Baby Spinach, Asiago & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Roasted Walnuts

This salad has so much fun stuff in it, it's hard to actually write out its title.  But take a look at what we've got here.  Three kinds of mixed greens and Brussels sprouts and avocado and honey roasted walnuts and two kinds of Italian cheeses!  Salads can become boring fast unless we change things up often.  For me, a great salad is about different textures and never using a heavy hand on any of the ingredients.  I like being able to taste each item and that usually means using a very simple dressing.  My standard is fresh lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil.  Here, I added a little mustard for a bit more of a pop.  If you make this, I think you'll be happy with the finished dish.  There's a little bit of everything here, but not too much of it.  Toss away!


Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Avocado, Walnuts & Asiago

8 oz. Brussels sprouts

1 c. walnuts
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

3 Tbsp. honey
Kosher salt

2 ripe avocados

2 oz. asiago cheese, grated

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

8 oz. Baby Spinach

8 oz. Arugula

2 heads Belgian Endive, sliced


Dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook Brussels sprouts for 9 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Cut Brussels sprouts in quarters and set aside.

Place walnuts in a single layer on cookie sheet.  Toss with butter, honey and kosher salt.  Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Coarsely chop nuts.

Cut avocados in half, remove pits and scoop out flesh.  Cut in 2” dice.  Cut Belgian endive in half and cut in thin slices. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

In a large salad bowl, toss the baby spinach and arugula with the quartered Brussels sprouts, roasted walnuts, avocado and endive.  Drizzle with 3-4 Tbsp of the dressing, the asiago & parmesan cheeses and toss again.  Plate salad and serve with any extra dressing on the side.