Healthy Holiday Salad Recipe

Healthy Holiday Salad – ‘Tis the season of over indulging, and with it comes never ending feasts and massive food gatherings. Here to help you stay a bit healthy during these few reckless months I bring you a delicious salad recipe that tastes far from sinful. The combination of roasted crispy Brussel sprouts and fruity, refreshing pomegranate seeds may sound wrong, but I promise you tastes oh so right. And then you throw in some salty pistachios, giving the Healthy Holiday salad that perfect crunch you were craving. This recipe is easy and can be thrown together quickly. So whether you’re asked to bring a dish to a holiday gathering or simply want to detox in the midst of all this season’s craziness, whip this salad together in no time and enjoy throughout the winter.

Ingredients for the Healthy Holiday Salad:

Ingredients
For the Salad
2 pounds brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup roasted, salted pistachios
For the Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini (or more if you desire)
½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and grease pans with your choice of oil(coconut, olive, avocado etc.)
3. One at a time, trim the brussels sprouts and separate the leaves. You will need to trim the base of the sprout a few times to get as many leaves as possible from each. This will take the longest. If you’re short on time, you can simply buy pre shredded/sliced brussel sprouts at most grocery stores. Add the leaves to the baking pans and repeat with each sprout.
4. Once all of the leaves have been added to the pans, drizzle each pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and massage the oil into the leaves. Spread the leaves out evenly over each pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until most of the leaves are crispy and just turning golden. Make sure to toss the leaves every few minutes as they bake to prevent burning. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
5. While the leaves are baking, make the vinaigrette by adding the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, tahini, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk for 15-30 seconds until incorporated.
6. To serve the Healthy Holiday salad, add the leaves to a serving bowl or tray along with the pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Pour the dressing over, toss to coat, and you can either serve immediately or let sit in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to let salad soak up dressing.
7. Refrigerate leftovers.

So there you have the Healthy Holiday Salad.  Hope you enjoy the Holiday Season.

Photo Credits to Blissful Basil and adapted from their original recipe found at: Crispy Brussels Sprout Salad with pomegranate Seeds