Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples and Walnuts
The first time I made this shaved Brussels sprouts salad, I was deep in the midst of my standard holiday season merriment. Cookies, eggnog, and bourbon, oh my! After a few weeks of rich and decadent eating, I woke up one morning and my body said, "Hey, this has been fun, but let's have something green today!" So I listened to my body's intuition and headed to the kitchen to create this hearty, flavorful, and gloriously nourishing Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad.
I like to remind folks that for a diet to truly be healthy, you have to nourish both your body and your soul! And that means enjoying your favorite chocolate chip cookies and listening when your body asks for veggies. Tuning into your body's innate wisdom is a skill that is honed over time. Don't expect to be able to do it overnight-I sure as sugar couldn't. But after a little bit of practice (and maybe some reading and homework), you'll soon find the diet that makes both your soul and your body feel its best.
Shaved Brussels sprout salad is winter seasonal eating at it's best!
This salad is such an excellent way to bring fresh, raw veggies to the dinner table in the winter without having to head out and buy $20 worth of out-of-season ingredients. You can nab almost all of the ingredients for this salad at your local winter farmers' market (they have those where you live, too, right?). Brussels sprouts, onions, and apples are all excellent winter storage crops, meaning they're readily available locally for most folks in the wintertime. Using fresh, in-season produce makes for a salad that tastes fresh and healthy, but is still hearty and filling-just like food should be when the temps are low.
You can grab Brussels sprouts on the stalk or off for the recipe, but just make sure to grab fresh ones. Frozen won't do here. And while it's technically spelled Brussels sprouts, whatever you call them-Brussels sprouts or brussel sprouts-they are a delicious way to nourish your body!
What do raw Brussels sprouts taste like?
You might be afraid to try raw Brussels sprouts (after all, they are so tasty roasted with some bacon and apples), but I promise raw Brussels sprouts are something you have to test out! In fact, if you are a Brussels sprout-hater, you have to try this salad out! The sulfur flavor that a lot of people dislike about Brussels sprouts comes from cooking (specifically, overcooking) the sprouts. When you eat them raw? No sulfur flavor. They taste like super sweet cabbage!
How do you shred/shave Brussels sprouts?
If you have really great knife skills and a decent amount of patience, you can do it by hand with a knife, but if you are lacking in knife skills like I am, you'll want to use a mandoline slicer or a food processor. I personally prefer using a mandoline here, because I've found that the shredding blade on my food processor can leave some larger chunks of Brussels sprouts. I promise the mandoline makes really quick work of shredding the Brussels sprouts!
Now that I've told you to use a mandoline to shave Brussels sprouts, you have to promise me something. Swear to me you will never ever even think about trying to cut a sprout on a mandoline without wearing a no-cut glove on your hand. Swear it to me. Right now. On the grave of all the Brussels sprouts that have come before.
I don't care how careful you are, if you try to use a mandoline to slice Brussels sprouts without proper hand protection, you will (WILL!) cut yourself. And no, those little handguard things that come with your mandoline don't count (I swear I cut myself MORE when I use those things). Trust me, the $12 you'll spend on the no-cut gloves are well worth it to avoid the pain and suffering of getting your fingers sliced off on your mandoline. This salad is good, but it's not good enough for you to lose any flesh. Just don't, k? I care about you too much.
Can you shred Brussels sprout ahead of time?
Sure can! Shredded Brussels sprouts will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days-just like shredded cabbage would. I recommend putting a damp kitchen towel in the container with the shredded Brussels, just to keep them from drying out.
Can you dress the salad ahead of time?
Since this salad is more slaw-like than salad-like, you can get away with dressing this baby in advance of serving. In fact, I recommend dressing it at least 30 minutes before serving, but you can easily do it a day ahead of time and still have a delicious, crisp, flavorful Brussels sprout salad.
Can you use this maple-mustard dressing on other salads?
Yes, you absolutely can (and should) use this amazing and tangy salad dressing on all your other salads. It's a riff off of my classic Honey-Mustard Salad Dressing, and oh my goodness, is it delicious! I've been known to eat it with a spoon.
What pairs well with Brussels sprout salad?
I like to eat this as a light lunch topped with some roasted chicken, but this also works beautifully as a side dish. Serve it as a side to hearty main dishes like Swedish Meatballs, comforting soups like Pumpkin Chicken Soup, or grilled meat like Grilled Beer Can Chicken. It would also make an interesting and fresh side to go alongside your roasted turkey (here's my fan-favorite dry brine recipe for turkey) for Thanksgiving dinner!
Looking for more Brussels sprout recipes?
I've never met a Brussels sprout I didn't love! Check out these other recipes to help you get your Brussels sprout fix:
📖 Recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 medium tart apple like Granny Smith
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends off 1 pound Brussels sprouts. Using a sharp knife OR using the thinest blade on a mandoline slicer (and a no-cut glove) slice each sprout thinly. Slice 1 medium tart apple and 1 medium red onion in the same manner. Combine in a large bowl.
- Toast 1 cup chopped walnuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, about two minutes. Add to the Brussels sprout mixture. Toss to combine.
- Combine the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a tight-fighting lid. Close the lid and shake until well-combined. Pour over the Brussels sprout mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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We love this recipe!! So fresh and healthy!! My friend's son made this for a big party and it was a hit! I searched until I found the recipe and made it the next day!
This looks great! Husband has to have his meat so thinking of adding chicken
nice
can any one tell me how to cook Israeli cuscus
thanks
Sandra
I made this recipe 2 ways, the first was as written, and the second was warm: After I toasted the walnuts, I sauteed the onions until soft and then sauteed the Brussels sprouts. Then I added the (raw) apples and toasted walnuts and vinagarette. My husband and I both liked the sauteed version better. Great easy recipe!
Where did the recipe go?
We added a new recipe plugin, and it didn't immediately transfer to mobile well. It should be fixed now! Sorry about that!
I made this recipe exactly written, and it's delicious. I just used a really sharp knife to slice the Brussels sprouts, apple, and onion, and it came together in no time. Will definitely add to the regular salad rotation at my house.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup and would you use the same amount??
Yes, and yes! 🙂
There are lots of great calorie calculators out there that you can use!
not only do I LOVE everything about this salad, I am in LOVE with how you look at eating. I used to try and deprive myself of the things I loved because I knew it would rack up the pounds. But this year for the first time, I let myself enjoy every bite of the holidays, and it was wonderful. Now, I actually look forward to my salads for lunch and yogurt for breakfast.
YES! Isn't it the best? Guilting yourself is never the answer. Embracing the indulgence is one of the best things we can do for healthy eating. 🙂
Any idea how many calories in a serving of this? Thanks!
There are lots of great calorie calculators out there that you can use!
Is it a bad idea to make this the night before? I want to use it for a side on Christmas Day and I'm trying to reduce the amount I need to do in the morning- two kids under 3 so I want to spend my time playing and not all my time cooking!
I am trying the shaved Brussels and onion the night before....we will see.
I made the salad last night for a group of about 20 women. I substituted balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar and red sweet apples for the green apples and it was just delicious. My guests all wanted the recipe. It was a real hit. Thanks for posting your recipe.
I love this salad and the vinegarette can be warmed as well...I add blue cheese as well. P.S. For a festive kick I add pomegranate seeds!! Yum!
Do you use pure maple syrup or something like Mrs. Butter worth, etc.?
Making this for a party this weekend ... Sounds sooo delish!
Pure maple syrup! 🙂
I just finished making this. Added bacon crumbles. Would consider adding blue cheeses crumbles too in the future, but it's just awesome!
Whoaaaa. Thanks for this. The recipe (currently obsessed with shaved Brussels salads) and sharing your December food philosophy. Your post made me realize how miserable I've started the month, mostly because I have FOMO coupled with fear of gaining a ton of weight (FOGATOW?) I'm going to loosen up a little for special occasions, but make good choices for all other meals. Seems moderately doable for me. 🙂 Wishing you all the best in this holiday season!
Oh goodness, do I know what you mean... some days the body just craves things like this!
"My soul sings the songs of the cookie goddess" is the best thing I've ever heard! Food guilt is such a waste of time, isn't it? I'm so with you on the "normal" day eating thing. When I zoom out and look at the bigger picture, I realize I eat way more good-for-me things than indulgent ones so I don't feel bad about those less nutritionally dense choices. And the holiday season is too much fun to miss out on any of the cookies, pies, cocktails, etc. P.S. Eggnog with amaretto sounds SO GOOD.
I love your philosophy (maybe because I use it too:) - and your shaved brussels sprouts look divine. The only change I'd make to the recipe is to soak the red onion slices in lime juice to make them less pungent. It's a trick I learned from an Ina Garten salad and now I eat raw red onions, which I never used to do. Enjoy the holiday season, without guilt and with much joy.
That's such a great idea! I'm such an onion fan, I could *almost* eat them like apples, but for those folks that aren't quite as onion-obsessed as I am, that is a great solution!
Thank you for the lime juice/onion tip.
Same here. Great tip!
Am I crazy for thinking I could shave brussel sprouts in my food processor with the slicing attachment and then grate my apples similarly? Nooo patience for me when it comes to mandolines...
You know, that might just work! I have NEVER been able to get the slicing attachment to work properly on my food processor (it just pumps out giant chunks), but if you have more food processor skills than I do—DO IT!
Update: the slicer worked great! My attachment is adjustable, so I put it on the thinnest setting. The grater with the apples? Not as much of a success. I'll slice them next time!
I have a nice Cuisinart food processor and used the slicing blade dialed onthe thinnest setting.
To set the blade: the back of the blade attachment has a round plastic shaft, which dials up or down. Just dial it to the thinnest setting and it slices beautifully.
This was delightful. Sublime. I used pecans because my wife has issues with walnuts. Great, simple salad with a nice kick from the Dijon and no real sweetness despite the syrup. I thought about using Agave instead but I stayed with the program and will do so many times. Good on Ya Cassie!
I totally did that also the apples and onion when I was closer to dinner time