Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Miso Tahini Dressing

Winter salad of my dreams: A bed of shaved brussel sprouts and quinoa layered with roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, sweet raisins, toasted pepitas and maple miso tahini dressing.

Contrasting texture, flavor and color make for a delicious and beautiful winter salad worthy of main course status.

Raw, shaved (think mandolin, not Gillete) brussel sprouts hold up beautifully along warm toppings and a creamy dressing. This is an amazing winter salad option. It’s fresh but warm, with notes of cumin, maple and cinnamon.

Raw brussel sprout salad outline.

• Raw, shave, brussel sprouts. Stems discarded.
• Cooked quinoa. The quinoa should be fluffy and on the dry side.
• Roasted sweet potatoes. Caramelized, spiced sweet potatoes add smokey, savory flavor.
• Fried chickpeas. Crunchy spiced chickpeas pick up the reoccurring warm flavors of cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon.
• Toasted pepitas. Adds nuttiness and crunch.
• Raisins. For a burst of sweet, juicy flavor and soft texture.
• Maple miso tahini dressing. Creamy, balanced tahini dressing is the perfect dressing for a warm salad with a hearty green such as brussel sprouts.

Maple miso tahini salad dressing.

Maple miso tahini dressing is the perfect, oil-free salad dressing for hearty greens and warm flavors. To save time, make the dressing ahead simply by combining everything into a jar and shaking.

You will need the following ingredients:

Tahini. Ground up sesame seeds. Look for a creamy, ultra smooth variety. I use tahini from Mighty Sesame Co. I like that the only ingredient is sesame seeds and it is a squeeze bottle for easy measuring. You can find it any well stocked grocery store, Walmart included. Sesame seeds are seeds, not nuts. Therefore, this dressing is nut free (as well as the entire recipe).

Maple syrup. Real maple syrup, not pancake syrup is called for in this recipe. If you can find wood fire boiled, even better. I love the smokey, backwoods flavor it instills. If you live in the North, like me, explore local options. Three maple syrup brands I have used are:

• Hutah Homestead of Gleason, Wisconsin
• Leafy Grove Maple Syrup of Merril, Wisconsin
• Shady Maple Sugarbush of Gleason, Wisconsin

Lemon juice. The acidity cuts through the richness while balancing out the flavors. If fresh lemons aren’t available, look for bottled. I like ingrilli brand, a Sicilian company. Sicilians know their lemons and I can confirm, this lemon juice is very good!

Miso paste. Miso paste is made from fermented soy beans. It adds umami, salty flavor.

Garlic. Use a microplane for a fine grate or finely mince until it becomes a paste.

Apple cider vinegar. Pairs well with sweet, warm, nutty flavors.

Salt. Brings out flavor.

Brussel sprout salad with warm toppings.

The same mixing bowl is used to prepare 3 toppings: Sweet potatoes, chickpeas and pepitas. Do not rinse the bowl until the very end of cooking.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the roasted sweet potatoes:

• Salt, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.

While the sweet potatoes roast, place chickpeas in the same mixing bowl along with the following ingredients:

• Arrowroot powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, cinnamon and extra virgin olive oil.

While the chickpeas pan fry, toss pepitas in the residual oil left in the mixing bowl. Once the chickpeas are crispy, swap them out for the pepitas. Pepitas toast quickly, so be on the lookout for a golden brown char, not a black burn.

Roasted sweet potatoes.

A major flavor and textural element of this brussel sprout salad is bites of roasted sweet potato. Here are a few tips to ensure they cook properly.

High heat. Being with a 425F oven temperature. After 15 minutes of roasting, toss and increase the temperature to 450F. Roast until the sweet potatoes are caramelized.

Oil. If you are anything like me, you probably do not measure oil. Here’s the thing. I do not want you to make soggy sweet potatoes. If you use too much oil you run the risk of soggy sweet potatoes. Too little oil and they won’t caramelize as they should.

Size. Leave the skin on the potatoes and chop them into bite size pieces. The recipe calls for 8oz of sweet potatoes, a typical medium sized potato. Weigh the sweet potatoes so the spice and oil ratio are correct.

Tips on how to ensure chickpeas come out extra crispy.

While the sweet potatoes roast, heat a dry skillet over medium heat.

For extra crispness, arrowroot powder is incorporated in the spice mix.

It’s important for the oiled, spiced chickpeas to hit a hot pan. If the pan isn’t hot, they will steam rather than fry.

When the chickpeas hit the hot pan, leave them be a few minutes to sear. Then, toss them. Lower the heat if they begin popping out of the pan. Once they are golden and crispy looking, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Toasted pepitas.

Don’t turn the stove top off yet! Turn heat to a low/med. Toss the pepitas in the residual oil and spices in the mixing bowl. Toast in the same pan the chickpeas were fried. Keep a close eye, they can turn from golden to burnt in seconds. Set the pepitas aside with the chickpeas to crisp up while the potatoes finish roasting.

Serving.

Shred the brussel sprouts with a mandolin. Hold onto the fibrous, dry part of the brussel sprout that was attached to the stalk while you shred it with the mandoline.

Mix the brussel sprouts with cooked quinoa. The quinoa should be light, fluffy and served cold or room temperature.

Next, layer in the warm elements (sweet potatoes, chickpeas and pepitas).

Lastly, liberally drizzle the maple miso dressing.