Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Red Onion, Lemon and Pecorino
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merrill says: A few weeks ago while having dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, Stone Park Cafe, my husband and I shared one of those rare and wonderful dishes that grabs hold of your taste buds and doesn't let go. It was simplicity itself: delicately shaved raw Brussels sprouts with wisps of red onion, a light, lemony dressing spiked generously with whole grain mustard, and a generous hit of tangy Pecorino. I immediately declared that I would try and replicate it at home, and this was met with great enthusiasm by my husband. I'd serve this as a first course, with a nice, crisp white like Gruner Veltliner.
Serves 6
- 1/2 small red onion
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts (use larger sprouts if possible)
- 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino romano
- Soak the onion slices in a small bowl of cold water for 15 to 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
- Trim all of the Brussels sprouts, cutting off any bruised outer leaves and slicing off a good portion of the hard root end. Using a mandoline, shave the sprouts one at a time. When you're done, use your fingers to gently separate the leaves so that the shredded sprouts resemble a very fine slaw.
- Put the sprouts in a serving bowl and toss gently with the onions (which you've now drained) and the dressing. Fold in the pecorino, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately, before it starts to wilt!
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
Tags: brussels sprouts, Salads, whole grain mustard
1 day ago Tbird
Making this for Valentine's dinner tonight. Serving with lamb chops (broiled) and a quinoa/brown rice combo. Shrimp cocktail for an app, and cupcakes for dessert (okay, the cupcakes are left over from a work function this afternoon, but it's till counts, right?)
And of course, our romantic dinner won't be complete without out two daughters, who usually love how I make Brussels sprouts. Hope they like these!
13 days ago Cindafuckingrella
Looks Yu-hum!
15 days ago walkie74
hmm, there are huge bags of mixed greens, including brussels sprouts, at Costco...I could toss the poppyseed dressing in the bag and make yours instead. Oh, this looks like a winner!
15 days ago tamater sammich
I'm sorry, but I have to tell the truth: we really didn't like this at all. Looks like we're in the minority. Oh well, everybody can't like everything all the time.
But Merrill, we do like a lot of your recipes, so thanks.
12 days ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Sorry to hear you didn't like it, but thanks for staying open-minded!
16 days ago fayehess
thank you Merrill! This looks so good; I can't wait to try the combination of brussel and romano. I only wish I had a good resource for pec. romano, as most are bitter and dusty from what I can find. (the stuff I have had in Italy is a whooooole other ball game.)
29 days ago bethgardh
can i substitute leek for the onion? much less bite and better flavor
about 1 month ago suzygregory
I was accidentally in "Features" and saw a different version of your recipe calling for 2 tsp mustard instead of 1 tsp as listed above. Which do you prefer?
about 1 month ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
I've tried it with both. I'd recommend starting with 1 teaspoon and tasting the dressing, then adding more mustard if you like.
about 1 month ago cd1600
Found bagged, shredded brussel spouts at Trader Joe's the other day! Can't wait to try this!
about 1 month ago Emily Louise
Hi Merrill,
They serve this (or very similar) at one of LA's hottest new Downtown restaurants, http://bacomercat.com/
Have been wanting to guestimate the recipe but you've just made it easier! Question - why do you soak the onion??
about 1 month ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
So happy this was useful! I soak the onion to get rid of some of the bite -- it's an optional step.
about 1 month ago Christa and Wes
This sounds wonderful! My husband has an allergy to raw onions, but can eat onions that are completely cooked. What could the raw red onions be replaced with?
about 1 month ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
You could skip them if you like. If he can eat raw garlic, you could whisk half a clove into the dressing.
9 days ago klinda
I've used radishes or fennel as a raw onion substitute with good results.
about 1 month ago Andge
I make this fairly often, and it's a crowd pleaser. I also use a mandoline. But also I bake some thin slices of prosciutto until they are crisp, then crumble them into the mix. Amazing.
about 1 month ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Love the idea of a bacon or prosciutto addition!
3 months ago CentralCoastContessa
Wonderful! I made this last night for dinner with my husband and daughter-home-from-college. I added a little sauteed bacon. We all loved it and agreed it belongs in regular rotation! Thanks!
3 months ago estelle
I tried this tonight and enjoyed it. I found the mandoline too difficult since the brussel sprouts are so small. I will try other suggestions that are posted next time. I did not care for the honey in the dressing. I will try to leave it out altogether or use a bit of sugar instead next time.
5 months ago jsk
Looks delicious! Would it work to shred the sprouts in a food processor?
5 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
You'll get a different, slightly uneven texture, but if slicing the sprouts by hand is going to keep you from making the recipe, by all means use a food processor!
5 months ago Jaynerly
I made this by shredding the sprouts in my food processor, it worked just fine and tasted great!
6 months ago QueenSashy
I loved it, loved it, loved it! Served with fresh baguette and crisp white, it felt like God's gift to humanity.
7 months ago Jed129
Made this last week to serve alongside the Pastitsio(http://www.food52.com/recipes...) -- a great light compliment to the heavy pasta. Brought it all to a friend's for dinner and everyone went back for seconds and thirds... Will be making again SOON!
about 1 month ago Patricia Landers Gee
I read Jed's comment and made this with the Pastitsio as well. Delicious! My husband thought the dressing was too acidic, but I did use a rather juicy lemon. My son and I loved it as we like a bit more of a vinegary dressing.
about 1 year ago sirisja
Made this last night to accompany some baked potatoes. It was delicious! Next time I think I might add some toasted hazelnuts to the mix, love the brussels sprout/hazelnut pairing. Thanks for a good recipe!
about 1 year ago Trucster
Very nice recipe. Found it easier to shave sprouts on mandoline if I didn't cut out the hard core, but rather used it as a handle to hold onto the sprout. Started shaving from the top, and had a nice, firm, easy-to-grip handle as I shaved the sprout all the way down
3 months ago estelle
This is a good idea. I did not like using the mandoline as I feared slicing my fingers and then it was too hard to use the finger guard to slice them. I will try your method next time or just use a knife or food processor
about 1 year ago maggiesara
Sounds fabulous, very much (with the addition of some toasted hazelnuts) like my favorite salad at Morandi, in Manhattan. However, I think this recipe, as written, is a perfect example of why it's time to switch to using weight rather than volume as a measure: "One cup" of whole sprouts is essentially a meaningless measurement; a cup of small, marble-sized sprouts will provide a lot more lunch than will a cup of large sprouts. One might as well call for a quart of lamb chops.
10 months ago judi hendricks
I so agree with addition of hazelnuts. Also with using weight rather than volume for measuring. It makes everything so much easier and faster...and speaking of faster, I use my politically incorrect food processor for shredding the sprouts.
about 1 month ago tamater sammich
I agree about the "quart of lamb chops" - did it ever make me laugh, as I'm going shoppint soon, and am now combing the comments section here, to see if any body has given a weight measurement...guess I have to keep reading...
about 1 year ago Kreardon
Very refreshing. Used Dijon and parm. No mandoline needed. Perfect accompaniment to a rich meal.