Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apple and Pomegranate

The beauty of growing up in Windsor, with family on both sides of the border, is that I get to celebrate two Thanksgivings. That’s twice the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; twice the rolls and twice the pies. And after all of those delicious carbs, all I can think about is a salad.

This salad is not only delicious and uses those few vegetables that are still in season, it has the added bonus of being attractively festive. All green with beautiful red pomegranate accents, this salad wants to be served on your Christmas table.

A great tip to avoid staining your hands red with pomegranate juice: halve the pomegranate and place it in a bowl of water.  Working inside the bowl, loosen the seeds from the pith.

I processed the Brussels sprouts in the food processor for ease and because it makes the pieces uniform and more attractive. If you do not have a processor (or don’t feel like cleaning yours), feel free to shred them by hand with a knife.

If you have never used sumac I recommend adding it to your pantry staples. It is a spice regularly used in middle eastern cooking, that has a bright ‘lemony’ flavour, without the added liquid and acidity. Sumac is now available in most grocery stores, but it you can’t find it, I would add additional lemon juice and some zest.

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apple and Pomegranate
Smitten Kitchen

1/2 large red onion, diced small
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons ground sumac
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to season salad
2 cups shredded brussels sprouts
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (from about 1/2 a large one)
1/2 a large unpeeled apple, cored and diced (I used Golden delicious but Granny Smith would be delicious here!)
Juice of half a lemon, plus more to taste
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup toasted, cooled walnuts, lightly crushed or coarsely chopped
Ground chipotle chile pepper, urfa biber peppers, hot smoked paprika or another chile flake, to taste

Make the sumac-pickled onions: Combine red onion, wine vinegar, sumac and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a small dish and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients, or at least 15 minutes.

Combine all salad ingredients, including red onions and their pickling liquid, in a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust salt, honey, oil and lemon as desired.

Note: This salad can be prepped in advance but avoid adding the dressing until no more than an hour before.