Author Notes
This salad is inspired by the Brussels Sprouts Salad with Green Apple at Puppatella, my family’s favorite pizza place in Arlington; the Apple Salad with Walnuts and Lime from a recent Bon Appetit, which the editors called one of the best dishes they’d had in the past year (that’s high praise for an apple salad!); and my very favorite Northern Spy's Kale Salad on this site, which made me fall head over heels for aged cheddar with green leafy vegetables. I took my favorite parts of each salad and combined them -- plus decided to add some chile since I like my Brussels sprouts with a little kick. —EmilyC
Test Kitchen Notes
Fantastic. Everything about this salad is so carefully and lovingly thought out, from the sitting time after the Brussels sprouts are out of the oven to the way the scallions are thinly sliced (for perfect flavor and texture) to the fact that the dish calls for lime and not lemon juice (lending it an almost Southeast Asian flair). It's sparkly, it's deep, it's a side so interesting you just might skip the main course altogether. A winner. —mitschlag
Ingredients
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1 pound
Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
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3/4 teaspoon
Aleppo pepper (or lesser amount of red pepper flakes), or to taste
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Olive oil to evenly coat vegetables (for roasting), about 1 to 2 T
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 cup
walnut halves, toasted
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1
tart, crisp apple, cut into 1/2" dice (peeling optional)
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2 tablespoons
lime juice, plus more to taste, from 1 to 2 small limes
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2
scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise at an angle into thin slivers (white and light green parts only)
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2 tablespoons
roughly chopped parsley
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2 tablespoons
roughly chopped mint
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1 to 2 tablespoons
walnut oil, or to taste
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1/4 cup
finely chopped or crumbled aged cheddar (I used Cabot clothbound)
Directions
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Heat oven to 425° F. Spread Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish, and toss to evenly coat with Aleppo pepper and olive oil and season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and golden brown with a few crispy, singed leaves, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. During the last 5 to 10 minutes of roasting time, toast your walnuts on a separate baking sheet, making sure to not burn them. Remove Brussels sprouts and walnuts from oven, and let cool about 10 minutes before adding them to the other ingredients in Step 3.
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While the vegetables and walnuts are in the oven, toss the apples, lime juice, scallions, parsley, and mint in a large bowl.
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Add the Brussels sprouts to the apple mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cheese, walnuts, and walnut oil; toss gently. Squeeze some more lime juice over the top if more acidity is needed. The salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature. It can be made several hours in advance; the lime juice prevents the apple from turning brown.
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