- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons (10g) Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup (104g) mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s Real)
- ¼ cup (20g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Yield: 6-8 side servings or 3-4 entrée servings
Shredded Brussels sprouts meet classic Caesar dressing in this versatile, make-ahead salad that's perfect for holiday meals, neighborhood potlucks, easy weeknight dinners, and packable lunches. For a complete meal, top with chicken, salmon, shrimp, steak, or another protein of choice.
For the Caesar dressing:
For the salad:
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) bag shaved Brussels sprouts or one pound whole fresh Brussels sprouts, cored and thinly sliced*
- Optional: 2-4 thinly sliced scallions; croutons (favorite store-bought, Polenta Croutons, or Homemade Parmesan Croutons); anchovies; fried capers (see notes); a protein topper like chicken, shrimp, salmon, or roasted chickpeas
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmesan, salt, and pepper, and stir until well combined. Make-ahead tip: The dressing may be prepared in advance and will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
- Place the shaved Brussels sprouts and optional scallions in a salad bowl and toss with dressing. Start with three-quarters of it, toss well, and then add more to taste. If time allows, refrigerate for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld and sprouts to soften slightly. Top with optional ingredients of choice, and enjoy.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freshen the flavor, I often add a light squeeze of lemon juice. You don’t need much—one small wedge is usually enough to do the trick.
Notes:
*Tips for most tender sprouts: Pre-shredded sprouts provide convenience, although fresh, whole sprouts are often more tender. When using bagged, taking a moment to cut out any obvious pieces of core will help. As an alternative to hand slicing whole sprouts, you may shred them using the thinnest slicing blade of a food processor. (Because of their natural layers, the shredding blade tends to pulverize the sprouts. If using, test with a few before doing them all.) To avoid tough pieces, I make a V-shaped cut and remove the core. I also cut medium and large sprouts in half before shredding them.
Is the dressing too thick? It is a thick dressing, and while you may thin it with 1 to 3 teaspoons of water, I find that if I toss the salad well, targeting any clumpy areas, the dressing does distribute and evenly coat the sprouts. A spritz of water or extra squeeze of lemon juice is always an option if you’d like to further loosen the dressing once added to the sprouts.
Prefer a lightly dressed slaw? There is enough dressing to liberally coat the sprouts. If you prefer a light coat, start with about ¾ of the dressing, toss well, and then add more to taste. I often reserve some and bolster leftovers with additional sprouts or one of the veggies listed below.
Mix and match: The dressing works well with all sorts of cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and bok choy) as well as hearty or crunchy greens like kale and Romaine.
Flavor upgrade: For pops of complementary flavor, in a medium skillet set over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and then add ¼ cup of capers (rinse, drain, and pat them very dry first). Be careful, as they may splatter a bit at the beginning, but dry capers will splatter less. Pan fry until the capers have blossomed and are crunchy, about 1-2 minutes, gently shaking the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and add to salad after tossing with the dressing.