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If you love Caesar salad you’ll find this dish delivers all those classic flavors with a hearty twist. Instead of crisp romaine, we’ve used oven-roasted Brussels sprouts for a rich, caramelized flavor that blends perfectly with the creamy, umami-rich dressing and garlicky homemade croutons. Serve it warm with a sprinkle of Parmesan for a unique, satisfying side dish.
Key Ingredients & Shopping Tips
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- BRUSSELS SPROUTS: You’ll definitely need to use fresh Brussels sprouts for this recipe. When shopping, look for sprouts that have tightly packed, bright green leaves with no signs of yellowing or browning. If you can, look for ones that are on the small side as they’re a little sweeter and more tender.
- BREAD FOR CROUTONS: French baguettes are good for making croutons because their soft interior crumb absorbs the butter, olive oil, and seasonings well and the crust crisps nicely when toasted.
- MISO PASTE: Like anchovies, miso adds a rich, umami flavor to our Caesar dressing, but with a mellow, buttery quality that enhances the natural sweetness of the roasted sprouts. Feel free to substitute anchovies, anchovy paste, or fish sauce.
How to Make Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad – A Quick Overview
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
This warm Brussels sprouts salad is a twist on classic Caesar salad, swapping romaine for roasted Brussels sprouts.
The sprouts are oven-roasted until tender and caramelized. While they roast you can make the croutons in a skillet with butter, olive oil, and garlic, and mix up a creamy, flavor-packed dressing made with olive oil, lemon, miso paste (or anchovies), and a bit of Dijon for a tangy kick.
Once everything is ready, toss the sprouts with the dressing, add the crispy croutons, and finish with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve warm for best flavor.
Notes from the MGC Kitchen
We love Brussels sprouts, not just for their great flavor, but for their versatility. They go great with a variety of main dishes, including seared pork rib chops and grilled steak or chicken.
However, since this recipe uses oven-roasted sprouts, we like to make our oven do double duty, so we generally pair our Brussels sprouts Caesar with easy roasted entrées like balsamic glazed boneless chicken thighs or crumb-crusted salmon.
Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad With Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For the croutons:
- 1-1/2 cups bread cubes (1/2-inch)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, see notes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste (shiro miso), see notes for substitutions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Instructions
Roast the sprouts:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the brussels sprouts in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and transfer to the prepared pan.
- Roast the sprouts for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender and nicely browned. You may want to turn them with a spatula about midway through the cooking time to ensure even caramelization.
Make the croutons:
- While the sprouts roast make the croutons. Line a small baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, 30 seconds (do not brown). Add the bread cubes and toss them with the butter mixture until it's all been absorbed, about 1 minute. Transfer the croutons to the foil-lined pan and set aside.
Prepare the Caesar dressing:
- To prepare the dressing, whisk the olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, miso paste, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and mustard together in a small bowl. If you feel the dressing is a little too thick whisk in 1 or 2 teaspoons of water to thin it. Set aside.
Finish the salad:
- To assemble the salad, remove the brussels sprouts from the oven and turn off the heat. Place the croutons in the oven to crisp for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Toss the sprouts with the dressing, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add the croutons, toss again and transfer to a serving dish. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
