Brussels Sprout Bacon Caesar Salad
This creamy shaved Brussels sprout Caesar salad combines crisp Brussels sprouts with smoky bacon, Parmesan cheese, rustic croutons, and an easy homemade Caesar dressing. It is a flavorful make-ahead salad for holidays, entertaining, or weeknight dinners.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 1½ pounds fresh Brussels sprouts
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
- ¾ cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups seasoned croutons
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving, optional
For the Creamy Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional but recommended
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 1–3 teaspoons water, as needed
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, crumble the bacon and set it aside.
- Trim the dry stem ends from the Brussels sprouts and remove any damaged outer leaves.
- Thinly shave the Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife, mandoline slicer, or food processor fitted with the slicing attachment. Separate the shaved layers with your fingers and place them in a large serving bowl.
- Make the Caesar dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, garlic, and black pepper.
- Taste the dressing and add salt as needed. If the dressing is too thick, whisk in water one teaspoon at a time until it reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
- Arrange the bacon, Parmesan cheese, and croutons over the shaved Brussels sprouts.
- Pour about half of the Caesar dressing over the salad. Toss and massage the Brussels sprouts for one to two minutes to lightly soften them.
- Add more dressing as needed and toss until the salad is evenly coated.
- Garnish with additional bacon, Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
- Shave the Brussels sprouts as thinly as possible for the best texture.
- Bagged shaved Brussels sprouts can be used as a shortcut. Remove any large, hard stem pieces before assembling the salad.
- Anchovy paste adds the traditional savory Caesar flavor without making the dressing taste strongly of fish.
- Taste the salad before adding salt because the bacon, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, and anchovy paste are already salty.
- Add the croutons immediately before serving to keep them crunchy.
- The Brussels sprouts and dressing can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated separately.
- The salad can be dressed several hours before serving, but keep the bacon and croutons separate until shortly before serving.
- Use gluten-free croutons and certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce to make the recipe gluten-free.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.