Brussels Sprout Salad

I am not a salad person. Growing up, we never had salad. All our vegetables were either pickled or cooked. The concept of eating raw vegetables—mixed together—was weird and, well, unappealing. Since going vegan, though, I realized that the problem wasn’t salad, per se. It was just that my idea of salad was boring. Now, I love to create salads that are packed with ingredients that I love with super-simple dressings (so you can’t mess it up!). This Brussels sprout salad is perfect for summer, when you want something refreshing and with lots of fun texture!

 INGREDIENTS

• ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup cremini mushrooms, sliced

• Pinch of salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• FOR THE DRESSING

• 4 tablespoons baba ganoush or hummus

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown rice syrup

• Juice of ½ lemon

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SALAD

• 10 to 12 Brussels sprouts (depending on their size), trimmed and thinly sliced

• 4 lacinato kale leaves, stemmed, deribbed, and roughly chopped

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

• ¼ cup diced zucchini

• ½ cup cooked corn kernels

• ½ cup Roasted Doenjang-Glazed Onions (see below)

 DIRECTIONS

1. In a small nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, without mixing them very much. Add the vinegar, salt, and black pepper and stir the mushrooms with a wooden spoon until they are coated evenly in the balsamic glaze. Set aside to cool.

2. Make the dressing: In a tall container, mix together the baba ganoush, mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while stirring the dressing with a whisk or an immersion blender. The dressing should be creamy, but not too thick. Add 1 teaspoon water if it is too thick.

3. Prepare the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, kale, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, zucchini, and corn. Add half of the dressing. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, mix the salad and massage the dressing into the kale leaves well. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes before serving.

4. When ready to serve, add the rest of the dressing, mix well, and top with the glazed onions.

ROASTED DOENJANG-GLAZED ONIONS

I have a secret. Her name is Deborah. She is one of my dearest friends and she has a treasure trove of simple recipes designed to make anyone fall in love with vegetables. While I was visiting her home over the summer, she sliced up a couple of gorgeous white onions that she picked up at her favorite farmers’ market. She drizzled them with a little oil and sprinkled them with some thyme, salt, and pepper. They came out of the oven about 40 minutes later and I kid you not, I ate them like they were deep-fried onion rings. When I got home, I decided to doenjang them up a bit, and this glorious doenjang-glazed onion was born. Enjoy them over a salad, on a sandwich, or just plain. They are THAT good.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large white onions, sliced into ⅓-inch-thick rings

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons doenjang

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the sliced onions in a large bowl and season them with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, doenjang, and vinegar until smooth. Add the dressing to the large bowl of onions and mix with your hands or a large spoon until the onions are evenly coated.

4. Arrange the onions on the lined baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the baking sheet—use two baking sheets if necessary.

5. Transfer the onions to the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Flip the onions and cook until they are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

From THE KOREAN VEGAN COOKBOOK: REFLECTIONS AND RECIPES FROM OMMA’S KITCHEN by Joanne Lee Molinaro, to be published on 10/12/2021 by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2021 Joanne Lee Molinaro

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