Bacon Cranberry Brussel Sprouts Salad is a delicious combination of sweet and savory making it the perfect side dish for dinner or a party.
Brussel sprouts and I have a special love relationship.
I can say that the first time I remember having brussels sprouts was only 6 years ago, and it’s been an obsession ever since. Remember when we were kids and brussel sprouts had a bad reputation? I remember hearing that all the time but had never had one to actually know if that was true.
My relationship began during the summer of grad school when I came back to Utah to find that Ryan was following a vegan and gluten free way of eating. Of course to be supportive, I decided to give it a go as well. After about a few weeks, I started eating meat on Fridays and then a few other days in the week when we weren’t eating together. I was just getting into Crossfit and still had strong beliefs about meat needing to be in all my meals because #proteingains. Nutrition can be so confusing.
Even though I learned in school all about non-meat protein sources, I still felt I wasn’t getting enough. I’m also allergic to peanuts and tree nuts so my options get limited when I try and eat in a way that eliminates a lot of food choices. I’m not vegan or gluten free anymore, but I do try and do a reduced meat day and am always focused on getting in those veggies. Anyway, getting sick of salads and the vegetables I normally ate (broccoli), I decided it was time to branch out.
I learned about roasting vegetables from Pinterest because raw was getting boring too. So I decided to grab some brussel sprouts and butternut squash to roast. The rest was history, and a love affair for both began. I now eat brussels sprouts every other week. If it was up to me, I’d eat them weekly, but Ryan doesn’t love them like I do.
Bacon Cranberry Brussel Sprouts Salad
When you bake your bacon or cook it ahead of time, this salad becomes effortless, quick and easy to make. The bacon and cranberries really come together to soften the subtle tartness that raw brussels sprouts have.
Then add the honey, lemon vinaigrette to the mix, and this recipe is bliss. I took it to a BBQ, and it was a hit. Might have been because of the bacon. I had the rest of it for lunch as my meal with a side of sugar snap peas.
Give this one a go for your next party or side dish. Let me know how it goes.
- ½ lb brussel sprouts chopped
- 4 pieces cooked bacon chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbs raw honey
- Salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste.
- In a large bowl, add your brussels sprouts, bacon, and dried cranberries. Set aside.
- Mix together your vinaigrette and pour on top of your brussels sprouts.
- Eat. Makes for a great side or potluck dish.
Until next time! -Atim
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2 Responses
Ivanna
This sounds good. You wouldnt believe but I have never had brussels I’ve been wanting to try them.
Atim Effiong
It was a long time before I had brussels sprouts too. This would be a great way to try them or roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes with some salt, pepper, and olive oil.