Crunchy Kale & Brussels Salad

This salad has been our favorite for awhile. I could eat it every single day, to be honest, and we have been eating it at least a few times a week! My cousin made something similar for Christmas dinner, and I decided that I needed to remake it and share it with you!

It's a pretty easy and basic, but extra flavorful, salad that you will fall in love with.

Shredding Brussels sprouts isn't the most fun thing to do, so if you can buy already shredded Brussels then go for it! I have this amazing Ninja Kitchen Blender that also chops, shreds and does magical wondrous things, so if you want to check out this sweet appliance then CLICK HERE -- it's a total dream! I'm totally digging it and all it can do for me. You could also try this older version of the same system.

For the dressing, use as much or as little garlic as you'd like. I say it often in my recipes, but you do you. When it comes to garlic, you can never have enough, in my opinion! It's my favorite food ever, and I like to use a lot! So, whether you use 2 cloves of garlic or 15 (that's how much I use for this recipe), you will love this dressing! Garlic also has so many incredible health benefits which you can read more about here.

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INGREDIENTS

2-3 cups Brussels Sprouts*

4-5 cups kale, chopped or ribboned

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

1/4 cup NutCrumbs Original Crumbs**

Dressing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 TB dijon mustard

1 large shallot

2 to 10 garlic cloves***

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

*use 2-3 cups of whole brussels, once shredded it should be about 4 cups worth. So if you plan to buy pre-shredded brussels, buy about 4 cups.

**Nut Crumbs are optional. I use it in place of cheese.

***use as little or as much garlic as you'd like! I honestly use about 15 cloves of garlic but we are a garlic loving family.

Directions:

Toast your walnuts. I like to toast them on the stove top. Heat the walnuts in a dry cast iron or skillet on medium heat for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. You will see them turn golden brown and you will be able to smell the toasted walnuts. They can burn fast so watch them, stir them and make sure they taste evenly.

Shred your brussels sprouts with a cheese grater or purchase them already shredded. You could also shred them in your Ninja Kitchen Blender by using the shredding option. Once shredded, add to a large bowl.

Remove the stems from your kale using a kale stripper. My hubby bought me a stripper, a kale stripper I should say, for Christmas. I love it! You can get one HERE.

Chop your kale or ribbon it so that it's in bit size pieces. Place it in the large bowl with your shredded brussels.

Make the dressing: Chop your garlic and shallots until finely minced. I use a garlic chopper like this one.

In a mason jar or small bowl, add your olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, white pepper, black pepper, sea salt, cumin, garlic and shallots and mix well. If you'd like to add a little more lemon juice, or sea salt or really anything else, do so and then stir well. If using a mason jar, you can put the lid on and shake well.

In the large salad bowl with kale and brussels, add your toasted walnuts and dressing and toss so that the kale and brussels are fully coated. Top with nut crumbs and serve.