Perhaps like me, you dreaded brussels sprouts as a child. In my case, I also dreaded artichokes, asparagus and avocados. As soon as I reached adulthood, these vegetables (fruit, in the case of avocado) became my favorite things.
I like brussels sprouts best when they’re shaved or cut into thin strips and fried. The flavor is enhanced, and they essentially become healthier french fries. However, I recently purchased Danielle Walker’s “Against all Grain,” book containing 150 Paleo recipes, and I’m officially addicted to her brussels sprout salad (with minor modifications). What’s more, my husband has declared it’s his favorite cooked vegetable salad, and we’re thinking of serving it this Thanksgiving. It makes a perfect side dish to a roast bird, sweet potatoes, and other traditional Thanksgiving dishes.
This dish takes less than 30 minutes to make–start to finish, and serves 6.
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, shaved (using a food processor or mandoline), or sliced very thin
5 slices bacon
1 leek, white part only sliced and carefully cleaned
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chicken stock (I’ve found that water or white wine works well, too)
3/4 tsp sea salt
Fresh-ground pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Preparation
Cook the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan, and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet.
Add the sprouts, leek, and garlic to the pan and saute for 5 minutes. Add the broth (or water or wine), salt and pepper. Cover and steam for 5 minutes, until the sprouts are bright green and tender. Do not overcook!
Chop the bacon, and add it to the skillet along with the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately. Note: This dish is not well suited for reheating, so it’s best not to prepare it in advance. Luckily, it comes together so quickly that you don’t need to make it ahead of dinner.
Enjoy!
Will it be as delicious if I don’t use bacon ? Thank you. Ellen
Sent from my iPhone
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It will still be very flavorful if you use butter and good, quality chicken stock! You can also use a splash of white wine. Although bacon has a distinctive flavor and saltiness to it which is difficult to replicate, I don’t think you’ll care if you never made the dish with bacon to begin with. I stopped eating mammal in 1989, and I’ve just started trying to reintroduce it (very slowly mainly by using a bit of animal fat or broth here and there).
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[…] Brussel Sprout, Bacon, Pomegranate Salad…One of my new favorites!! […]
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So glad to hear it! Thank you for the comment. -Moira
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