Here’s a twist on an American favorite: Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad. It replaces the romaine—crunchy, but not particularly nutritious—with Brussels sprouts, a superfood.

Brussels sprouts, a member of the powerful cruciferous vegetable* family, are usually available year-round. However, they are a cold weather vegetable, and the peak season is from September to mid-February.

Buying tip: The smaller the sprout, the sweeter the taste. Although the larger sprouts may look appealing, aim for those that are 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Pick sprouts of the same size so they’ll cook evenly.

Never overcook Brussels sprouts, and don’t store them for future use. Even though they’ll look normal, as the harvested sprouts age, the sulfuric compounds that are so unpleasant in overcooked sprouts become more prominent in the raw ones.

This recipe, from Litehouse Foods, uses their OPA Caesar Dressing, made with Greek yogurt.

Prep time is 15 minutes.

Yes, you can find purple Brussels sprouts! These are from Frieda’s Produce.

Brussels sprouts replace the romaine in this
Caesar salad. Photo courtesy Litehouse
Foods.

Ingredients For 3-4 Servings

Preparation

1. BLANCH the sliced Brussels sprouts in boiling water for approximately 1 minute, then immerse in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

3. TOSS all ingredients in the dressing, or serve the dressing on the side. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

 
*The cruciferous group includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, cress, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna (a variety of mustard green), mustard greens, radish, rapini (broccoli rabe), rutabaga, tatsoi, turnip and wasabi, a type of horseradish. Mizuna and tatsoi have become “designer greens” in salads at America’s finest restaurants. All contain phytochemicals (antioxidants), vitamins, minerals and fiber that are important to your health; although some of the group are more poerful than others. Government health agencies recommend that we eat several servings of them per week.