Ingredients

Scale

8 oz Brussels sprouts
4 slices bacon, diced
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
1/3 cup dried cherries (preferably unsweetened)
1/3 cup chopped almonds (smoked or toasted)
1/4 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or more, to taste)

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Instructions

Shred Brussels sprouts in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade, or slice thinly lengthwise into thin ribbons. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp and browned. Set bacon aside and drain all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon grease.
Add onion to pan and saute 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened and all the browned bits from the bacon are scraped up. Turn off heat.
Add vinegar and syrup (if using). Stir to combine, then pour over shredded Brussels sprouts. Add crisped bacon, dried cherries, almonds, salt, and pepper. Toss all together for 2-3 minutes. (At first, you might think there isn’t enough dressing. Continue to stir. As the sprouts wilt a little, they’ll soften and the dressing will be plenty to coat the salad.)

Serve immediately.

Notes

PALEO/WHOLE30 NOTES: I look for unsweetened cherries and bacon without added sugar. For Whole30, skip the optional syrup and be sure your bacon and cherries are compliant. Trader Joe’s sells unsweetened dried cherries that we love, and we’ve also been able to find unsweetened cherries at farmer’s markets, Walmart, Nuts.com, and Amazon.

Let’s Talk Almonds – I’ve made this salad dozens of times and I switch between smoked almonds (usually #notpaleo) and just toasted almonds (raw almonds I toast in a pan over low heat for a few minutes). Both are completely delicious! Use what you love. If you need to go nut free, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are really delicious, too.

Change it Up (Variations) – Looking for a change of pace? Swap your cherries out for dried cranberries or raisins. Use pecans or pumpkin seeds instead of almonds. Add some parmesan cheese (if you tolerate it). This is one of those recipes that welcomes some experimenting!

Tip for Speedy Shredding – You can absolutely slice each individual Brussels sprout by hand lengthwise. I love using a food processor. The job is literally done in 2 minutes. Tops!

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal
Sugar: 11g
Sodium: 297mg
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 8g
Cholesterol: 18mg