Brussels sprout and blue cheese salad with maple candied pecans

Brussels sprout and blue cheese salad is deliciously crisp and simple to prepare -- and even better when topped with 5-minute maple-candied pecans.

Remember last week's maple-candied pecans? Remember that I mentioned I made them to garnish a Brussels sprout salad?

Well, this is the salad. But I bet you could tell that by the awesome candied pecans in it. Because you are wicked clever, yes, you are.

I love Brussels sprouts. And not just because they are the cutest food, like little tiny wannabe cabbages. Totes adorbs. I love their earthy flavor and crunchiness, when they're raw anyway. In fact, I may almost love them more raw in salads and slaws than I do cooked. (Well, at least I thought I did until I had these crispy Brussels sprouts with lemon, pistachios and pecorino at a restaurant called Lumber Yard in Amherst, MA a few weeks ago -- ERMERGAHD, they were seriously delish!)

You're going to dig this salad for its simplicity: a tangy shallot dressing, sprouts, rich blue cheese and those candied nuts. It comes together quickly as a side for roast chicken or fish, but I like to eat it as the meal itself -- because I freakin' love Brussels sprouts! The only thing that's slightly a pain is slicing the little suckers. But you can also shred them quickly using a food processor, if you're so inclined to want to wash more dishes (I'm usually not).


One little tip to make the sprouts a bit more salad-y: massage the shredded sprouts a bit before combining them with the dressing, just as you often do with kale salads. The massaging tenderizes the shredded sprouts a little but without completing removing the yummy crunchiness.

And DO NOT SKIP THE PECANS. Seriously: I noted in the pecan post that I sometimes skip steps or leave out seemingly minor ingredients (like nut toppings) in recipes when I'm in a rush but I am urging you, nay WARNING you that you will be doing this salad and yourself a huge disservice if you forgo the candying of the nuts.

Remember how awesome they are? Remember that they only take 5 minutes to make? Remember that the recipe makes a lot of extra nuts that you can snack on while you make dinner? Exactly.

So, what's your deal with Brussels sprouts -- yay or nay? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

Brussels Sprout and Blue Cheese Salad with Maple Candied Pecans

(adapted from Cooking Light)


Ingredients:
1 large shallot, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced or shredded then gently massaged
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup maple-candied pecans


Directions:
Whisk together the first 7 ingredients (shallots through salt) in a large bowl to make a vinaigrette. Add the shredded sprouts and cheese, and toss to coat. Top with pecans.

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