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This is a creamy shaved Brussels sprouts Caesar salad with crispy bacon lardons and sourdough croutons. The croutons get fried in the bacon fat and I can’t tell you how good they are. This is really the most delicious combination. The Caesar Salad Dressing Without Mayo is made in a blender and it really brings the salad together. We are making a classic Caesar dressing for this which means no mayonnaise and honestly, it’s so simple. Brussels sprouts can be rather tough when raw so it’s important to shave them thinly with a mandoline (or a very sharp knife) to break them down a bit. Once you’ve made them like this you will be making them time and time again, they’re so good!
What do you need to make this creamy shaved Brussels sprouts salad?
- Brussels sprouts – shaved thinly with a mandoline or in a food processor if you have one. You can also use a knife but it takes a little while.
- Egg yolk – this is the base of the dressing which you blend with oil to make the creamy Caesar dressing.
- Lemon – important for freshness to cut through the creamy Caesar dressing.
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce – salty, savoury flavour in the dressing
- Anchovies – these don’t taste like fish when in the dressing, they bring a saltiness that is hard to replicate otherwise.
- Parmesan cheese
- Sourdough bread – for the croutons, tossed in the pancetta fat. These are the BEST croutons.
- Pancetta – crisped in a pan, pancetta makes every salad better really.
Making the dressing
This Caesar dressing is super simple as it’s all made with a blender so there’s no need to whisk continuously to emulsify the dressing. Emulsify might sound like a bit of a fancy word but all it means is making liquids that usually don’t mix come together. For example, if you think of the base of the dressing that goes into the blender first – egg yolks, lemon, garlic, anchovies, vinegar, if you pour oil into the blender, it will just sit on top of these ingredients and not mix. Using the blender emulsifies the dressing and means that the ingredients come together smoothly when they otherwise wouldn’t have.
Here, you add all the ingredients and blend. It will come together easily since the blender moves so fast it emulsifies everything together but this is hard to do by hand (see below). This gives you the perfect creamy Caesar dressing to toss over the shaved Brussels sprouts salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use a mandoline to shave the raw sprouts finely. Just make sure you use your guard or a glove and to be extremely cautious as they are very sharp. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a knife – chop the knobbly end off the sprout then slice thinly. Or use a box grater if it’s easiest for you but the texture will be a bit different.
We would recommend using them as they add a real savoury flavour that is hard to bring otherwise. But if you don’t like them or want to make the dressing vegetarian (check your parmesan cheese too!), then adding a teaspoon of miso paste would work similarly.
Yes, you definitely can but you will need a whisk. Finely chop the garlic and anchovies, almost smashing them into a paste. Add to a large bowl with the egg yolks, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Whisk together. Then slowly drizzle in the oils, adding a steady small stream into the bowl and whisking continuously. This is to make sure the dressing comes together and doesn’t split. Then once it’s thick and creamy, add the parmesan and season with salt and lots of black pepper.
Of course, if you have bacon, use this. Otherwise, this salad would also be great with chicken or roasted chickpeas too. Whatever protein you like you can add but we like pancetta.
If you like this shaved Brussels Sprouts salad, try these
Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad with a mustard vinaigrette
Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon
Very Green Pasta made in the blender
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
- 1 kg brussels sprouts
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for croutons
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 2 slices of bread, I like sourdough
- 150 g pancetta cubes
- Parmesan shavings on top
- Parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pancetta cubes in a hot generous glug of oil to get nice and crispy.
- In a blender, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, anchovies, red wine vinegar, parmesan, salt, pepper and the oils. Blend well until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Once the pancetta is crispy, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon then toss in the bread, cut into cubes, and toast them in the pancetta fat until crispy and golden.
- Slice the Brussels sprouts very thinly using a mandoline or a very sharp knife. You want a shredded slaw type of texture. Add these to a large bowl with the pancetta, croutons, parsley. Add the dressing and toss well. Top with parm shavings!
