Brussels Sprout Salad with Pears and Bacon
With this delicious salad you get those thinly shredded Brussels sprouts that have just the perfect crunch, along with soft sweet pears, salty crispy bacon, a slight bite from the shallots, nutty crunchy pecans, creamy tangy gorgonzola cheese, plus just a hint of herby freshness from the parsley.
And it's all finished off with a bright lemon bacon maple dressing. Talk about one delicious salad! And something new for a change.
It's a salad that will give you one more reason to look forward to fall every year and all those delicious pears this time of year.
This salad is the perfect reminder that everything is better with bacon. But really, I do love the way the pears and bacon compliment each other here.
It's a match meant to be and a flavor combination I should be using more often.
Ingredients Needed for the Salad
- Bacon
- Fresh Brussels sprouts
- Fresh parsley
- Pecans
- Pears
- Gorgonzola cheese
- Shallot
Ingredients Needed for the Dressing
- Olive oil
- Bacon drippings
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Brussels Sprout Salad
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Cook bacon in a skillet. Transfer bacon to lined plate and reserve rendered bacon drippings for dressing.
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In a large bowl toss together Brussels sprouts, cooked bacon, parsley, pecans, pears, gorgonzola and shallots. Toss with dressing and serve.
How to Make the Dressing
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl or shake together well in a jar. Stir or shake again just before pouring onto salad.
- Note if it's chilled it will need to be warmed just slightly as the bacon drippings solidify once chilled.
Can I Make This Salad in Advance?
Once you add the dressing the salad will hold up well for about an hour - but keep in mind the pears edges can brown so if you want to add dressing to soften up the Brussels sprouts a little first just wait to add those pears until later.
You can definitely shred the Brussels sprouts one day in advance though and make the dressing a day in advance (then gently rewarm as the bacon grease will solidify.
Can I Use a Different Kind of Cheese?
Goat cheese would work well hear or feta would be another good option.
What Should I Serve with This Salad?
- Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Roasted Chicken
- Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
- Dinner Rolls
The Perfect Thanksgiving Salad
This would be a perfect salad to serve at a party or at Thanksgiving but it's also so delicious that you should be waiting for a celebration to roll around.
You should be making it today. And enjoying every delicious bite!
Pear Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad
A delicious autumn pear salad that's brimming with bacon, nutty toasted pecans, tangy gorgonzola cheese, all with a base of finely shredded raw brussels sprouts. So delicious!
- 6 slices (6 oz.) bacon, (chopped )
- 14 oz. brussels sprouts, (bottoms trimmed, shredded*)
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh parsley
- 1 cup pecans, (toasted and roughly chopped)
- 2 bartlett pears, (cored and diced small)
- 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese**
- 2 Tbsp minced shallot
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp rendered bacon drippings
- 2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Cook bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until browned and just crisp, about 6 - 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels to drain (it helps to use a spatula and press bacon against side of pan to drain excess bacon drippings back into the pan) and reserve rendered bacon drippings for dressing.
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In a large bowl toss together brussels sprouts, cooked bacon, parsley, pecans, pears, gorgonzola and shallots. Toss with dressing and serve.
For the dressing:
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Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl or shake together well in a jar. Stir or shake again just before pouring onto salad. Note if it's chilled it will need to be warmed just slightly as the bacon drippings solidify once chilled.
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*First half the brussels sprouts then thinly slice through the width so pieces will separate.
**If you prefer a more mild less pungent cheese goat cheese may be substituted.
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Recipe source: Cooking Classy