I loooooove brussel sprouts . They are truly a reason to get excited for the cooler weather that is upon us. I love them roasted with a generous glug of olive oil and lots of salt but also raw, thinly shaved in salads like this gem of a dish.

I also adore a Caesar salad - what’s not to love with that punchy, rich dressing? This recipe combines those two loves. A Brussel sprout Caesar with tempeh bacon (it’s awesome!) rye croutons, perfect yolky eggs and that excellent dressing with a dusting of parmesan cheese.

A fantastic dish to convert the Brussel sprout haters and that tasty tempeh bacon might just please even the bacon obsessed.

I love this for brunch but it’s also a great midweek dinner.

I originally wrote this recipe for the Dish Magazine team back in 2018. I’m so happy to be giving it a little more airtime now in 2021. Let me know if you give this one a go! Kelly x

Brussel sprout breakfast Caesar salad w/ tempeh bacon

Serves 4

Use a mandolin to get very finely shaved brussel sprouts. If you’ve never tried them in a salad – this dish may just convert you!

3 thick slices rye sourdough bread

500g brussel sprouts

6 leaves kale – stems removed and very finely sliced

6 free range eggs

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Tempeh Bacon

¼ cup olive oil

4 teaspoons tamari

¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika

1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional but recommended)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cumin

250g tempeh

Traditional Caesar dressing

1 clove garlic

5 anchovies

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup mayo

½ cup finely grated parmesan

Cracked black pepper

Tempeh bacon method

Whisk together the olive oil, tamari, paprika, liquid smoke, sugar and cumin. Cut the tempeh lengthways into strips that are roughly ½ cm thick. Place in a shallow dish and drizzle over the marinade. Place in the fridge to marinade for 4-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line an oven proof dish with baking paper and lay out the tempeh slices. Bake for 20 minutes. Can be used warm or stored in the fridge and used cold.

Crouton method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Tear the bread into rough chunks. Drizzle with oil and a generous seasoning of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. Can be made up to 4 hours in advance. If storing, allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container in the pantry.

Traditional dressing method

Combine the anchovies and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Pound until a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and add cracked black pepper to taste.

To assemble

Use a mandoline to finely shave the brussel sprouts. Be careful of your fingers! Combine with the dressing and mix well. It’s ideal to let the dressing soften the salad for 10 minutes.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully drop the eggs into this. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, run under cold water and peel carefully. Cut in half.

Divide the salad between 4 plates. Top with the eggs, tempeh bacon, croutons and extra grated parmesan. Serve immediately.