Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

The American autumn salad: raw sprouts finely shredded, dressed with lemon, Parmesan, and toasted nuts

Origin: United States

One of the surprises of the Brussels sprout's American renaissance was the discovery that the vegetable need not be cooked at all. Sliced or shredded raw and very fine, the sprout becomes a crisp, peppery, slaw-like green, and the shaved Brussels sprout salad has become a fixture of the American autumn and winter table, the leaves dressed simply with lemon and good olive oil, sharpened with Parmesan, and given crunch with toasted nuts. The dish belongs to the same farm-to-table movement that rehabilitated the roasted and fried sprout, and it rests on the same insight: that the sprout, freed from the long boiling that made it grey and bitter, is a fine and versatile vegetable. Raw and finely shaved, dressed acidicly enough to soften it just slightly, it keeps all its fresh, nutty crunch, and it holds up far better than a leaf salad, dressed ahead without wilting, which has made it a favourite of the festive buffet and the make-ahead table. With shavings of Parmesan or pecorino, toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, a little dried fruit, and a lemon-and-mustard dressing, the shaved sprout salad is the rawest and freshest expression of the modern American way with a vegetable once thought fit only for boiling.

Ingredients

Salad

500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
50 g Parmesan or pecorino, shaved or finely grated
50 g toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, roughly chopped

Dressing

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Shred the sprouts as finely as you can: halve them and slice thinly with a sharp knife, or run them through the slicing disc of a food processor or across a mandoline.
Pull the shreds apart with your fingers into a bowl so they are loose and fluffy rather than in clumps.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper together into a dressing.
Pour the dressing over the shredded sprouts and toss well. Let the salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes so the acid softens the sprouts slightly.
Toss through most of the cheese and nuts, then scatter the rest over the top. Taste, adjust the seasoning and lemon, and serve.

Notes

Dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or sliced apple add sweetness and colour. The salad can be dressed up to an hour ahead and holds without wilting, which makes it ideal for a buffet or a make-ahead side. A little grated garlic in the dressing is a good addition.

The Gastrographer

Name: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed; 50 g Parmesan or pecorino, shaved or finely grated; 50 g toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, roughly chopped; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey; salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control