Salads are great, but can we all agree that the best part is the dressing? I fell in love with the idea of this salad, the idea of sweet potato and brussels sprouts sounds good enough, but what really sold me was the maple sesame dressing (I’m always careful to make a little extra to stash in my fridge for the week). The beauty of spiralized veggies making it mainstream is that now they are available pre-spiralized at my local Whole Foods. If you’re lucky, you can save yourself the hassle and buy these sweet potato’s already in noodle form.
Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl with Pomegranates and Maple Sesame Vinaigrette
Makes 2 bowls
Ingredients:
1 T. + 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and spiralized OR buy pre-cut sweet potato noodles (they sell at my local Whole Foods)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup sliced brussels sprouts
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1 T. crushed pecans (or nut of your choice, hazelnuts also work well)
For the vinaigrette:
1 T. real maple syrup
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 T. soy sauce
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once the oil heats, add in the sweet potato noodles, season with salt and pepper and let cook, tossing occasionally, for 7 minutes or until cooked through and al dente. Divide the sweet potato noodles into two bowls and tent with foil to keep warm.
While the sweet potato noodles cook, place all of the ingredients for the dressing into a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.Place the remaining oil into the skillet and place back over medium heat. Add in the brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until sprouts are bright green and start to char. Add in the almonds and let cook another 1 minute to lightly toast.
Transfer the cooked brussels to the bowls with the sweet potato noodles and add in the pomegranates and drizzle with dressing.
