This Brussels sprout salad is one of my favorite salads as it is full of delicious fall flavors. It’s easy to make, has great textures, and you can even prepare the salad ahead of time. It’s such a breeze to put together, so it’s the perfect stress-free holiday side dish.
This salad also makes for a great potluck or party dish, as you can make it last minute since there’s no cooking involved! The most cooking you’ll do is whisking together the homemade salad dressing. This salad recipe is hardy but still tastes light and fresh. Even those who hate Brussels sprouts will love this salad! Want another easy salad recipe? Try my roasted brussels sprouts recipe, persimmon salad recipe, raspberry beet salad recipe, or my walnut strawberry salad recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Homemade dressing — I toss the Brussels sprouts in a homemade salad dressing. It is so easy to make in a couple of minutes by whisking together apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
Brussels sprouts — for the salad, you can cut the Brussels sprouts in half and thinly slice them with a knife, or you can use a mandoline for shaved brussels sprouts. If you want to save time, you can buy a bag of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts.
Apple — I recommend adding a Honeycrisp apple to the salad as it’s a sweet and juicy apple. It is also a great crunchy apple that doesn’t brown quickly.
Pine nuts — I love the crunch you get from toasted pine nuts. You can also use walnuts or pecans if you do not have pine nuts.
Dried cranberries — the dried cranberries add a nice tangy sweetness to the salad. Not a fan of cranberries? Try raisins or dried unsweetened cherries.
Cheese — I like using Pecorino cheese as it adds sharp saltiness and a touch of tanginess to the salad. You can also use Parmesan cheese if you prefer.
How to Make Brussels Sprout Salad
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
2. Trim the ends off the sprouts and remove any aged outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half and thinly slice them. Or, keep them whole and shave the Brussels sprouts on a mandoline. You’ll get the most even sliced Brussels sprouts for the salad with a mandoline. Make sure to use a safety guard or gloves!
3. Add the shaved brussels sprouts, apple, nuts, cranberries, and cheese to the salad dressing.
4. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for a few hours.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- You can swap the honey for maple syrup if you prefer.
- Dressings need a bit more salt than you might think. The salt also doesn’t dissolve well in the oil, so add it to the acid first for a more balanced flavor. Taste the vinegar mixture once whisked together- it should taste sour but also slightly salty. I use between ¼ and ½ teaspoon of salt in this dressing, depending on the tartness of the lemon juice.
- If you don’t have Brussels sprouts, you can substitute them with 4 cups of very thinly sliced cabbage.
- For the best flavor, always use fresh ingredients. Skip the bottled lemon juice and use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the salad dressing. Grating your own cheese is also more ideal than pre-grated cheese.
- For an additional bright, zesty flavor in the Brussels sprout salad, you can add some citrus, such as orange slices or mandarin segments, to the salad.
- If you want a slightly creamier salad, you can use a creamy cheese such as goat cheese instead of Pecorino cheese.
- Turn this salad into a main dish by adding protein, such as chicken or salmon, to the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare this salad a few hours ahead of time. You can also prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time but store them separately in the fridge in two airtight containers for up to 4 days. This will prevent the sliced Brussels sprouts from getting soggy. Keep in mind that the chopped apple may brown as it oxidizes. Alternatively, you can slice and store the Brussels sprouts in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days and assemble the salad when ready to enjoy.
The salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, but the dressing will start to take away the crunch of the Brussels sprouts after a day or two.
No, there’s no need to cook the Brussels sprouts before making the salad. It’s perfectly fine to eat raw.
There’s no need to soak the Brussels sprouts ahead of time. Simply rinse the Brussels sprouts under some running water to clean them.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Brussels Sprout Salad recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Brussels Sprout Salad
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Mandoline (optional)
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the Salad:
- 1 pound brussels sprouts (450g)
- 1 small Honeycrisp apple chopped
- ⅓ cup pine nuts toasted, (or walnuts or pecans) (40g)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries (33g)
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino cheese (20g)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
- Trim the ends off the sprouts and remove any aged outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half and thinly slice. Or, keep them whole and shave on a mandoline.
- To the salad dressing, add the shaved brussels sprouts, apple, nuts, cranberries, and cheese. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for a few hours.
Video
Notes
- You can swap the honey for maple syrup if you prefer.
- Dressings need a bit more salt than you might think. The salt also doesn’t dissolve well in the oil, so add it to the acid first for a more balanced flavor. Taste the vinegar mixture once whisked together- it should taste sour but also slightly salty. I use between ¼ and ½ teaspoon of salt in this dressing, depending on the tartness of the lemon juice.
- If you don’t have Brussels sprouts, you can substitute them with 4 cups of very thinly sliced cabbage.
- For the best flavor, always use fresh ingredients. Skip the bottled lemon juice and use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the salad dressing. Grating your own cheese is also more ideal than pre-grated cheese.
- For an additional bright, zesty flavor, you can add some citrus, such as orange slices or mandarin segments, to the salad.
- If you want a slightly creamier salad, you can use a creamy cheese such as goat cheese instead of Pecorino cheese.
- Turn this salad into a main dish by adding protein, such as chicken or salmon, to the recipe.
