1mediumapple, cored and shaved thin(Honeycrisp is my favorite for salads)
handful fresh parsley or dill, chopped(optional)
Instructions
Make the spiced maple walnuts. Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once adequately heated, add the following to the skillet all at once: walnut halves, maple syrup, Tamari, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the maple syrup is caramelized and the nuts are lightly toasted, about 4-5 minutes.
Immediately remove the walnuts from the heat and transfer them to a dinner plate to cool completely. Once completely cool, roughly chop the walnuts. Set aside.
Make the dressing. In an upright blender, combine the sunflower seeds, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, water, and some salt and pepper. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth and creamy. Give the dressing a taste and adjust if necessary--more salt, more lemon etc! Set aside.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the shaved Brussels sprouts, shaved red onion, and shaved apple. Season this mixture liberally with salt and pepper and then pour on ¾ of the dressing. Toss the salad to combine and evenly coat everything in the dressing. At this point, I like to transfer the dressed salad to a serving platter, but that's an optional extra step.
Finally, top the shaved Brussels sprout salad with drizzles of the remaining dressing, extra cracked black pepper, the chopped spiced maple walnuts, and the chopped herbs. Enjoy immediately!
Equipment
Blender
Recipe Notes
Make sure that your sunflower seeds are fresh! Old and rancid sunflower seeds can lead to extremely bitter tasting dressing/sauces.
Soaked raw cashews can be substituted for the sunflower seeds in the dressing.
You could use pecans instead of walnuts if you like.
I like to set a few of the sliced apples and red onions aside to top the finished salad because it looks pretty.
This vegan shaved Brussels sprout salad is covered in a delicious creamy garlic dressing and topped with finely chopped, spiced maple walnuts. So much flavour and texture in every bite. Crunchy, creamy, fresh, sweet, and savoury.