Brussels Sprout Salad with Dried Cherries, Bacon, and Pecans

By: Unknown on 6/05/2014

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So school's finally out. Hurrah! The bad news is that I'm already getting bored. And it hasn't even been summer for a week. Ugh. Maybe if it was actually warm enough to go swimming that would help. But, unfortunately, it's not warm enough. Oh well. I'll figure out some project to work on or something.

Anyways, I'm obsessed with this salad. It's truly amazing and a wonderful break from traditional salad greens. The raw Brussels sprouts add a fantastic crunch to the salad, while the red onion and cherries add a little tang and a little sweetness. The bacon is in there, because bacon. ;) What really brings it all together is the poppy seed dressing. I used this recipe, but you can really use any poppy seed dressing you want. I think this dressing might be good on the salad, too. 

The only little complaint that some people might have is the chewiness of the salad. Not like over cooked steak that takes thirty minutes to chew one bite chewy, but chewy as in a little more work to eat than a regular salad. I personally didn't see a problem with the raw Brussels sprouts, but if you're worried about it just quickly saute or blanch the Brussels sprouts. 

This salad comes together so quickly and it's just so tasty. It's definitely in our salad rotation now. The whole family loved it! 

4 c. shredded Brussels sprouts (make sure they're shredded pretty finely)

2 1/4" slices red onion, diced

1/3 c. dried cherries or cranberries, chopped

3 slices bacon, diced

1/4 c. pecans, chopped

poppy seed dressing or dressing of choice

1. Combine the Brussels sprouts, red onion, cherries, bacon, and pecans in a bowl. 

2. Pour dressing over the top and stir gently to combine. 

3. Divide into three bowls for relatively big salads and four bowls for smaller salads. 

Fingers crossed that I'll be able to get back into the kitchen this summer. Oh how I miss just being able to create recipes and not having to worry about time or if the results turn out horribly. I truly love being creative in the kitchen and the fact that I haven't been able to do that in a while is really getting to me, I think. 

Question of the Day:

Do you love Brussels sprouts or loathe them? 

I used to loathe them until I tried them roasted and my life changed forever! ;)