Note: It’s past midnight… and I’ve lost my mind raiding my chocolate drawer.
Second Note: I have a chocolate drawer… it’s an occupational perk and hazard.
Third Note: I used to have a chocolate drawer. Just wrappers now.
Fourth Note: Why does Kim Kardashian insist on making such a joke of her life? It must be the money. Right? It’s gotta be the money.
… and now! SALAD.
I know what you want.
It’s not Brussels Sprouts.
I know what you want… because what you want is what I want.
You want chocolate. I know this because I’m eating chocolate, kinda right now.
Seriously though… we have to play it cool. We have to sit at the table until we finish our vegetables.
There’s salted caramel in our future. There’s fried things. There’s cocktails. There’s all the buttery things you would expect from me.
Eyes on the prize. Let’s just hush up and eat our pretty salad.
If we’re going to eat a salad, I insist that it be pretty and jeweled.
This is fennel. It’s licorice crunch.
Sexy, jeweled, murder fruit.
Pomegranates are gorgeous… and they stain EVERYTHING.
Thinly sliced apples and slivered almonds.
YEA! In a salad!
All of this goodness gets tossed with shaved, raw Brussels sprouts. This salad was inspired by Cube restaurant in Los Angeles. I think this preparation of Fall Brussels sprouts is divine, fresh, and super healthy.
I tossed this salad with fresh lemon juice, good olive oil, salt, and pepper. Very simple.
Perhaps you want to try a Poppy Seed Vinaigrette, or a Green Goddess Dressing.
Eat up. Prepare yourself for the caramel and cheesecake that’s about to happen here.
Apple Pomegranate Brussels Sprout Salad
makes 4 small or 2 large portions
inspired by Cube restaurant in Los Angeles
about 1 pound of Brussels sprouts (I used about 20 sprouts)
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1 small fennel bulb, sliced very thin
1 Fuji apple, sliced thin
handful of toasted slivered almonds
salt and pepper
lemon and olive oil
Rinse brussels sprouts of any dirt or grime. Place on a cutting board horizontally, and slice thinny, creating little brussels sprout rounds and ribbons. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
Wearing an apron, deseed pomegranate and gather about 1/2 cup of seeds. Add to the brussels sprout bowl.
Add thinly sliced fennel and apple, as well as the slivered almonds. Toss together using hands. Add the juice of 1 lemon, a good drizzle of olive oil, and a healthy pinch of salt and coarsely ground pepper. Toss together, let rest for about 20 minutes in the fridge so the lemon can slightly soften the sprouts.
Serve in generous portions. Top with more pomegranates if you’re feeling fancy. I’m always feeling fancy.[/printab
Kacie @ A Collection of Passions
I can’t wait to make this! I love Brussels sprouts and I looooove fennel. I’m so excited to try this. I never would have thought to use Brussels sprouts raw. I love Fall cookin’. This is my first visit to your blog (where have I been?)!
Kacie
Katherine
You have just done the impossible: convinced me to give brussel sprouts a second chance. I have never liked them any way I’ve had them….but they’ve always been cooked. I am definitely going to try them raw! The salad looks so pretty too!
~ Katherine {Pasta and Peonies}
Sarah
I love the Cube brussel sprout salad – it’s inspired a lot of fun creations. My favorite is with hazelnuts, parmesan & any kind of orange fruit… Will have to give fennel a try! This salad is super quick with a food processor to slice the brussels too…
laura
this is going on my thanksgiving menu! thank you!
Julie
This was really lovely! I’m not a big fan of fennel if it’s the dominant flavor in a dish (not a big fan of black licorice either, though I’m Italian and LOVE anise in baked goods — go figure) but I really wanted to try it here because I had a hunch it would balance perfectly with the apple. And it did! I just used half a bulb and sliced it very thinly and it makes a really nice complex flavor with the rest of the salad.
Now, what to do with the rest of the fennel in my fridge?
Lucia
Jewels in salads make them sparkle. Thanks for the recipe, Joy. Thanks for pomegranates, Mother Earth.
Clara
Joy- your brussel sprout salads are so inspiring. I just featured the one you wrote about a few months back on my blog (with pineapple and hazelnuts), and then in the same week you come out with another show stopper! I’m making one this week with apples, brussels sprouts, and pecans. I do have fennel in my fridge.. so perhaps I’ll throw that in too.
TeriLyn [a foodie stays fit]
I had to look up this recipe after you mentioned it during your panel at Foodbuzz. :) I’m going to try it this week! I love cabbage and pomegranate. It’d be an awesome Thanksgiving dish too!
BTW, I LOVE your glasses. :)