Spring Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing is a fast and light salad that is full of tart cranberries, creamy goat cheese and salty almonds! And tossed in a flavorful, homemade citrus poppyseed dressing!
Serius topic today, guys. Adulting verse childhood theme of ‘never growing up.’
I feel like I have really been nailing the whole adulting thing lately. I mean, being in charge of another being’s life kinda throws ya into that realm pretty darn quick. But, also big things like calling the shots and having ice cream for dinner, singing the alphabet song to know the order of the letters, paying bills and having a margarita for lunch on a Tuesday. #adulting.
But then there are days that I miss the carefree hours of being a blonde haired, free spirit, little one. The days where my biggest worries were if I would have marshmallow in my cereal that morning or where my barbies would go on their grand adventure that afternoon.
One other thing I can be grateful for as the years have gone on, are my more advanced taste buds, if you will. There is one memory that sticks out in my head and proves why chicken nuggets are the main food group for five-year-olds. It was Christmas Eve and as every other year, my whole family gathered at my Nana and Papa’s for a big feast before destroying the presents that laid under the Christmas Tree. Rather than the typical, Christmas ham or roast, my Papa thought Cornish Gam Hens would be a special treat. Well, to a five-year-old, they are questioning why you served them a pet bird. Each of us hit the nail on the head on how to not play with your food. The birds took flight, flocking from one plate to the next only to have my Papa yelling at each of us. While he thought it was less than humorous, each of us kids enjoyed goofing off despite the good and delicious intention of the ‘adults’ that evening.
I feel another advantage of growing older has been my love of brussels sprouts! While I feel they are a hit or miss with people, I will gladly raise my hand to loving the little cabbages. This salad was inspired by a favorite salad from a local restaurant; theirs had cranberries, manchego and sunflower seeds. I had every intention of putting sunflower seeds into this salad but in my sleep deprived days lately, I only had roasted almonds in the house. Well, good thing they are tasty and I love them in salads! The restaurant dresses their Spring Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad in a peppercorn dressing. While it balances the salad well, I went with a more springy vinaigrette, a lemon poppyseed! I also swapped goat cheese for the manchego because goat cheese is slightly sweet and makes me think of fresh, spring style recipes!
I am in love with this salad for so many reasons. But one big reason is the fact that it holds together beautiful. I am talking, make it on a Sunday and enjoy it all week long. Just dress it before devouring! Which brings me to my next point, it is the ideal salad for holidays, like Easter! Make it the day before, cover then store in the fridge. Then before the big feast, toss with the delicious dressing and you are set!
Now, that is adulting if you ask me.
meal prep tips:
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this Spring Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad is perfect to make a large batch then serve at a later time! It holds in the fridge for a week, without the dressing on it.
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to meal prep for lunches, etc, store in individual containers. then make sure to pack a small container of dressing!
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add grilled chicken to make a complete meal!
Spring Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing is a fast and light salad that is full of tart cranberries, creamy goat cheese and salty almonds! And tossed in a flavorful, homemade citrus poppyseed dressing!
15 minPrep Time
15 minTotal Time
Yields 8 - 1 Cup Servings
Save RecipeIngredients
- Salad:
- 1 lb Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and shaved
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted almonds
- 1/2 cup crumbled Goat Cheese
- Citrus Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about juice of 2 large lemons)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/16 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Salad: In a large bowl, combine the brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, almonds and goat cheese.
- Dressing: Combine the lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, oil, vinegar, onion powder and salt in a blender. Mix until smooth. Add the poppy seeds and process just until combined. Place in an
air tight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. - When ready to serve, top salad with dressing and serve.
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