Warm Brussel Sprout Salad Recipe

This Warm Brussel Sprout Salad recipe is seriously delicious! It's got brussels sprouts, creamy avocado, orzo pasta, a drizzle of maple syrup, a dash of cognac, and, the best part, candied bacon.

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword argula salad, brussel salad, brussel sprout salad, brussel sprouts, warm brussel sprout salad, warm salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 653kcal

Author Janine Waite

Equipment

1 baking tray with rack

Ingredients

Pasta

¾ cup Orzo pasta
water
salt

Candied Bacon

8 ounces bacon
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar

Brussel Sprouts

3 tbsp cognac
3 tbsp maple syrup
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp light olive oil light olive oil is good for high-heat cooking

Other Ingredients

1½ lbs brussel sprouts Clean and remove the end of the cores
½ cup pecans
¼ cup fresh basil roughly chopped
1 avocado skinned, pitted, and cubed
1 basket cherry tomatoes cut in half

Instructions

Orzo Pasta

Add salt to a pot of boiling water. Then add the orzo pasta. On a medium boil, cook for about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse and set aside for later.

Prep Vegetables

Avocado – Remove the skin and the avocado pit. Dice avocado into cubes.
Brussel Sprouts – Rinse and trim the brussel sprouts stems and remove the outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half.
Basil – Wash and chop basil leaves.
Cherry Tomatoes - Wash and cut in half.

Make Candied Bacon

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line a baking tray with tin foil. Then place a baking rack on a tray. Next, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, maple syrup (or honey), and ground black pepper, until you have a smooth and thick paste.
Lay the bacon slices on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, generously spread the brown sugar mixture over each bacon slice, coating them evenly.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the bacon becomes crispy, caramelized and crispy. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning.

Cook Brussel Sprouts

Clean and remove the end of the cores. Cut brussels sprouts in half. Place them in a medium-sized bowl, add cognac and maple syrup, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Heat a frying pan and add olive oil. Fry up the brussel sprouts until tender, about 15 minutes, on medium heat. Remove and set aside.

Make a Salad

You can either lay each ingredient on a platter and then mix it all together before serving. Or mix it all together and serve it in a large bowl. There is no need for salad dressing since the sauce from the brussel sprouts and the bacon coats everything nicely. Top the salad with pecans and chopped fresh basil.
Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Nutrition