I made this salad because I’ve been struggling to find time to make a veggie-packed lunch. Brussel sprout salads hold up very well in the fridge, so I used them as the base for this meal-prep friendly salad with a southwest twist. The creamy dressing is packed with flavor, and I add beans, farro, corn, avocado and pumpkin seeds to round out the nutritional profile, add texture and of course, more flavor.
You can use this as an easy side dish too, serving up to 8. I like having a salad like this in the fridge to pair with simple quesadillas for a particularly busy night during the week. Point is, make this salad and figure out how to eat it as the week goes on. Whether for a packable lunch or quick dinner, it’s a winner.
Tex Mex Brussel Sprout + Farro Salad
serves 4 (entree size portions)
Ingredients
for the dressing
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup capers
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
4 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
zest of 1 lemon + 1 lime
Juice from 2 lemons + 1 lime (1/2 cup total juice)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 to 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1.5 tsp salt
1 cup packed cilantro leaves + tender stems
for the salad
24 oz brussel sprouts, sliced
1 cup dry farro, cooked/cooled
2 14-oz cans black beans, drained/rinsed
1 14-oz can corn, drained
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
To Make
Prepare the dressing. Add all ingredients except cilantro to a powerful blender, plus 1/3 cup water. Blend until super smooth, adding up to 2 more tablespoons water if needed to blend. Add cilantro and pulse until finely chopped.
Toss sliced brussel sprouts with dressing, reserving 1/2 cup dressing for drizzling on top of finished salad. Allow brussel sprouts to marinate in dressing for 30 minutes. Add cooked/cooled farro, beans and corn. Toss to combine.
To serve, top each serving with 1/3 of a diced avocado. Season avocado with salt and pepper. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds and drizzle with 2 tablespoons reserved dressing.
Notes
– slice the brussel sprouts into 1/8 to 1/4″ slices – not too thick, not too thin. I find that the pre-shredded brussel sprouts are too fine for this salad.
– You can toss the avocado and pumpkin seeds into the salad, but only if serving immediately. If meal-prepping, hold off on them so that the seeds stay crunchy and the avocado will be green.
– for gluten free, use brown rice for this salad.
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