Living in Brussels is the perfect excuse to create recipes with brussels sprouts. They are everywhere!
Sounds a bit cliché, I know… but I believe it is not always easy to eat these tinny vegetables, as their flavor can be very strong and overwhelming.
My wish with this recipe was to be inspired by brussels sprouts and to bring out the best of their crunchy, nutty and earthy nature. By combining them with other similar ingredients, the result is a healthy, tasty and filling vegetarian salad.
Briefly what I did was: I’ve toasted the millet and the walnuts; added balsamic glazed eggplant (last chances to enjoy them as they’re almost out of season) and aromatically enhanced the salad by adding fresh mint and a special walnut vinaigrette dressing which I am very proud of 🙂
Crunchy Millet Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Millet salad
- 1 cup millet
- 2 cup water
- pinch of salt
- 2,64 oz | 75g | 4 brussels sprouts sliced into skinny strips
- 4 tbsp extra virgin oil
- 2,64 oz |75g aubergine/eggplant sliced into small squares
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
Walnut Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp walnut oil* extra virgin
- 1 tbsp apple vinegar
- big pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 0,88 oz | 25 g fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- In a medium pan over medium heat, toast the millet, stirring frequently, until fragrant and turning golden. In the same pan, repeat the process with the walnuts and set aside.
- Chop off and discard the stem end of the brussels sprouts and any discolored outer leaves. Thinly slice them in horizontal layers.
- Place the millet and the brussels sprouts in a saucepan with boiling water and add a large pinch of salt. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the millet and vegetables are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime add olive oil to the previously used pan for toasting over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the sliced aubergine, balsamic vinegar and salt and let cook for about 10 minutes until golden and soft, stirring frequently. Set aside.
- Remove the millet pot from the heat, mix gently with a fork and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- In a big salad bowl toss the millet with sprouts and glazed aubergine.
- In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together until well mixed. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
- Add the toasted walnuts to the salad and toss.
- Serve immediately or, if you have time, let the salad marinate for ten minutes beforehand.
Notes
- 2 brussels sprouts (1,34oz | 38 g) – Fructans – per meal. This recipe serves 4 and uses the double of the quantity.
- 2,64 oz | 75g eggplant/aubergine (sorbitol) per meal. Same as recipe.
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (fructose). Recipe calls for double.
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