To be honest, growing up I was never a big salad fan. The whole iceberg lettuce with a few slivers of carrots and cherry tomatoes was just not my thing. I would have rather eaten the salad dressing without the salad. But the more I experiment with food and different flavor combinations, the more I have learned to love salad. But when I’m talking about an AIP diet salad, I’m not talking about a few lettuce leaves and a cucumber on top. I am talking about a hearty flavorful salad with a mix of fresh and roasted veggies. This Sauteed Bacon & Brussel Sprout AIP Kale Salad is sure to be a hit and is perfect for when you are craving something fresh and filling.
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What's in this AIP Salad
When I started the AIP diet, salads felt a little difficult. I wasn’t using tomatoes, nuts, seeds, or cheese. And don’t even talk to me about croutons or salad dressing. But over time I learned to make salad combinations that I LOVE and this Bacon & Brussel Sprout AIP Kale Salad is no exception. It takes about 20 minutes to assemble this salad from start to finish (and that includes making the salad dressing). This salad has a fun mix of kale and romaine as the base and is topped with fresh red onion, sauteed brussel sprouts, bacon, and tigernut slivers. I dress it with my avocado mayo salad dressing and it makes the perfect AIP diet salad!
Tips and Tricks for Making this AIP Diet Salad
Do I need to saute the brussel sprouts for this AIP Kale Salad?
This salad is paired with sauteed brussel sprouts. You may be tempted to skip this step, but trust me, you’ll want to saute them. Not only does it bring out the flavor of the brussel sprouts, but it makes them easier for your stomach to digest. So don’t skip the sauteing. It only takes about 5 minutes and is 100% worth it!
What type of dressing do I use for this AIP diet salad?
For this recipe I use my AIP Avocado mayo dip & salad dressing. It makes a thick creamy dressing and is seed oil free. It only takes a few minutes to whip up so I highly recommend it for this salad! You can also use another savory AIP approved salad dressing for this salad. Just make sure that it uses AIP approved oils!
In this recipe I used tiger nut slices to add a little extra crunch. Tiger nuts are not actually nuts. They are actually a tuber vegetable that has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and taste amazing on this salad. You can get them off Amazon here! If you don’t have them handy you can just omit this ingredient, or if you have reintroduced nuts you can sub your favorite nut like almond slices.
Let's Make this Brussel Sprout & Bacon AIP Kale Salad (An AIP Diet Salad)!
Start by setting a skillet to medium high heat. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, they will cook faster and brown more evenly. Lodge is my favorite brand, and this is the skillet I used for the recipe!
In the skillet place your bacon slices. Cook the bacon for 6-7 minutes flipping about halfway through so they brown evenly.
While the bacon cooks, slice your brussel sprouts. For them to saute quickly, make sure to slice them THINLY! You should make 4-5 cuts per normal sized brussel sprout.
While the bacon continues to cook, chop the romaine lettuce and kale and add it to a large bowl for the salad.
When the bacon is done cooking, remove it from the skillet and add the brussel sprouts to the same skillet. There should be plenty of bacon grease to cook the brussel sprout in. Add the salt and garlic to the brussel sprouts. Saute the brussel sprouts for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that they brown evenly.
While the brussel sprouts cook, thinly slice the purple onion and add the tiger nuts to the lettuce. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces.
At the 5 minute mark the brussel sprouts should start to look nice and browned. When they are finished cooking. Remove them from the skillet and let them cool for about 4 minutes. While the brussel sprouts are cooling, make the avocado dressing.
Assembling the Salad
When the brussel sprouts have cooled, add them with the bacon to the salad and add about ⅔ cup of the avocado dressing to the salad. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for later.
This recipe makes 6 servings as a side or if paired with a protein makes 3 servings as a meal. The salad lasts for about 2 days in the refrigerator. For fresher salad and longer storage, keep the dressing separate from the salad and do not toss in the dressing.
If you tried this recipe and loved it, it would mean the world to me if you drop a rating and comment below. It helps people just like you find healthy recipes to support them on their wellness journey.
If you like this AIP recipe idea, you should check out these!
Brussel Sprout & Bacon AIP Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Kale 7 oz
- ½ Head Romaine lettuce 4 oz
- 1 Small Red onion
- ¼ Lbs Bacon Nitrate free
- ½ Lbs Brussel sprouts
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Tiger nuts
- ⅔ Cup Avocado mayo dressing Recipe in notes
Instructions
- Start by setting a skillet to medium high heat. In the skillet place your bacon slices. Cook the bacon for 6-7 minutes flipping about halfway through so they brown evenly.
- While the bacon cooks, slice your brussel sprouts. You should make 4-5 cuts per normal sized brussel sprout.
- While the bacon continues to cook, chop the lettuce and kale and add it to a large bowl.
- When the bacon is done cooking, remove it from the skillet and add the brussel sprouts to the same skillet. There should be plenty of bacon grease to cook the brussel sprouts in. Add the salt and garlic to the brussel sprouts. Sautee the brussel sprouts for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that they brown evenly.
- While the brussel sprouts cook, thinly slice the purple onion and measure the tiger nuts. Ad the onion and the tiger nuts to the lettuce. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces.
- At the 5 minute mark the brussel sprouts should start to look nice and browned. When they are finished cooking. Remove them from the skillet and let them cool for about 4 minutes.
- While the brussel sprouts are cooling, make the avocado dressing. When the brussel sprouts have cooled, add them with the bacon to the salad and add about 2/3 cup of the avocado dressing to the salad. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for later.
- This recipe makes 6 servings as a side or if paired with a protein makes 3 servings as a meal. The salad lasts for about 2 days in the refrigerator. To keep fresh longer, only add the salad dressing when you are ready to eat the salad.
