Brussels sprouts make the perfect cool-weather crunchy salad that has texture more like a slaw. This autumn salad pairs the flavors of smoky bac’n chickpeas with a sweet creamy dressing. If you’ve given up on the strong flavor of cooked brussels sprouts, give them a try raw because the flavors are mild yet amazing!

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Prep time    30 minutes  

Cook time   20 minutes    

Yield               4-6 servings

 🌱Ingredients

     Bac’n Chick Peas:

  • 3 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce
  • 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • One 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

     Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup water
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

     Salad

  • 1 lb brussels sprouts, shredded
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • ½ cup red onion, small diced
  • 1 small apple, small diced
  • ½ cup dried fruit (raisins or cranberries)
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa

👩‍🍳Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Mix the tamari sauce, nutritional yeast flakes, and liquid smoke in a medium sized bowl. Pour the chickpeas into the bowl and mix thoroughly so they are well coated.
  3. Place the chickpeas onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy around the edges. Turn the oven off leaving the chickpeas in the oven until you are ready to add them to the salad.
  4. Place the dressing ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
  5. Place the shredded brussels sprouts (I like to use the slicer in my food processor), walnuts, onions, apple, dried fruit, avocado, and quinoa into a bowl and toss.
  6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until fully combined. Top with the roasted bac’n chickpeas and serve.

✏️ Tips & Hints

  • We love the bac’n chick peas just for snacking! They also make great salad toppers and are the perfect topping for anything that calls for bacon bits.