Taste: Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad

More Meatless Monday deliciousness…

Poor brussels sprouts; relegated to the realms of despised vegetables that deserve a second chance. If the mention of them has you wrinkling up your nose, this recipe bears no resemblance to the mushy, farty orbs you are probably thinking of. On behalf of underdog vegetables everywhere, I implore you to give them a second chance.

Okay, on to the good stuff. This recipe is great if you are trying to eat more seasonally or include more veggies in your diet. The ingredients are a balance of roasted umami, sweet balsamic, crunchy walnuts, bitter arugula, and funky blue cheese. You can enjoy this salad warm or at room temperature, making it great for a gathering. It’s also a recipe that is conducive to tinkering–you can easily make it vegan and add in pomegranate seeds or swap the blue cheese for goat cheese…it’s up to you. I’m wondering if I could do something cool with persimmons or cranberries in the future.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Roasted brussels sprouts (instructions below)

1 cup Arugula

2 TBSP Walnuts, chopped

1 TBSP Blue cheese, crumbled

1 TBSP extra virgin Olive oil

2 TBSP Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. To roast brussels sprouts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash, core, and halve and place on nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 TBSP of olive oil, season liberally with salt and pepper and mix to coat. Roast in oven 10 minutes, then stir and rotate pan. Roast 10 more minutes, or until sprouts are getting browned and crispy on the edges.

2. Place arugula in individual serving bowls or one large bowl. Top with brussels sprouts and sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts.

3. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Shopping tips

Buy brussels sprouts that are green and mostly blemish-free. Avoid ones that are yellowed or holey. They come in bags or on stalks. If you really enjoy brussels sprouts, they are a fun, easy to grow, and ornamental plant to include in your kitchen garden.

Any crumbly blue cheese you enjoy will go well with this recipe. Enjoy those delicious anti-inflammatory benefits.

Go for a quality balsamic vinegar; I think Costco’s is a good price point.

Give the recipe a try and let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks!

Want more ideas for Meatless Mondays? Check out some of my previous posts: Taste: Kale Sauté  and Taste: Goat Cheese & Basil Potatoes

Need some meatless inspiration? Click here to purchase VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. A portion of your purchase from Amazon will go to maintaining my blog. Thanks for your support!