This crispy brussels kale salad is topped with a maple bacon dressing and toasted hazelnuts! It's a super hearty, healthy winter salad filled with lots of texture and flavor!
Preheat oven to 400℉. Place brussels on a baking sheet and add olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
While the brussels are baking, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. Stir to combine. Add the bacon fat and whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the hazelnuts. Toast for several minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant. Watch carefully, they can burn quickly! Set aside.
Add kale to a large bowl. Add half of the dressing to the kale and massage with your hands, rubbing the dressing into the leaves, for a few minutes, until kale is softer and reduced in volume. Add half of the brussels and half of the bacon and toss again.
Top with remaining brussels, bacon, and toasted hazelnuts, and serve with extra dressing!