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This Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad will convert any brussels sprouts skeptics in your life. This salad is super-flavorful, with an unexpected dressing, and is the perfect salad to serve at your next holiday gathering.
Tips for Making the Best Brussels Sprout Salad
- Finely shred the brussels sprouts. I know it’s convenient to buy store-bought shredded brussels sprouts, but they are never finely shredded enough for me. (And they can be pretty inconsistent with texture.) Instead, I prefer to shred whole brussels sprouts with a sharp knife and a cutting board. Alternatively, you can use the shredding blade on a food processor, for even faster results.
- Let it marinate. Brussels sprouts don’t have a super-tender texture like other green lettuces, so you may want to dress this salad 30 to 60 minutes in advance before serving it. You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance, if you’d like to plan ahead for a holiday meal, and you can even shred the brussels sprouts ahead of time, too. Just toss them together before serving, at least 30 minutes ahead of time.
- Add some crunch. Brussels sprouts are slightly crunchy on their own, but this salad is even better when you add some chopped nuts. I opt for pecans here, because they seem appropriate for a holiday, but walnuts are perfect in this, too.
- Dried fruit helps, too. I love adding dried cranberries to this salad, for an extra sweet-tart flavor, and added chewiness. Since it can be tricky to find fruit-sweetened cranberries, you can use raisins if you prefer to avoid any added sugar.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a brussels sprouts salad?
- Brussels sprouts
- Dried cranberries
- Pecans
- Apple cider vinegar
- Mustard
- Honey
- Ginger (the secret ingredient!)
- Shallot
Most brussels sprouts salads I’ve seen on the internet go in the direction of a red wine vinaigrette paired with Parmesan cheese, but tossing it with a honey mustard dressing takes it to the next level. If there were a competition out there, this one would win.
The secret is adding a touch of ginger to the honey mustard dressing. This is inspired by my Honey Dijon Dressing, which has been a fan favorite for years.
How to Make It
1. Prepare the dressing. Add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ginger, honey, salt and pepper to the bottom of a large bowl, and whisk well.
I like to prepare this in the same bowl I plan on mixing in, so there aren’t extra dishes to do later.
2. Shred the veggies. Finely dice the shallot, then add it to the dressing as soon as possible, so the flavor can start to mellow. Shallots tend to have a more mild onion flavor than red onion, but you can use a similar amount of red onion in a pinch, or omit it entirely. The salad is delicious either way.
Shred the brussels sprouts, and add them to the bowl, too. Toss well, to coat them evenly in the dressing.
3. Enjoy! Add in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans, then toss and serve. You can adjust any seasoning to taste at this point, adding a little extra salt and pepper, or you can add a little more vinegar or mustard to make it more tart.
For a slightly sweeter flavor, you can add a little more honey, too.
Let the salad rest for 30 to 60 minutes, then serve. You can store this in the fridge if you plan on serving it in the next 2 hours or so, otherwise I recommend storing the shredded veggies and dressing separately, so you can mix shortly before serving.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Can I make this vegan? Yes, you can swap the honey for maple syrup to make a vegan salad dressing.
What pairs well with brussels sprouts? If you want to add more to this salad, I think it’s nice with chopped apples or pears, but don’t add those until shortly before serving, so they won’t turn brown or mushy. You could also add sliced grapes, or shredded purple cabbage for extra color.
You can serve brussels sprouts salad with practically any protein you love, and it also pairs well with holiday dishes, like Vegan Meatloaf, Wild Rice Stuffing, and Mashed Potatoes with Vegan Gravy.
Can you eat raw shredded brussels sprouts? Yes, you don’t need to cook brussels sprouts before eating them. They do tend to have a tougher texture compared to a typical leafy green salad, but when you finely shred them and let them marinate in the dressing, this raw brussels sprouts salad becomes totally delectable.
How long can you store shredded brussels sprouts? Once you shred them, brussels sprouts should keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the dressing separately for the best flavor and texture.
More Salad Recipes to Try
If you love this salad, you’ll also love these:
- Holiday Salad
- Sweet Sesame Lime Cabbage Salad
- Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Sweet & Crunchy Carrot Salad
- Arugula Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
I can’t wait to hear which one you try next!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 inch fresh ginger , finely grated
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt & pepper
- 1 shallot , diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts , finely shredded
- 1/3 cup pecans , chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries (look for juice-sweetened)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ginger, honey, and a 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Mix well. (Pro tip: Use a microplane to finey mince the ginger directly into the bowl. That way you won't have any large chunks!)
- Once you've diced the shallot, stir it into the dressing so the flavor can mellow. Add in the brussels sprouts after finely shredding them with a knife or food processor, too. Toss well.
- Add the cranberries and pecans, and toss again. Adjust any seasoning to taste, and then let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but I recommend storing the shredded brussels sprouts separately from the dressing for the best taste and texture later.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below!
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Reader Feedback: What is your favorite dish to bring to a holiday gathering?
Delicious! I didn’t add nuts but did add orange slices which were amazing with it. Thank you for another great recipe!
The first time I made this recipe about a month ago, I was not expecting to like it much, but it was so incredibly good I have made it at least once a week since then with several other vegetables like carrots, green and purple cabbages (though the Brussel sprouts’ thinner leaves makes it best of course). The dressing is amazing on them all. The addition of the nuts and cranberries takes it over the top good but of course can be left out and is still delicious. Thank you for the wonderful and unique recipes!
Can I take out the honey and use sugar free substitute and how would that look like for the nutritional factors
I don’t use any zero calorie sweeteners, so you’d have to experiment with that, but I’m sure it would be easy to taste as you go. And you can use a free website like FitDay or My Fitness Pal to calculate any nutrition information you need.
I have looked everywhere (except online!) for appplejuice sweetened cranberries and can’t find them anywhere!
Can you help me!?!
If you have a health section in your regular grocery store or if you have a Natural Grocers nearby, they would have them.
Is there a different type of vinegar that might work due to a sensitivity to apples.
This salad is delicious! To save time, I purchased the Sweet Kale salad kit from Costco But replaced the salad dressing with this recipe and it was a hit with my whole family! I topped with pumpkin seeds and cranberries (from the kit) and the flavors were all amazing. I love the ginger flavor and the salad keeps for several days without getting too soggy. I will be making this again and again! Thanks Megan!
Such a delicious salad. I made this to go with my Thanksgiving meal and my inlaws loved it. They asked for the recipe and said they will make it as well. The recipe is easy to make ahead and prepare right before serving. Leftovers hold up well after being dressed as well. Will make again and again! Thank you Megan for another fantastic dish.
This was sooo good I almost didn’t want to take it to share at Thanksgiving dinner. The finely shredded Brussels sprouts where a good texture and the dressing was yummy and unique.