What We’re Cooking This Week: Brussels Sprout and Fennel Salad With Ranchy Yogurt

The little cabbages called Brussels sprouts (so named because the Belgians made them popular in the 16th century) graduated from reviled to trendy when cooks realized they tasted much better if they were roasted or deep-fried instead of boiled to death. Some credit David Chang’s version at his game-changing New York restaurant Momofuku Noodle Bar—pan roasted with bacon and served with kimchi—with bringing Brussels back. He told GQ that the secret to making them not just palatable, but craveable: “Cook the shit out of them; just don’t turn them to charcoal.”

And while I’ve taken that advice to heart many times, I think they’re just as crave-worthy if they’re not cooked at all. Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, more tender and delicate than their bulky cousin green cabbage, make a lovely salad, like this one with pears. The crunchy texture and anise-y flavor of fresh fennel plays nicely with the raw sprouts, especially when mixed with this garlicky, ranch-adjacent dressing.

Just don’t call it a “slaw.” Nothing gets my cooking curmudgeon going more than someone responding to my description of a salad made with some form of shredded Brassica with, “Oh, you mean it’s a slaw.” The word comes from a Dutch term for salad, sla. Cole derives from the Latin for cabbage, caulis, and a phonetically similar term is used in several languages. Cole slaw literally means cabbage salad, and, for better or worse, here in America it refers to a certain form of cabbage salad. (End of rant.)

Recipe

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 bulb fresh fennel

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher-style sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped)*

1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, optional*

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

*Burlap and Barrel makes a seasoning blend called Nothing Hidden Ranch that includes buttermilk powder, garlic and some other stuff that can be swapped for these two ingredients.

Make the dressing in a large bowl first by mixing the sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and vinegar with the mayo and yogurt, then stirring in the olive oil. It’s fine if there are a few visible lumps of mayo; they’ll disappear when you add the vegetables.

Peel off any slightly browned outer leaves from the sprouts, split them in half from top to bottom, place them flat side down on a cutting board, and slice thinly. Trim the stalks from the fennel bulb (you can save the frilly fronds and chop them for the salad if you want) and cut it in half from the stem to the root end. Place flat side down, cut into thin slices, then chop this into small pieces (roughly ⅛ inch).

Add the vegetables to the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if needed.