Brussels Sprout Salad with Cheddar, Hazelnuts, and Apple

Brussels Sprout Salad with Cheddar, Hazelnuts, and Apple

Instead of roasted Brussels sprouts, we wanted a light, bright, raw preparation that was just as delicious. Shredding the Brussels sprouts super-thin is key, and letting them sit in the dressing for at least 30 minutes softens them fully and seasons them deeply. To flavor the salad, we chose a simple lemon vinaigrette, rounded out with shallot and mustard. Sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, and creamy cheese are the finishing touches.

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
  Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and sliced very thin
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

Slice the sprouts as thin as possible. Shred the cheddar on the large holes of a box grater.
1. Whisk lemon juice, mustard, shallot, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated. Toss Brussels sprouts with vinaigrette, and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. Fold in cheddar, apple, and hazelnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

HOW TO SLICE BRUSSELS SPROUTS
You can use the slicing disk of your food processor or slice the sprouts with a chef’s knife. Follow these steps to do the latter safely and quickly.

1. TRIM: Trim the stem end of each sprout and then cut each sprout in half through the cut end.
2. SLICE: With the flat surface on the cutting board, thinly slice each half. (We use the mandolin attachment on our blender)