Refreshing & light, this citrusy brussel sprout slaw is a perfect summer side
With yesterday being Memorial Day, summer is here, unofficially anyway! For many, myself included, it’s time for barbecues and side salads. If you want to be sure you bring a different salad than the other guests, give this citrus brussel sprout salad a try. If you’re looking for a slaw recipe that can double as an entree, this recipe works well.
The original post from July 2017
When we go to one of my favorite local restaurants, The Foundry, I often think about ordering their Crispy Glazed Brussels Sprouts. They have this delicious blood orange glaze and are delightfully crunchy. The only drawback to them is that they fry the brussel sprouts. If I’m feeling indulgent, they’re fine. However, quite often the heaviness of the frying outweighs the tastiness of the sprouts.
So, I decided I’d try and make my own at home. I’ve roasted brussel sprouts with great success, so why couldn’t I add a delicious coating to them?
It turns out this wasn’t going to be an easy recipe to master. I had a decent juice reduction for coating and got the sprouts crispy in the oven, but the combination of the two was a flop.
Failure leads to success. . .
However, in that moment of failure I made a discovery. The orange juice reduction made a delicious dressing. Rather than trying to create a replica, I decided to go in a whole new direction- salad. Of course, as I’ve written in the past few weeks, I think of summer as the time of salads, so this recipe was perfectly timed. It could be made anytime a side salad is needed, accompanying burgers off the grill, fried chicken, smoked ribs, etc.
This recipe requires time to reduce the orange juice. Although it was initially done for another recipe, I think it’s worth the time. If you use plain orange juice, it won’t be as flavorful. You’ll either have less flavor in the slaw or will use more, which will produce a very wet slaw. If you really don’t want to take the time to make the reduction, I’d recommend adding a good amount of orange zest to increase the citrus notes but not increase the amount of juice used.
It might be too late to include this in your 4th of July menu, but it’s definitely worth keeping on hand for the next summer barbecue you attend.
Citrus Brussel Sprout Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 pound brussel sprouts stems trimmed
- 1/2 red pepper seeded & diced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
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Put orange juice in small saucepot over medium heat.
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Stir occasionally until reduced to 1/3 cup; stirring occasionally.
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Set aside to cool.
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Shred brussel sprouts using a food processor or box grater.
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Combine sprouts, red pepper, and dried cranberries in a large bowl.
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Top with orange juice reduction and vinegar; toss well.
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Season with salt and pepper, and toss again.
