Zesty Brussel sprouts salad

We started off 2020 trying to eat a little more green. I don’t see us going completely vegan any time in the near future, but we would like to live just a little more plant based, if not only for the planet, then also for our general overall health and well-being. And if we lose a couple of pounds in the process, that’s okay too. We already like almost any vegetable, and generally keep to a fairly green diet, but it was an interesting challenge to make dishes that complete leave out meat, and where in fact you don’t really miss meat, even if you are an ardent carnivore. I often make Brussel sprouts as a side, and this zesty Brussel sprouts salad is simply a variation, but this salad can easily stand alone without a meat based side.

Of course you can still serve it with any type of fish or piece of meat if you like. Or, if you want to stay green, add another great salad or veggie dish and make it a feast! I’ve included a few of my favorite gourmandine green meals below. Have fun exploring and maybe going just a little bit more green 😉

Ingredients

1.3 lbs (600 g) fresh Brussel sprouts

3 tbsp canola (rapeseed) oil

1 small red onion

3.5 oz (100 g) pomegranate seeds (from about ½ pomegranate)

2.6 oz (75 g) feta cheese, crumbled

Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Directions

1. Start by cleaning the Brussel sprouts well and peel off the outer layers and cut off a bit of the stems if necessary. Cut the Brussel sprouts in halves. Heat up the canola oil in a deep sauté pan, and when the oil it hot, pour in the Brussel sprouts. Let the Brussel sprouts sauté at medium to high heat for about 15 minutes until tender but not mushy or overly brown. Make sure to stir the Brussel sprouts frequently, and season well with salt and pepper.

2. While the Brussel sprouts are frying, peel the red onion, cut in half, and slice it thinly. Break up the pomegranate and take out the seeds, crumble the feta and chop the parsley coarsely.

3. Once the Brussel sprouts are done, turn of the heat, but leave them in the pan while you add the sliced red onion. Stir around and let the red onions tenderize a bit. Transfer the Brussel sprouts and onion mix to a serving bowl or platter and add the pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta and parsley. Toss the salad gently and garnish with a bit of olive oil and maybe some extra freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy!