Author: Pamela, adapted from La Grande Orange Cafe as printed in the Los Angeles Times
Serves: 8
Ingredients
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, washed, cored and leaves separated (discard the core)
1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest (do not omit this – it makes the salad!)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
½ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 Tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries
6 Tablespoons whole raw almonds, toasted and chopped or sliced
Instructions
Prepare a large bowl of ice water. In a large pot of salted (about 1 Tablespoon kosher salt) boiling water, blanch the brussels sprout leaves just until they are a vibrant green and barely tender (less than 2 minutes). Drain and immediately submerge in the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry well. You can do this in a salad spinner.
In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, lemon zest and juice, honey, mustard, sea salt and pepper. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until the oil is emulsified or put everything in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
In a large serving bowl, toss the Brussels sprout leaves, dried cherries, almonds and just enough vinaigrette to lightly moisten. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Notes
Hazelnuts or pecans can be substituted for the almonds. Dried blueberries can be substituted for the dried cherries, so can pomegranate seeds. Diced, roasted beets are a complementary addition. Shaved Manchego cheese can be added, as done in the original.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/brussels-sprout-leaf-salad/