Recipe from "The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook"
Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(67)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe came to The Times by way of Amy Lawrence, and her husband, Justin Fox Burks, who developed it for their blog, the Chubby Vegetarian. The trick to this salad is to blanch the brussels sprouts in salty water to remove the bitterness. The candied pecans combined with smoky feta creates a heavenly dish. “Even the little kids eat it,’’ said Ms. Lawrence. —Tara Parker-Pope
Featured in: Southern Flavors on a Vegetarian Table
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1pound brussels sprouts (15 to 20 larger ones work best here)
- ¼cup vegan cane sugar
- 1½cups whole roasted and salted pecans
- 4ounces smoked feta
- 4tablespoons olive oil
- 2tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
541 calories; 47 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 487 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Start by tearing apart the brussels sprouts. Cut off about ⅓ of the stem end and pull the leaves apart; this takes some time, but it’s worth it. Start by pressing outward with your thumbs on the cut side. This will yield the largest leaves and make for a fluffier salad. When you get to the core, just split it in half and throw it in with the leaves.
Step
2
Blanch the leaves in boiling, salted water (as salty as the sea) until they turn bright green. This will take 10 seconds. Run the leaves under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry the sprout leaves in a salad spinner or lay them out on a clean towel to dry.
Step
3
Spread the sugar in a cold 10-inch frying pan and melt it over medium heat. Once the edges of the sugar start to melt, stir the sugar until all the lumps disappear. Remove from the heat. Toss the pecans in the melted sugar until coated. It will look a bit like spun sugar as you stir the pecans into the sugar, and the pecans will stick together as they cool. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. Once the pecans have cooled, break the mass apart using your hands. Roughly chop the pecans.
Step
4
Cut the feta into a ¼-inch dice. If you cannot find smoked feta in your area, just use feta cheese and add ¼ teaspoon Liquid Smoke to the dressing.
Step
5
Now you’re ready to assemble the salad. Place 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of vinegar into a large frying pan over low heat. The heat should not be so high that the dressing sizzles. Once the dressing is warm, place the sprout leaves in the pan and toss with the dressing. Transfer to a large plate. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ratings
4
out of 5
67
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Cooking Notes
Nancy Archer
The refining process to produce the bright white cane sugar involves the use of an animal product. I never gave much thought about how cane sugar was refined until I shared some of my own special diet baked goods with a co-worker to give to her vegan dieting son. I was learning to bake egg and dairy free due to allergies and thought that was enough to make it vegan. She enlightened me about the various sweeteners that are vegan and nonvegan.
Judith
I was searching for a sturdy, warm salad idea when I found this recipe. It was a revelation to me! I love it so much. Pulling off those little leaves was quite a bit of work, but as the recipe claims, it is worth it. After blanching, the leaves were sweet and chewy and irresistible even without any dressing, nuts and cheese. I used Ritrovo's citrus vinegar, which is my favorite salad ingredient, and homemade sweet and spicy pecans. My dinner guests were amazed.
Nancy
Another Nancy here. No, not all sugar is refined with bone char made from beef bones. In fact, the major cane sugar brands use no bone char at all while sugar beets never use bone char.
Sistahs E & M
I made a what’s-in-the-fridge-and-pantry version of this fab salad dish:subbed truffle goat cheese for the feta added thinly sliced Asian pearRaspberry vinegar It was a spectacular finish to my solo thanksgiving!
Ebrinx
Excellent recipe and my guests were licking their bowl and asking for the recipe. It’s perfect with barbecue or packable for a picnic. The Brussels sprouts cutting is laborious. In times when I don’t want to make the effort, I use the already cut Brussels slaw and quickly blanch it. It doesn’t look as pretty but takes just as good.
Sylvia
I get the thing about vegan sugar for vegan products. This salad is not vegan. So, if you specify a particular product there should be an explanation of why it is specified for that particular purpose.By the way, regular cane sugar works fine. I added a little maple syrup for extra flavor.
Ruth Ann
I made this for a potluck a few weeks back. Quick and easy. I cheated and used a bag of spicy sweet pecans. Liked it so much that I am going to serve it again tomorrow at my Labor Day end of season barbecue.
Lindsey Reed
Vegan cane sugar? Really? Is regular cane sugar an animal product?
Nancy Archer
The refining process to produce the bright white cane sugar involves the use of an animal product. I never gave much thought about how cane sugar was refined until I shared some of my own special diet baked goods with a co-worker to give to her vegan dieting son. I was learning to bake egg and dairy free due to allergies and thought that was enough to make it vegan. She enlightened me about the various sweeteners that are vegan and nonvegan.
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