You’ll have to forgive me if this entry is a touch distracted. I’m currently residing on cloud nine and I guess the air is thin up here because it’s hard to think straight. And why have I relocated to a such a lofty height? Well, on Monday night I received the gold award for General (English-Language) Food Blogs at the Taste Canada Awards Gala and my feet haven’t touched the ground since. I was *very* surprised and no, I don’t remember what I said in my speech but I’m sure it made very little sense. But enough about my insane 48 hours, that’s not why you’re here. Let’s talk about this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Radish Pickled Eggs & Garlic Tahini Dressing.
Okay, so I’m going to start things off with the blazingly bizarre: the bubblegum pink eggs. A little while back I noticed pickled eggs were making something of a comeback. This kind of delighted me because I always thought pickled eggs got a bad wrap. I only knew the pickled egg as cheap and grimy pub grub. The kind of food dive bar owners offer up to placate inebriated customers. I’m fairly certain this impression comes from an early season of The Simpsons (oh, how television has warped me) but I have a feeling this misconception is fairly common. It would explain the relative scarcity of the pickled egg. I rarely see them in the wild, which is why it took so long for me to try one.
Fast forward to today and Pinterest is flooded with beet pickled eggs, blushing a violent shade of fuschia. I’ve made them myself and I can attest to their deliciousness. But I won’t lie, the flavor was not why I chose to recreate them. Curiosity was even low on the list. I made these jewel-toned eggs because they’re so dang pretty! Yes, my interest in pickled eggs is primarily shallow and I’m okay with that.
Since that initial pickled egg experiment, I’ve found myself daydreaming about pickled eggs in every hue. I’ve seen a few turmeric-dyed stunners and even a soft green tomatillo egg but not much else. Then I started thinking about radishes and I got a little too excited.
Anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis knows I have a thing for pickled radishes and pickled red onions. And I think that thing is pink. Honestly, I can’t leave them alone, you can find them here, and here. So, turning an egg pink through the magic of hot pink pickled radishes just seemed like a no-brainer. You know, when you write sentences like the previous one, it really hits you, you’re life is not like other peoples. Anyway, so I did a slightly more elaborate pickling solution and tossed some eggs in with my fingers crossed. And after a mere 24 hours, I was gifted magical pink eggs. It was a Thrusday miracle!
Okay, so I just realized I spent, like, 3 whole paragraphs explaining the intricacies my relationship with pickled eggs. I know, homegirl needs a life. But let’s push on to the actual salad and the actual dominant vegetable: the Brussels sprout. Last year I gave you a shaved Brussels sprout pizza and in that article, I declared my love for the micro-cabbages and my propensity to forget all about them until October hits. Well, nothing has changed, except this year I started eating them raw. And this idea of consuming them raw was primarily born from a bagged salad.
Yes, gasp! I eat bagged salads – it’s my (not-so) secret foodie shame. I just really hate washing/drying greens, I find it endlessly frustrating, but that’s beside the point. So, we get the same salad kit 9-times-out-of-10 and in this kit is shaved Brussels sprouts and my gosh, I am addicted to them. I love the way creamy dressings cling to them, the way they retain their crunch in spite of the dressing, and their slightly astringent flavor. And then, it dawned on me, Brussels sprouts are not leafy greens. I can wash and dry them without wanting to pitch myself out a window. Why don’t I make my own damn Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad? And I did and it was good. So good it made it on my blog. Imagine that.
So, now you know where the bed of today’s Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad came from, now let’s talk about the toppings. The rest of this salad is pretty much an edible tribute to the awesomeness of the sesame seed. There is a garlicky tahini dressing (creamy dressing ftw!), crunchy, salty, perfect sesame sticks, and actual toasted sesame seeds. I, of course, had to coordinate with the pink in the radish pickled eggs because I’m not a monster, so I threw some pomegranate arils in there. You really can’t argue with pomegranate, the arils look like jewels, they have a satisfying pucker and opening one is like a Sunday craft. Depending on who you are, that last part may serve as a bonus or a deterrent. If it is the latter, skip the pomegranate – I just want you to be happy.
So, that’s about everything you need to know about this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Radish Pickled Eggs & Garlic Tahini Dressing. It’s got a satisfying crunch and a flavor profile loaded with contrast. If you’re in search of a different kind of salad or you and your salad spinner are on the outs, give this recipe a whirl. I promise the salad is better than this all-over-the-place post.
Enjoy!
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Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Radish Pickled Eggs & Garlic Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Radish Pickled Eggs
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon mustard seed
Garlic Tahini Dressing
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- 4 cups Brussels sprouts sliced thin with a mandoline
- 1 batch Garlic Tahini Dressing see above
- 1 batch Radish Pickled Eggs see above, quartered
- 1/2 cup sesame sticks
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
For the Pickled Eggs
- Fill a small saucepan with water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the baking soda to the water and lower the eggs in. Cook for 6-7 minutes.Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- While the eggs are chilling, pour the water and vinegar into a small saucepan. Add the salt, honey and mustard seeds and place the pan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the salt and honey have dissolved completely. Take the saucepan off of the heat and set aside.
- Peel the eggs and layer them into a mason jar alternating between handfuls of radish slices. Add the cloves of garlic to the jar and pour the vinegar solution over top. Seal the jar and let cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Let the eggs pickle for 24 hours before eating.
For the Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Salad
- Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Toss to coat, then transfer to a large platter.
- Place the Radish Pickled Eggs on top of the salad and sprinkle with the sesame sticks, feta, pomegranate arils and toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately with wine because wine.
