Name: Warm Brussels Sprout Salad in Miso Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lb Brussels sprouts; 2 tbsp miso paste; 1 tbsp honey, unpasteurized ((replace with maple syrup for vegan)); 1 tsp Dijon mustard, old style whole grain and raw; 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated; 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp avocado oil; 2 tbsp hemp hearts

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Asian-inspired ginger, mustard and miso dressing is extremely flavourful, and pairs perfectly with steamed Brussels sprouts. This warm miso Brussels sprout salad is a healthy side for any lunch or dinner. Ready in 15 mins, and easily adaptable for gluten-free and vegan.

I had this warm Brussels sprout salad in a ginger miso dressing for the first time at a Christmas party more than 10 years ago. It was so tasty that I had to re-create my own version! Fast forward to today, this warm Brussel sprout salad is my son’s favourite Brussels sprout dish. In addition, the miso dressing is so versatile to use on a variety of salads, vegetables and meats.

Nutritious All-Purpose Miso Dressing

The main ingredient of the dressing, miso, is a fermented soybean paste. Miso is not only rich in umami, but also full of goodness. Fermented soy foods are more nutritious than unfermented ones. The fermentation process enhances the bio-availability and digestibility of proteins, vitamins and minerals in soybeans, reduces anti-nutrients such as phytates and lectins. Fermented soy foods are a great source of vitamin K, which most people don’t eat enough.

Miso is a superfood that many Japanese people believe to be the reason of their nation’s longevity. As a probiotic food, miso is best not to be cooked under high heat, in order not to destroy its probiotic properties. Therefore, using miso in a dressing is a wonderful way to consume this traditional and natural food. I had spent quite some time in Japan, and grown to really love and appreciate miso. This miso dressing is great for salads, steamed vegetables and grilled meats.

Making Miso Dressing Gluten-Free & Vegan

Sometimes miso contains other grains in addition to soybeans. If gluten allergy is a concern for you, then check the ingredients to make sure the grains used are gluten-free. Dashi is another ingredient sometimes being added to miso for more flavour. Dashi contains sea kelp and fish, so it’s not vegetarian or vegan. Because I do eat fish and meat, having dashi in the miso isn’t a problem for me. Miso containing dashi actually has a better flavour, but harder to find. The brand I use is made from salt, soybean and rice. I didn’t set out to make a vegan or vegetarian recipe, but as a result it is.

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad Ingredients

I try to keep this recipe super healthy and tasty at the same time. Find my notes on the ingredients below.

I choose to quickly steam the Brussels sprouts to achieve the best nutritional values and tenderness.
At the same time the avocado oil is added into the dressing with no heating involved, therefore retains all of the health benefits. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat and antioxidants. It also has a creamy and rich taste. Therefore, I thought it best complements Brussels sprouts, in comparison to alternatives such as olive oil or sesame oil.
I also use fresh ginger, old style and raw whole grain Dijon mustard, unpasteurized honey and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to balance the saltiness of the miso. All of them are beneficial for our immune system, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. So be sure to buy in their most natural forms (ie. organic and raw) to maximize their medicinal properties.
To make this dish vegan, replace the honey with a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup. I don’t personally like Agava syrup, since it’s too high in fructose.
To finish off, a sprinkle of raw hemp hearts – a wonderfully nutritious and tasty shelled seeds of the hemp plant – adds richness and extra protein, healthy fat and minerals to the dish. You may think I am making a medicinal concoction of some sort, but the flavours really do work very well together!

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe

In the winter time, a warm Brussels sprout salad is so much more comforting than a raw salad. Additionally, cooked vegetables are gentler on the digestive system. Avoiding raw and cold foods in winter is particularly emphasized in traditional Chinese medicine.

Brussels sprouts is a medium oxalate food. Cooking also reduces the oxalate in Brussels sprouts. If you want to further eliminate oxalate, try boiling the Brussels sprouts instead of steaming for this Brussels sprouts salad recipe.

How to Prepare Brussels Sprouts

For a cooked Brussels sprout salad, I like to cut each Brussels sprout in half first. This allows faster cooking time of the Brussels sprouts.

It takes 8 to 10 minutes of steaming for the Brussels sprouts to become tender. Rinse cooked Brussels sprouts in cold water immediately to stop the cooking process and retain a vibrant green colour.

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