Oh how I love a good hearty salad! And while I love a mixed green salad, sometimes if you’re entertaining you want a salad that holds up longer with a good dressing. For those times, I like a kale salad or brussels sprouts salad. And this salad is delicious at any temperature! I wish I had this recipe up on the blog before Christmas, but life with five kids over the holidays, birthdays for two of our kids, and a stomach bug that took the whole family down meant that some of the holiday recipes I planned just didn’t make it onto the blog in time. The good news is that kale and Brussels sprouts are both still in season for the winter and this salad recipe is a great side dish for any dinner or a great light lunch.
The roasted rosemary pecans and parmesan cheese on top are the perfect combination of flavors and textures for this salad! Add in the crispy bacon and a shallot vinaigrette and you’ve got a salad that has a ton of flavor and a ton of veggies. I can’t think of a protein this wouldn’t be the perfect side dish too. I have also added quinoa, chicken, or chickpeas to it for protein to make it healthy lunch. If you do have leftovers of this easy salad, they’ll keep for a day in the refrigerator. I recommend keeping the pecans off of any leftovers so they maintain their crispiness!
Be sure to take advantage of this easy salad recipe while kale and Brussels sprouts are in season! I used curly purple kale for this recipe because I thought it was so pretty, but any type of kale will work.
- 10 slices of bacon
- Salad
- 1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, cut into thin ribbons
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Rosemary Pecans
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp. salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the pecans, brown sugar, rosemary, and salt. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast for 10 minutes.
- Chop the bacon and brown in a large skillet. When it's done cooking, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Remove all but about 2 tbsp. of the bacon grease.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet along with the shallots and cook until the shallots for about five minutes. Add the mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar and cook for a few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Place the shredded kale and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and use your hands to massage it into the salad. Add the bacon, cheese, and toasted pecans and top with the remaining dressing.
- Enjoy!
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