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Delicious shaved Brussels sprout salad is a perfect side salad for holidays and winter meals. It's crisp, nutritious, and packed with flavor.
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Here's a Brussels sprout salad that will make you love Brussels sprouts. Stay with me here. I know they are naturally bitter, but the ingredient flavors in this salad actually complement the sprouts, resulting in perfectly balanced flavors and textures you'll truly crave.
The ingredients are simple: shredded Brussels sprouts are combined with other winter produce and sunflower seeds. A quick and easy, tangy apple cider vinaigrette brings it all together. It's sweet, savory, crispy, crunchy heaven, actually.
Years ago, I created this salad to accompany our small Thanksgiving dinner holiday roast turkey breast and air fryer turkey breast dinner. But it has since become a staple salad for dinners with whole chicken, pork chops, and broiled salmon, to name a few!
Brussels sprout salad ingredients
Ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card below.
- Raw brussel sprouts - Use fresh, shaved Brussel sprouts for this salad. There's no need to cook them because they're finely shredded and easy to eat.
- Kale - I'm using Dino but any variety will work for this salad.
- Dried cranberries - These add so much texture and a touch of sweetness to round out the flavor.
- Red onion - Any onion variety will work! I love red or green onion for this salad.
- Pomegranate arils - These ruby-red jewels add a pop of color and flavor to any salad!
- Sunflower seeds - Any nuts or seeds can be used. I recommend almonds, walnuts, or pepitas.
- Apples - This adds texture, nutrients, and the perfect sweetness to balance the other flavors.
- DIY apple cider vinegar dressing - This adds the right amount of sweet and tart flavors.
How to make shaved Brussels sprout salad
Before starting the salad, I recommend making the apple cider vinaigrette to develop the flavors. I like to blend the ingredients with an immersion blender because look at how creamy it is! However, vigorously shaking ingredients in a lidded mason jar is also effective.
Now, shredding Brussels sprouts isn't a job I recommend doing by hand, especially if you're a kitchen beginner. So, here's where a food processor fitted with the slicing disk comes in really handy. Your model might even allow you to adjust the width of the blade. If so, cool!
After that, it's time to slice everything else and get it all into a mixing bowl. I like to dress the salad and add the apples last to prevent them from breaking. In fact, I tend to treat them like a delicate garnish.
Now it's time to share this delicious salad with the people you love.
The best dressing for Brussels sprout salad
The apple cider vinaigrette dressing is included in the recipe below. Raw apple cider vinegar adds a natural sweetness and tangy, complementary flavor to the salad. You can make the vinaigrette a few days ahead because it only improves daily!
Recipe tips
- When selecting Brussels sprouts, ensure the leaves are bright green with no signs of drying or discoloration.
- If a food processor isn't available, Brussels sprouts can be thinly sliced with a chef's knife or shredded with a box grater or mandoline at your discretion.
- When dried cranberries become too dry, you can soak them in warm water for a few minutes. This is the best trick to make them plump and juicy again.
- When prepping ahead, prevent sliced apples from browning by placing them 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- To make ahead, you can prepare the Brussels sprouts and other ingredients a few days ahead. But wait to add the dressing until shortly before serving time to preserve crispness.
Serving ideas
More vegetable recipes to love
- Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli Salad with Grapes
If you love mouthwatering salads, strawberry salad and lemony kale salad are also made with leafy greens and healthy ingredients. This citrus salad will quench your thirst in the same way as this shredded Brussels sprout salad.
📖 Recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling (2x or 3x), the light gray ingredient amount doesn’t scale. Please adjust those accordingly.
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Black Pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the salad
- 1 pound Raw Brussels Sprouts (4 cups), rinsed and patted dry
- 4-6 leaves Dino Kale, washed, dried, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup Dried Cranberries
- ¼ small Red Onion, diced
- ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds, or any nuts or seeds
- 1 medium Apple (any variety), thinly sliced
- 1 cup Pomegranate Seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing by blending VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, DIJON, SALT, and PEPPER. Drizzle OLIVE OIL into the mixture and continue blending until the dressing becomes creamy and emulsified. Cover and set aside.
- Trim the ends away from BRUSSELS SPROUTS, if needed. Shred Brussels sprouts in food processor fitted with the slicing blade. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- To this, add KALE, CRANBERRIES, ONION, POMEGRANATE, and SUNFLOWER SEEDS.
- Add vinaigrette and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Add APPLE SLICES and gently toss again. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and serve chilled.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. The salad may lose some crispness over time, so enjoy within a day or two.
Recipe Notes
- When selecting Brussels sprouts, ensure the leaves are bright green with no signs of drying or discoloration.
- If a food processor isn't available, Brussels sprouts can be thinly sliced with a chef's knife or shredded with a box grater or mandoline at your discretion.
- When dried cranberries become too dry, you can soak them in warm water for a few minutes. This is the best trick to make them plump and juicy again.
- When prepping ahead, prevent sliced apples from browning by placing them 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- To make ahead, you can prepare the Brussels sprouts and other ingredients a few days ahead. But wait to add the dressing until shortly before serving time to preserve crispness.
Equipment
- immersion blender or wire whisk
- 7-cup food processor fitted with shredding blade
- large mixing bowl
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Margaret McKay says
This is one of my favorite salad recipes. I made it recently for our book club and they all commented on how delicious it was. I sometimes substitute spinach for the kale.
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying it and thanks for sharing it with others. Yes, any greens can be swapped in. Makes it versatile. Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated!
Jeff says
Love this one! It's one of my favorite winter salads and I look forward to it every year. My mouth is watering just thinking about it LOL. Thanks for this one!
Traci says
Yayy! I love how much you love this one! You're right - it is a mouthwatering one LOL. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!
gael says
On this salad, shaved brussel sprouts and kale etc. do you soak the kale for a while in some oil? I always find it is really tough if I eat it raw. Any suggestions?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Gael, I don't think oil soaking will get the results you want. However I find that massaging the kale with a tiny bit of oil using my hands is my favorite way to soften it. Let me know if I can help you further. Thanks!
Katie says
So yummy. I’ve made this before and loved it. But this week I got brussels sprouts tops in my grocery box. They are the greens that grow on top of a stalk of Brussels sprouts. So I sliced them up thinly and used them instead of the sliced sprouts. Just delicious! Thank you for this versatile and healthy recipe!!
The Kitchen Girl says
So awesome, Katie...what a great idea too! Glad you're still enjoying the recipe...this one's a fav, for sure! 🙂
Lisa Benson says
This is the PERFECT fall salad! Everything about it is delicious, especially the dressing!
The Kitchen Girl says
Aww thank you, Lisa 🙂 I love love love hearing that and glad you enjoy it as much as I do
DL says
Wow. Wow wow and wow. What a recipe!
I was dining at a casual Italian deli (I’m in Singapore!) and a variant of this was available. I ordered it, was impressed and wanted to recreate it at home. So I googled, found your recipe.
Just tried it tonight.. and while it’s different from the one I had, it’s better. It’s amazing. It’s genius. And I realized, it’s not just vegan, it’s raw vegan!!
I don’t have pomegranate, so I omitted it.. I used shallot instead of red onions.
This is really amazing. Thank you so much for coming up with this and sharing it.
Traci Antonovich says
THIS makes me SO happy and I'm glad you found my recipe, DL! My day is made and I truly appreciate you stopping by with this feedback 🙂 Thank you...and CHEERS to great food!
JB says
Great salad! Perfect for Holidays, also love it for weekday lunches at work.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, JB! So glad you like this one!
Elaine says
Love this recipe and every time I make it, it gets rave reviews. Using a food processor to shave the sprouts makes this recipe a snap to make!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha, that food processor is EVERYTHING! Thanks, Elaine 🙂 Glad you love it like I do!
Gavin says
It’s that time of year again that I’m looking for some new brussel sprout ideas. Love this - way healthier than the usual fried sprout recipes you see
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Gavin! Yep, super healthy...and everyone gobbles it down 🙂
Patty at Spoonabilities says
I've never thought of using Brussels Sprouts for a salad like this! I am soooo excited to try this!
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you...awesome Patty! Get ready for your new favorite salad 🙂
Krissy Allori says
I loved this slaw. The apple goes so well with the slightly bitter taste of the Brussels sprout. I think I'll add it as a side for Thanksgiving dinner.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Krissy! Thanks for letting me know you'll be enjoying this for your holiday dinner too! 🙂
Sylvie says
This looks like such a perfect autumn salad! I love the way you used raw brussels sprouts, and the apple is a great way of bringing some sweetness to the recipe. yum!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much, Sylvie! Yep, never any complaints about the flavors going on in this one 🙂
Anya says
Made a modified version of this awesome slaw for a potluck and received many compliments. I really liked it myself! I skipped the kale (grocery store was out), replaced onions with fennel, and cranberries with pomegranate seeds. I tweaked the dressing to taste. Thank you for an awesome inspirational recipe! will definitely make this again. 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Anya, I love hearing that! Sounds like you made all the changes I love too! 😉 Thanks so much for following up...Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Kelly says
How far in advance can I make this yummy slaw?
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Kelly, thanks for asking! You can easily make this slaw a few days in advance, but the apple might brown too much, so you could chop and toss the apple in just before serving. I would also keep the almonds separate and sprinkle when ready to serve. Hope that helps!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
I'm going to make a big batch of this on Sunday so I can have it all week! Looks so easy and delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Shadi! Hope you love it!
georgie says
Yes!!! I've been looking for a shredded brussels sprouts slaw recipe for ages! this combines all my favourites!!!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Georgie! Hope you love this one 🙂
Jenn says
This is so my kind of dish! Perfect for anytime in the fall, but would also be great on the Thanksgiving table. Bookmarking this one!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Jenn! Hope you get to try it out 🙂
Annissa says
Great use of recipe! Looks so fresh and tasty!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Annissa! Love hearing it!
Caroline says
I know exactly what you mean - Brussels sprouts are a bit unloved but I think they work really well in some recipes, with slaws like this being right up there. Looks tasty!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Caroline!
Girlfriend says
GF, I made this salad today and I am blown away! It is one of the most delicious salads I have ever eaten. Made it exactly as written and wouldn't change a thing. All the ingredients work so well together and I can't stop eating it. Well done Kitchen Girl.
Traci Antonovich says
Omgosh, you can't even believe how much this makes my day! I haven't made it in a while and am sooo overdue...now you got me all wanting it this week 🙂 Thanks GF!
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
I love Brussels sprouts. I need to make this slaw for dinner tonight. I have some beautiful brussels sprouts in a fridge 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you Edyta...perfect timing! Next time I make this I'm adding pomegranate seeds to it 🙂 Hope you love it like I do!
Saima Zaidi says
What a lovely combo of ingredients for slaw! I love almonds in anything and everything and this sounds so delicious and healthy anyway! Will make this instead of my regular coleslaw next time.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much! I'm with you on the almonds in anything and everything 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
What a great way to get people eating sprouts! This sounds very tasty.
Traci Antonovich says
Haha yep, it works every time! Thanks so much! 🙂
Sarah says
I have a hard time loving brussels sprouts, but I think with the apples, cranberries, and dressing this sounds DELICIOUS!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thank you for that! I hear ya...I only love them when the flavors and textures make sense. 🙂
Trang says
This is such a refreshing use of brussel sprouts! It would make a healthy side dish for the holidays.
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you! That's exactly how I like to use it too! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!