Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad Yum

Brussels Sprouts are a vegetable that I didn’t realize I liked until I was an adult, going out on the town and pretending to eat it like I loved it with friends who actually did.  One day, I realized, I actually do like it.  Especially when they’ve been either fried or roasted so the outer leaves are nice and crunchy….ummm, I’m salivating just thinking about them again!

This recipe came about in the fall when I was trying to get in shape for my cousin’s wedding.  I needed nutrient dense foods without them being calorie dense too.  Originally, I was going to make roasted brussels sprouts as a side for dinner for everyone, then realized that I wasn’t having the meat portion (being vegetarian and all), and I wasn’t eating carbs (to my utter dismay!), so I needed to really make a meal out of this side dish for myself.

I ended up pulling out cherry tomatoes that were in the last stages of their life, pomegranate seeds that also needed finishing (we have tons of these around in season as they are the girls’ favorite) and the rest, I just pulled because I don’t know why exactly.  I just figured, I needed the crunch from the apples, the protein from the walnuts, and well, who can resist cheese?  (I seriously can’t…. cheese is one of my downfalls, along with chocolate, carbs, mangoes, avocados…well food in general).

To balance out the warmth of the salad, I blistered the tomatoes (also, because they just taste awesome when they are cooked like this).  To top it all off, I made a simple honey dijon dressing which added just the perfect creaminess to the salad.

Try it out and tell me what you think!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this!

Ingredients:
1lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved/quartered depending on size
1 can (14oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 c cherry tomatoes
1 c pomegranate seeds
1 c walnuts
1 apple, cored, finely chopped
3 cloves, garlic, minced
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp EVOO or Avo Oil
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
1 ½tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Honey Dijon Dressing:
1/3 c EVOO
3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 ½ tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a bowl, mix chickpeas with 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, and garlic powder.  Spread out on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until they are crispy.
When the chickpeas are roasted, pull them out of the oven and lower oven temperature to 350ºF.  In a bowl, mix brussels sprouts with 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and minced garlic.  Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet on high flame with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil.  When the oil starts shimmering, carefully add the tomatoes in.  Warning:  the oil may splatter out so please be careful.  Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and let them cook for 2 minutes without touching them.
Gently mix the tomatoes and let them cook for another 2 minutes.  They should start to char and the skin should start to get wrinkly but not break apart.  Once they get to that stage, turn off heat and remove from pan.
In a small pan, dry roast the walnuts on low flame for 5 minutes until they are golden red.  Transfer to a chopping board and roughly chop them.

For the dressing:
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl.  While whisking, slowly add the oil and whisk until it has been emulsified.  You can use it immediately for the salad and store the remaining in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To assemble:
In a salad bowl, add roasted brussels sprouts, chickpeas, blistered tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, roughly chopped walnuts, and apple.  Drizzle dressing on top and toss gently.  Serve in bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!