Brussels Sprouts Salad w/ Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Some of you may know, I recently was given a cook book called Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. It is a great book that I recommend all of you take a look through at some point. It tells you about all the different sorts of leafy greens and types of salad toppings, as well as how to make all sorts of dressings. Either way, the book motivated me to make more unique salads. I usually find myself putting the same vegetables in every salad I make, despite what else I am eating it with. Now I have realized that choosing a salad that compliments a meal can make a huge difference.

With that said, this salad is much different than most I have made. I came across this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine while bored at work the other day- yes I spent half of my day at work reading cooking magazines… Shh! One thing that makes this salad unique is its warm vinaigrette. This dressing went perfectly with the roasted Brussels sprouts. The bacon and maple syrup also added a ton of flavor. This is one salad that did not need a ton of toppings to complete it. I even ate it as a complete meal the next day!

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Serves 6-8

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb  Brussels sprouts
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 6  slices smoked bacon
• 1/3  cup  white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2  tbsp  maple syrup
• 2  tsp  Dijon mustard
• 1/2  tsp  salt
• 1/4  tsp  ground black pepper
• 6  cups  romaine lettuce (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Place the Brussels sprouts into a food processor and pulse until they are roughly chopped.
3. Toss the Brussels sprouts with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and lay out on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the Brussels sprouts at 375F until crisp and lightly browned (about 20 minutes).
5. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy, flipping frequently.
6. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon fat and set the bacon aside. For the dressing, turn the heat to low and add the vinegar, syrup, mustard, salt and 2 tbsp olive oil to the bacon drippings, stirring vigorously to combine.
7. Add the Brussels sprouts to the dressing and toss to coat. Next crumble the bacon into the lettuce and toss with the Brussels sprouts and vinaigrette. Top with fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.

NOTE: If your salad seems a bit too dry, combine 1 tbsp syrup, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp vinegar over medium heat, then pour over the salad.

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