Brussels Guac Salad

The Journey

I was out on a date night at an Italian restaurant that served this amazing salad with fresh shredded Brussels sprouts, lemon and pine nuts. I watched my awesome other half chomp this one down quickly, head nodding in appreciation multiple times. Right then I knew that this one has to make its way into my kitchen.  The thought of grating Brussels, while they slip and slide was scary.. To my surprise, the groceries came to my rescue with fresh, organic, shredded Brussels in the salad isle. Hooray! Since everyone at home loves guacamole and brussels have a bad rep for their taste in my household, a guacamole twist to these brussels was the logical choice. I like the balance of creaminess from the avocado with the crunch from the Brussels. The lime in this recipe really helps mellow the tough and mighty brussels. The great thing about this salad is you can make this in advance since the greens here (brussels) don't wilt easily like other salad greens. They hold up pretty well if there are left overs or if you wish to make this in advance for a party. This salad can easily convert into a filling for a wrap or a topping for a warm crostini. Yes, this one got the head nod too!

The ingredients (serves 4)

1 packet store bought shredded brussel sprouts/ 10-12 fresh brussels grated (no knuckles pls :))1 cup of cherry tomatoes halved

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1 Serrano pepper finely diced (without seeds and white flesh if the heat is too much for you)

2 cloves of garlic, pounded into a paste

1 large avocado cubed (do this last just before tossing into the salad to avoid discoloration)

Juice of 1 lime (only fresh please because you can't zest the plastic bottle ;))

Zest of 1 lime (if you don't have a zester, blame it on me and buy one)

2 tsp avocado oil

1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup walnuts

Now, let's get started..

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the avocado oil, Serrano peppers, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic.

Add the onions, tomatoes, shredded brussels and finally add the avocados and cilantro.

Serve with the garnish of the walnuts.

The good in this recipe..

Brussels sprouts are high in fiber and contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anticancer properties. It is tough and usually edible only when cooked. However, this magical health benefit is completely lost if boiled, so consuming it raw and grated will bring the most health benefit.It is rich in Vitamin K and is a good anticoagulant - so folks with heart disease need to eat this in moderation. 

Avocados have traditionally had a bad rep for their high fat content but research shows otherwise. They are now recognized for their high fiber content, cardiovascular health benefits, ability to moderate blood sugar levels, increase absorption of carotenoids in salads, have great anti inflammatory properties and the list goes on. Adding Avocado to your salads can help the absorption of phytonutrients in your salad from 200-400%. Wow!

Walnuts are a great source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids and are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E.