This Keto Charred Brussels Sprout Salad is packed with flavor from pepitas, bacon, cojita cheese, pickled red onions, and a creamy cilantro cojita dressing!
This Keto Charred Brussels Sprout Salad recipe is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market, thank you for supporting the brands that make delicious Cast Iron Keto recipes EPIC.
Happy New Year! 2019 is upon us and that means a fresh start; sometimes that’s in the form starting a new diet, or picking up a new hobby or maybe even abandoning bad habits. Whatever your resolution might be, January is the perfect time to get a fresh start. The month January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after the Latin word for door (ianua). January is the door to the year and an opening to new beginnings. (If in any way that trivial fact leads you to a win on Jeopardy, give a shout-out to CIK.)
Anyways, this Charred Brussels Sprout Salad has made its way onto my menu twice already in the new year. In all honesty, it should be making an appearance on yours too.
Seriously, how could you not love a dish that has bacon, cojita cheese, and pickled onion? But that’s not even the star of the dish! The charred brussels sprouts are really what brings it all together. They are what make this recipe a cohesive meal or side dish. I love brussels sprouts that get a little charred, especially when they are mixed with the smoky deliciousness of bacon.
How To make new year’s resolutions you can actually keep
My approach to new year resolutions is a tad bit different than most. Instead of trying to institute big sweeping changes all at once on January 1st. I try to make 12 resolutions to adopt throughout the year on the first of each month. That way I can focus on a single change and put all my energy into making that habit stick before moving on to the next one. On the slate for this year ( in no particular order) I’ve got: start meditating, learn the play the harmonica, become fluent in Spanish, plus more.
Starting my list for 2019 is to eat a healthier version of keto. The holidays have come with a lot of keto-approved sweets and many meals/days have consisted of meat and cheese with minimal veggies. Traveling in an RV full-time makes it tough too, but I’ve recently started shopping at Sprouts Farmers Market, and found it to be a complete and total lifesaver. They’ve got over 300 stores in 19 states, which besides probably being close to you (the reader) it’s really convenient for the RV lifestyle.
I love so many things about this company, all the way from their mission statement;
“We believe healthy living is a journey and every meal is a choice. We love to inspire, educate, and empower every person to eat healthier and live a better life”
… to their partnerships with awesome non-profits like REAL School Gardens, Vitamin Angels, and Autism Speaks. I also love I can walk into any of the stores across the country and find an array of fresh produce, quality meats, and plenty of keto-friendly, gluten-free, non-GMO products at a much more reasonable price than some other grocery stores I’ve encountered.
So here’s to you starting fresh in the new year. I wish you the very best in all that you do in 2019!
Keto Charred Brussels Sprout Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 lb Brussel sprouts thinly sliced
- 5 slices bacon
- ¼ cup avocado oil divided
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- ⅓ cup Sprouts green chile roasted pepitas
- ⅓ cup crumbled cojita cheese
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 lime juiced
- Handful cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 2 ounces cojita cheese
Pickled Onions:
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 3 limes juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by pickling the onions. Place the thinly sliced onions in a small jar and top with lime juice and salt. Using the back of a spoon push the onions down so that they are covered by the lime juice. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature. The longer they sit the better the flavor.
- Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. Set aside.
- Over medium heat in a large 10.5” skillet cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy. Remove the bacon and chop. To the skillet with the bacon grease add 2 tablespoons avocado oil to the pan.
- Add in the shredded Brussels sprouts to the pan in 2 batches. Allow the sprouts to cook 2-3 minutes before tossing allowing them to char. Once the first batch is charred push them to the side and add the remaining 2 tablespoons avocado oil along with the remaining sprouts. Repeat the cooking step until charred. Remove from heat.
- Add the cabbage, cojita, pepitas, bacon, and pickled onions to the sprouts and toss to combine. Top with dressing just before serving.
I can’t find Sprouts pepitas anywhere, including their website. Do you have a substitution? Or can you tell me what the ingredients are in the ones that you use?
Strange, they are always in the bulk section. You could just sub regular pepitas.