Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Sausage Salad

Targeted ads on my social media feeds here lately have really gotten to me. Ad agencies are getting better and better at getting me to buy things, and social media ads are no joke. I can count at least 3 times this past month where I exclaimed, “I’ve GOT to have that” while scrolling past an ad.

Pinterest is chock-full of targeted ads, too. Since I mainly look at food on Pinterest, I’ll get a ton of food brands trying to make my mouth water. They’re good; I’ve made a handful of meals from Pinterest food ads.

This is one of them. Hillshire Farms snuck into my Pinterest feed with this recipe and I was intrigued. This isn’t a sponsored post, by the way, I made this on my own accord. I’m getting no money for this post, either.

The smoked sausage and Brussels sprouts salad sounded right up my alley. I love eating raw, shaved Brussels sprouts, especially in salad form. Their crispy, crunchy, and have a bittersweet taste to them. With the addition of cooked smoked sausage, red onion, and a dijon vinaigrette it really makes the Brussels sprouts taste even better.

You can find bags of shaved Brussels sprouts at most grocers, but if you can’t, I recommend using a julienne slicer to slice the sprouts. I found bags of them at Trader Joe’s, and I’ve also found them at my local grocer once or twice before. And if you’re in the mood for even more crispy veg, Trader Joe’s has this great salad blend called “Cruciferous Crunch” that has Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage mixed together. It’s great for a spring salad or by itself with a little oil & vinegar.

As for this salad, it’s just about as good as it gets. One thing is for certain, though: you’re going to need a mint after eating this. Between the onion, shallot and vinegar—you can end up with some really rank breath.

Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Sausage Salad

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A crunchy, flavorful salad with smoked sausage, Brussels sprouts, pecans and onion in a dijon vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz.) package smoked sauasge, sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil + 1 TBS. olive oil
• 4 cups shaved Brussels sprouts
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces or halves, toasted
• 3 TBS. apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBS dijon mustard
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Heat one tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add sausage and cook until browned and crispy on each side, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, remaining 1/3 cup oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Add shallot and garlic and stir.
3. Toss pecans, onion, Brussels sprouts, sausage and vinaigrette together in a large bowl. Serve. Can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat one tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add sausage and cook until browned and crispy on each side, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, remaining 1/3 cup oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Add shallot and garlic and stir.

Toss pecans, onion, Brussels sprouts, sausage and vinaigrette together in a large bowl. Serve. Can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.