thin
- ½ cup chopped/crushed roasted almonds
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 blood oranges peel removed, cut into segments
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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Combine lemon zest, juice, honey, crushed red pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously until well combined.
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Shred the Brussels sprouts in a food processor with the slicing blade (or thinly slice by hand). Add the sprouts, kale, red onions, almonds, and feta to a large salad bowl and pour in the dressing. Toss to combine, and top with blood orange segments.
Note: shred the Brussels sprouts with the slicing blade of a food processor, slice thinly by hand, or buy pre-shredded.
For the almonds, I buy dry roasted and salted, then I put them in a Ziploc bag and use a big spoon to smash them into crushed pieces. (It's a highly scientific process.)
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