I love a Cesar salad. I love it with pasta, kale, romaine or even some raw veggies. This variation of Caesar is super hearty and fresh. It’s made of raw Brussels and broccoli. I added some crunchy homemade croutons, toasted pine nuts and extra parm to bring in some different textures. It’s your basic Cesar salad… just mixed up a bit to make it unique.
No one seems to want to each any fresh veggies on thanksgiving. Although, I’m the total opposite. I’ve got to have something fresh and green on the table to balance out all that heavy turkey and stuffing. This Caesar is still hearty but has a light bite to it since it’s made of veggies. I’m always looking for new ways to serve veggies and I think this is a wonderful option. Plus, it looks super pretty piled into a bowl.
Since the Brussels are cut super thin and the broccoli is in small florets, this almost takes on the characteristics of a slaw. It’s super crunchy with a punch of vinegar and all mixed up together. So I guess you could also call it Cesar slaw?
SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BROCCOLI CEASAR SALAD
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8-10 (side portion)
INGREDIENTS:
For salad:
- 16 oz. Brussels sprouts, cut into very thin rounds
- 2 cups broccoli florets, small pieces
- 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
For croutons:
- 1 cup stale French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Dried parsley
- Garlic powder
For dressing:
- 1 tbsp anchovies paste
- 1 garlic clove, small chop
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp worcestershire
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, good quality
DIRECTIONS:
For croutons:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat all the pieces of bread, about 2 tbsp.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pinch of garlic powder and pinch of dried parsley flakes. Use your hands to mix everything together so that each piece of bread is seasoned and oiled.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until bread is crispy. The cook time will depend on how stale or fresh your bread it. Keep a close eye on your croutons, as they cook quickly and will burn easily.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
For dressing:
- Place all the ingredients (except the olive oil) in a food processor. Blend till smooth. Now slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running. Once emulsified, turn off and transfer to a bowl.
For the salad:
- Place the Brussels, broccoli, pine nuts and croutons in a large bowl. Toss in a little bit of dressing at a time until it reaches your liking. Serve with extra parm.
- Tip: I recommend tossing this salad at least 30 minutes prior to eating. This way the flavors can marry and the veggies will break down a bit.