After I was rising up, salads by no means appeared to be a consideration for the vacation desk. The greenest factor we had was my aunt’s cream of mushroom inexperienced bean casserole (try my healthfied model!)

A couple of years again once I hosted Thanksgiving I created this stunning butternut squash brussels sprouts caesar salad and my visitors not solely fell in LOVE with the flavors and textures, however in addition they appreciated having one thing recent and inexperienced on the desk.

I had been desirous to make a vegan or vegetarian caesar salad with an Formidable Kitchen inventive twist, and this salad actually checks the entire packing containers. It’s crunchy, candy, savory, and has essentially the most unimaginable vegan caesar dressing with a tahini base. Add it to your weekly meal prep or serve it for the vacations!

Brussels sprouts caesar salad substances

This isn’t your common caesar salad, so don’t anticipate it to be. Fairly, it’s a novel tackle a standard caesar salad jazzed up with recent seasonal produce. As an alternative of fundamental romaine within the caesar salad, I made a decision to make use of shredded brussels sprouts and in addition add tender roasted butternut squash. However I couldn’t cease myself there. I tossed all of it along with a easy vegan caesar salad dressing that’s actually SO FREAKING GOOD you wouldn’t even realize it’s vegan. Right here’s what  you’ll have to make this fabulous recipe:

• For the roasted butternut squash: olive oil, butternut squash, honey or maple syrup and a little bit of salt and pepper.
• For the toasted pecans: you’ll simply want maple syrup, pecans and salt.
• For the salad: we’re skipping the romaine and including shaved brussels sprouts, apple, dates, pomegranate and manchego (or parmesan).
• For the vegan caesar dressing: you’ll want tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, caper brine (from the jar), dijon mustard, a bit heat water to skinny and salt & pepper.

I’M TELLING YOU, THIS SALAD IS DAMN GOOOOOOOOOD.

Customise this brussels sprouts caesar salad

• Add protein. Add a lift of protein with chickpeas or rooster breast.
• Make it vegan. Merely omit the cheese or use a sprinkle of dairy free cheese to maintain the salad vegan and dairy free. You’ll want to additionally use maple syrup as an alternative of honey.
• Select your toppings. Combine up your toppings with candied walnuts, sliced pears, dried cranberries, and even bacon crumbles!

Easy methods to make vegan caesar salad dressing

Making a vegan caesar salad dressing is quite a bit simpler than you’ll suppose. You’ll merely combine collectively tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, caper brine (from the jar), dijon mustard, a bit heat water, salt & pepper till it’s clean and creamy. It’s also possible to shake up the entire substances in a mason jar!

I wish to make the bottom of my caesar salad dressings with tahini as a result of I really like the nutty taste it provides. Nonetheless, essentially the most essential a part of making a caesar salad dressing is utilizing capers, caper brine, recent lemon juice, garlic and a tiny little bit of dijon mustard; these substances create a pleasant conventional salty, sturdy taste that’s present in caesar salad dressings.

Simple methods to shred brussels sprouts

1. Use a meals processor: trim the small stem off of the brussels sprouts and add them to your meals processor a couple of handful or so at a time. Use the slicing attachment in your meals processor and pulse till they’re good and shredded.
2. Use a field grater: you possibly can shred your brussels sprouts towards a field grater on the aspect with the most important holes. I’d recommend spraying the grater with a little bit of cooking spray in order that the sprouts simply glide towards the grater.
3. Shred them with a knife: that is the strategy I usually use, and when you get the grasp of it it is going to go fairly shortly. Utilizing a pointy knife minimize the stem off of your brussels sprouts after which minimize them in half lengthwise. Then, with every half laying flat aspect down, chop your brussels sprouts into nice shreds. No want for them to be excellent!

Ideas for cubing butternut squash

I’ve a full tutorial right here the place you possibly can learn to simply (and safely) peel and dice your butternut squash! You’ll be able to, in fact, purchase pre-cubed squash, however this tutorial makes it tremendous simple when utilizing recent butternut squash.

Trying to serve a crowd?

If you’re serving this to a crowd/gathering, I like to recommend layering it on a platter. Begin by tossing your brussels sprouts within the dressing in order that they get good and coated, then unfold them out on a platter. Evenly high with the roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, dates, shaved manchego, after which the toasted pecans.

Storing suggestions

One more reason you’ll love this twist on caesar salad is that the brussels sprouts maintain up fantastically for day! No soggy lettuce right here. Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container for a couple of days. You’ll be able to both retailer it with the dressing combined in or save the dressing on the aspect so as to add whenever you’re serving. I’ll say that the dressing marinates the brussels to make them further scrumptious, so don’t be afraid to decorate it up and serve later!

Extra seasonal salads you’ll love

Get all of my salad recipes right here!

I hope you fall in love with this brussels sprouts ceasar salad, as a result of now we have! Carry it to Thanksgiving to impress everybody, or just throw collectively on your weekday meals for one thing a bit totally different and enjoyable. Should you make it, you’ll want to depart a remark & a score so I understand how you appreciated it!

Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes minutes

Complete Time 45 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Beautiful brussels sprouts caesar salad stuffed with taste due to tender roasted butternut squash, shaved brussels sprouts, apple, pomegranate, dates, candy & salty maple pecans and tossed in a savory vegan caesar dressing. This scrumptious vegetarian caesar salad makes the right lunch or festive aspect dish!

Substances

• For the butternut squash:
• 3 cups ½ inch cubed butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
• Freshly floor salt and pepper
• For the candy and salty toasted pecans:
• ½ cup pecan halves
• 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• sea salt
• For the salad:
• 1 pound (16 ounces) brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow outer leaves eliminated
• ¾ cup seeds from 1 small pomegranate
• 1 massive apple, thinly sliced (honeycrisp or pink girl apples are nice)
• ½ cup chopped Medjool dates
• ⅓ cup shaved manchego (or shaved parmesan)
• For the caesar dressing:
• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice from ½ massive lemon
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon finely diced capers
• 1 teaspoon caper brine (from the jar of capers)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons heat water, to skinny dressing
• Freshly floor salt and black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 levels F. Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper and add butternut squash cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the butternut squash with the oil. Roast for half-hour, flipping midway by means of. Butternut squash is completed when fork tender.

• Whereas butternut squash is cooking, you possibly can toast pecans: add the pecans to a pan and place over medium warmth, stirring sometimes for 4-5 minutes till they’re barely golden brown. As soon as golden brown, flip off the warmth and stir in a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup to coat the pecans, adopted by a sprinkle of sea salt. Take away from warmth and permit to chill.

• Subsequent, shred your brussels sprouts: shave the brussels sprouts by utilizing a meals processor with the slicing attachment and pulse till the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. Should you don’t have a meals processor, be at liberty to make use of a pointy knife to thinly slice. Add shredded brussels sprouts to a big bowl.

• Subsequent, combine the dressing substances collectively in a small bowl till clean: tahini, olive oil, recent lemon juice, garlic, diced capers, caper brine, dijon mustard, heat water and freshly floor black pepper. Style and add a pinch of salt if crucial.

• Pour dressing over shredded brussels sprouts and toss along with tongs to coat the brussels. Earlier than you add the rest, I extremely suggest tasting the brussels to see if they’re salty sufficient to your liking. If not, season with a little bit of freshly floor salt and pepper. Subsequent, you possibly can select to serve this on a platter or in a bowl. Platters are fairly for entertaining or serving visitors and bowls are nice for date nights, household dinner and meal prep.

• If making on a platter: add the entire brussels sprouts coated with dressing to a big platter. High with roasted butternut squash, then pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego and at last, the toasted pecans.

• If making in a bowl: stir within the cubed roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego, and toasted pecans. Gently toss once more in order that all the pieces is mixed. Serves 6.

Recipe Notes

To make paleo, vegan & dairy free merely depart off the cheese. Ensure to additionally use maple syrup as an alternative of honey for the butternut squash.
If you wish to make this a full meal, I recommend including 1 (15 ounce) can of drained chickpeas.

Diet

Serving: 1serving (based mostly on 6)Energy: 345calCarbohydrates: 45.9gProtein: 8.5gFats: 17.3gSaturated Fats: 2.9gFiber: 8.9gSugar: 27g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Formidable Kitchen | Pictures by: Eat Love Eats

This put up was initially printed on November 2nd, 2020, and republished on December 4th, 2023.