Creamy Brussels Salad (GF) (Vegan)

This creamy, warm salad will hit the spot, especially in these cold winter months when you want to eat more veggies and a salad but your body just desires to be warm!

I’m a person who loves Brussel sprouts but that doesn’t mean they love me back. Why? They contain an indigestible fiber called raffinose, which can be tough on the stomach. The enzymes in our stomachs cannot break down this chemical very well so it makes it very hard to most people to digest, and even more uncomfortable for those with digestion issues like IBS.

Good news is, there’s a way to eat the delicious cruciferous veggies we all know and love for all of their health benefits without suffering from severe bloating and digestion.

The secret, or not so secret, blanching. Blanch Brussels sprouts in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes before cooking. Drain teh water then dump ice over to preserve the bright, vibrant color. This makes them easier to digest. You can also freeze them after blanching. This will preserve their flavour and health benefits! Hooray!

The second thing about this salad is it honestly took about an hour of prep, however, don’t let that discourage you! It goes a long way and lasted me a good 3-4 meals so definitely worth it! Also, some of the steps could’ve been avoided but I wanted it a specific way for this recipe so overall I’d say the time was well spent.

There are various ways to cook things like brussels or squash and I have my particular ways, depending on what I’m making so use what works for you!

A lot of pre-baking is going on. While the brussels were soaking in vinegar water I baked the squash face down in water in the oven for a good 35-40 minutes or until it was soft. SEcond, first rinsing the brussels in vinegar water then transferring them to another boiling pot of water with sea salt to boil for 5 minutes to blanch them and preserve thier color, then cutting them. Its a process, but BEYOND worth it. I promise. Feel free to also double this brussel recipe and freeze the rest so you don’t have to do the process twice. It saves some steps. Same with the squash. If you double up, you can cut up the cooked and freeze what you are not using in this batch.

Ok, now that we’ve cleared that out of the way, lets get to the recipe, shall we?



Recipe:

  • 1/2 butternut squash cooked and cubed

  • 2 cups brussel sprouts

  • 1 can chickpeas roasted

  • 1/2 red onion chopped

  • 1-2 garlic cloves

  • 1 cup chopped cilantro



Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 3 tbsp water (or more if needed)

  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

  • 1-2 chopped garlic cloves

  • 1 tsp sea salt



Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Slice butternut squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out loose squash and seeds. place face down on baking pan with silicone mat or parchment paper and pour about a cup of water to just line the bottom of the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on outside and soft.

  3. Boil water with sea salt and place brussels directly in water for 5 minutes. Dump in a cup or so of ice cubes and drain about 3-4 minutes after. Slice in half then directly in half again so they are in quarters. Place on baking pan and coat with sea salt. You can use oil here but I do not, I prefer them dry since I use a dressing over the whole salad. Bake with squash for about 20 minutes or until dried out and starting to get crispy.

  4. Open can of garbanzo beans and rinse and drain. Pour on to baking sheet lined with silicone mat or with parchment paper and coat with cumin, paprika, sea salt, and garlic powder. Bake along with brussels and squash for the remaining 20 minutes.

  5. Remove everything from oven and let cool. Start chopping your garlic, cilantro and red onions and set aside.

  6. Start by removing peel from squash and chop squash into cubes. You can either let it cool here or I threw them back in the oven at 400 for another 20 minutes to dry them out and let cook chopped. While this is happening you can prepare the dressing and the rest of the salad.

  7. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients together and mixing well with whisk to ensure its nice and smooth.

  8. Start layering your salad in a large bowl starting with the brussels, followed by the cilantro, onion and chickpeas. Top with your squash once its cooled for a good 5-10 minutes. Pour over dressing once all ingredients are in the bowl and toss them with the dressing. I started with a little then kept adding. You can also save to add to future meals as well and use as much as you want in the mixture.

  9. Top with hemp seeds for more protein or additional cilantro. Store in air tight container in fridge and keep for up to 3-4 days to best freshness.

I hope you enjoy! Id love to hear any comments or feedback so please feel free to share!! Thanks for following along!



Angie Reneewarm salad, warm salad ideas, brussels salad, brussel sprout salad, chickpea salad, squash recipe, chickpea recipes, squash recipes, healthy living, healthy salad ideas, salad dressing, healthy salad dressingComment