Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples & Sunflower Chokes
We’re a little over a week away from Thanksgiving. So, if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to get your menu together for the big day. Usually that means turkey, stuffing, gravy, some sort of potato dish, a vegetable, cranberry sauce and of course dessert. Last week I made a Quince Cranberry Crumble, so this week I wanted to go with something savory.
All those items listed above are standard fare for the Thanksgiving table. But in the past few years I’ve started seeing new items on the table like salads and mac & cheese. When I was growing up a salad was usually made with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and a few other ingredients we had on hand. But these days, salads can be made of everything from olives and tomatoes to a variety of beans to shredded Brussels sprouts.
While I’m not a big fan of Brussels sprouts, recently I’ve started seeing them as salads in restaurants and have even had them roasted on a few occasions. They were both so yummy, I found myself going back for seconds, and I started to rethink my distaste of the vegetable; so much so that a recipe on thekitchn.com and some awesome new produce from Melissa’s coerced me to whip up this salad which would be great on any Thanksgiving table.
That produce from Melissa’s is what knocks this salad out of the park. I got several different kinds of apples and some delicious sunflower chokes. While you can use any apple variety you like, I chose the Hidden Rose because of their unusual pink flesh. They have a great tart flavor, but it’s that color that contrasts so beautifully with the green of the Brussels sprouts that makes this salad look like fall on a platter. The sunflower chokes on the other hand add no color at all. They do however, add a great nutty flavor and crunch that are reminiscent of water chestnuts. When tossed together with the apples and Brussels sprouts, you get a great fall salad that’s a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving feast, but would be just as good on an ordinary night in the middle of the week.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples & Sunflower Chokes
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, shaved
- 1 Hidden Rose Apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 or 5 sunflower chokes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a mandoline, slice the Brussels sprouts as thinly as possible down to the stem. Place the shaved sprouts in a large bowl.
- Halve and core the apple, then use the mandoline or a sharp knife to cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the apple slices in a small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent browning; set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, swirling the whole time until it turns a golden brown and develops a nutty smell. (Make sure you watch it, otherwise your brown butter will turn to burned butter and we don’t want that.) Remove from heat and let it cool.
- Whisk together the vinegar and remaining lemon juice. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the brown butter until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour half the dressing over the brussels sprouts and mix in thoroughly with your hands. Add the apples and sunflower chokes and toss to combine. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.
