Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

  • Quick Salads
  • Hazelnuts
  • Bacon
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Thanksgiving Appetizers

A simple seven-ingredient salad packed with flavor.

By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated April 03, 2023

Trending Videos

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (2)

Why It Works

  • Lightly crushed hazelnuts and honey act as an emulsifier, creating a creamy vinaigrette that holds together.
  • Rendered bacon fat performs double duty, both as a cooking medium for Brussels sprouts leaves, and as an essential flavor in the vinaigrette.

Adri and I once had a wonderful meal atDirty Habit, my old chefDave Bazirgan's restaurant in San Francisco. As my first real chef, I credit him with a lot of things. Teaching me how to judge my own work (and start over if it's not good enough). Instructing me on therightway to make hollandaise by hand (I've sincestarted using the hand blender). Giving me the tools to be able to tell the difference between good and bad ingredients (and when it's okay to use the latter). Giving me my first taste of a truly excellent warm spinach and bacon salad.

It was this latter—something he threw together for our back-of-the-house family meal one day to prove to the rest of the kitchen staff that it didn't have to just be a random stew of odds and ends—that inspired this dish, a super-simple salad of warm Brussels sprouts leaves in a vinaigrette made from warm bacon fat, shallots, hazelnuts, honey, and sherry vinegar with just a touch of extra-virgin olive oil.

I have to say, it actually works a great deal better than the spinach-based original. Brussels sprouts and bacon fat were born to be together, and hazelnuts are a classic pair with both. The honey in the dressing makes it just sweet enough to temper the bite of sherry vinegar and help it pair up with the bacon fat.

To get the best texture out of the sprouts, I like to peel off as many layers of whole leaves as possible. This gives the dressing, hazelnuts, and bacon bits something to cup into.

Once I get down to the very central core of each sprout, I slice it thin so that it cooks in just about the same time as the whole leaves.

Once I've rendered out the bacon fat and added it to the dressing, I use the remaining fat in the pan to very rapidly sauté the Brussels sprouts leaves. I find that you get the best combination of nutty, lightly charred flavor with crisp texture by adding the leaves in a single layer once the bacon fat starts lightly smoking, then letting it sit to char on the first side for about a minute before rapidly sautéing.

The great part about this particular vinaigrette is that because of the high proportion of emulsifiers (both honey and the small particles created by pounding the hazelnuts help the bacon fat and vinegar get along nicely), you don't even have to take the typicalslowly-drizzle-while-whisking-constantlyapproach to forming the vinaigrette. You can just dump all the ingredients together and whisk it until it emulsifies naturally.

The end result, with its sweet, crunchy-tender greens, shallots, and bacon is very reminiscent of a classic Frenchfrisée aux lardonssalad (yet another dish that Baz taught me to make for the first time).

Come to think of it, whydon'tI take it all the way and put apoached egg on here?

These are the kinds of questions that keep me awake at night.

October 2014

Recipe Details

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Serves2 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces Brussels sprouts

  • 3/4 cup hazelnuts

  • 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Trim off bottoms of Brussels sprouts and separate leaves that are released. Transfer leaves to a large bowl. Continue trimming off the bottom and removing released leaves until only the very central core remains.

    Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (3)

  2. Thinly slice the central core and transfer to bowl with the released leaves. Discard trimmed bottoms.

    Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (4)

  3. Pound hazelnuts in a mortar and pestle or under a small skillet until coarsely crushed and then transfer to a medium bowl. Add shallots, honey, vinegar, and olive oil and set aside.

    Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (5)

  4. Spread bacon in a medium cast iron or non-stick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until completely crisp and fat has rendered, about 4 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, Transfer bacon to a small bowl. Pour two tablespoons bacon fat into bowl with hazelnut mixture and whisk to combine. Season hazelnut mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

    Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (6)

  5. Return skillet with remaining bacon fat to high heat and heat until lightly smoking. Add Brussels sprouts, spread in an even layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook without moving for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking, shaking and stirring constantly, until leaves are bright green and just starting to turn tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl. Add bacon and dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

    Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

Mortar and pestle

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
663Calories
52g Fat
31g Carbs
26g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories663
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 52g66%
Saturated Fat 8g42%
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 861mg37%
Total Carbohydrate 31g11%
Dietary Fiber 9g33%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 108mg541%
Calcium 128mg10%
Iron 5mg26%
Potassium 1147mg24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon and Hazelnut Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you reheat brussel sprouts with bacon? ›

To make these Brussels Sprouts ahead, slightly undercook them the day before—they should still be a little crunchy and slightly raw looking in the very center. Reheat (which will finish the cooking) just before serving in a large skillet on the stove or in a buttered, covered baking dish in the oven.

Should you pre soak brussel sprouts? ›

Soaking Brussels sprouts in water is a terrific way to prep them to have a soft, juicy center that cooks to the perfect doneness in the same amount of time it takes those outer leaves to get nice and crispy.

Why do you soak brussel sprouts in salt water? ›

Livestrong reports that Executive Chef, Saul Montiel, of Cantina Rooftop recommends this very same method to reduce the bitterness of Brussels.

Do brussel sprouts taste good reheated? ›

Yes! If you'd like to keep them crispy, reheat the brussels sprouts in the oven until they are heated through. Otherwise, you can reheat them in the microwave for a few minutes, however, they may lose their crispiness.

Are brussel sprouts good warmed up? ›

Add leftover cooked Brussels sprouts to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Rewarm in the at 350 degrees F for 5 or so minutes, until heated through. You can also reheat them in the air fryer, or on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, though the texture will be soggier than if they are reheated in the oven.

How long should brussel sprouts soak? ›

Contributed by Whole Foods Market, Inc. To prepare, soak Brussels sprouts in a bowl of cold, salted water for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Can you soak sprouts for too long? ›

As a rule 2-3 TIMES AS MUCH water (as seeds) is enough, but you can not use too much - the seeds will only absorb what they can regardless of what they have access too. But don't short them or they won't sprout well. You can not use too much water, but you can soak for too long.

How do you get the bitterness out of brussel sprouts? ›

A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up.

What makes brussel sprouts taste better? ›

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids.

Why do brussel sprouts make you go to the bathroom? ›

“Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, which can promote digestive regularity,” says Rifkin. She explains that eating fiber-rich foods, like Brussels sprouts, is important because it increases stool frequency and alleviates constipation. A full 95 percent of people in the U.S. don't eat enough fiber.

When not to use brussel sprouts? ›

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

What goes well with brussel sprouts? ›

When we think about which meats go with Brussels sprouts, bacon usually comes to mind first. Upgrade that to prosciutto, add poultry and fish to the list, and leave room on the menu for steak.

Do you cut Brussels sprouts in half before boiling them? ›

Halve, quarter or shred sprouts to minimise the cooking time. If the sprouts are larger than average and you want them to remain whole, you can of course cook them for longer. They will probably need 7-8 minutes to cook through. Don't cut a cross in the base of your sprouts.

How do you reheat cooked brussel sprouts? ›

It's as simple as spreading the leftover Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet (use two to avoid overcrowding if there's a lot) and heating them in a 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

How do you reheat leftover brussel sprouts? ›

Roasted brussels sprouts are great reheated. Cook them at home and reheat them there. You can even reheat them on the stove top. Or serve them at whatever temp they cool to.

How long to reheat brussel sprouts in the oven? ›

Your fine with this plan. I had roasted Brussel sprouts at Thanksgiving and reheated them the next day with a turkey leg. 350F oven for about 20 minutes, might have been better than the day before.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Domingo Moore

Last Updated:

Views: 5625

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Domingo Moore

Birthday: 1997-05-20

Address: 6485 Kohler Route, Antonioton, VT 77375-0299

Phone: +3213869077934

Job: Sales Analyst

Hobby: Kayaking, Roller skating, Cabaret, Rugby, Homebrewing, Creative writing, amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.