Brussel Sprout Salad – Fall Favorite

Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad Recipe

An easy to make salad with just a few simple ingredients. This Brussel Sprout Salad with Cranberries, Apples and Pine Nuts is a winner year round! 

Are you frantically looking for a last minute salad to add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner this year? Look no further friends, this Brussel Sprout Salad comes together in 20 minutes and will leave you looking like the hostess with the most.

Even if you think that you don’t like brussel sprouts I am begging you to make this incredible salad! The sprouts are shredded and blanched which takes away the pungent odor that many people associate with them. So much so in fact, Mr. Olive thought it was kale with his first bite! 

First Published: November 2018 Last Updated: August 17, 2020

 Flavorful Salads, NOT boring!

Salad recipes don’t have to be boring and bland my friends, which we will show you with this version of our raw shredded brussel sprout salad. There are so many ways to add flavor to a good salad, and you can build upon it with multiple layers like in our delicious Kale and Broccoli Salad.

Gone are the days of tossing some lettuce into a bowl with dressing and calling it done – this simple salad combines shredded brussel sprouts with the sweet tang of Gala apples and tartness of the dried cranberries.

We even kept the dressing light and simple; a basic white balsamic vinaigrette, so that the flavors of the rest of the salad can shine through in every bite. We often do big salads for dinner – especially on the nights when we REALLY don’t want to cook…which turns out to be pretty darn often (ha). If you wanted to turn this into an entire meal all you have to do is add in some protein for a super filling dinner recipe.

Ingredients

• Brussel Sprouts
• Pine Nuts
• Gala Apple
• Dried Cranberries
• Olive Oil 
• White Balsamic Vinegar
• White Sugar
• Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper

Variations and Substitutions

Okay guys, you know what I always say; make it your own! If you don’t like something that we put in the salad then take it out and add something you do love. Below are some ideas for you to try.

• Honeycrisp Apple instead of a Gala – you want to try using an apple with red skin so you have nice color variation
• Chopped Walnuts or Pecans – in fact, almost any kind of chopped nut would be delicious in this salad
• If you don’t have any white balsamic on hand you can use white vinegar. Simply mix together 1/4 c Olive Oil with 2 tbsp White Vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon Mustard, a pinch of Sugar and Salt & Pepper to taste
• No dried cranberries on hand? Use dried figs in their place!

Be sure to PIN THIS Easy Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad so you have it for later!

Frequently asked questions

How to shred brussel sprouts for a salad

While there are a few different ways you can shred your sprouts for this salad, I would recommend one of the following to keep it quick and easy:

• Using a sharp chef’s knife – This is my method of choice as it allows me to keep them the size I want. You simply cut the brussel sprout in half length wise and then finely slice them crosswise.
• Food Processors are also a good option for this recipe if you are doubling or tripling and want to save yourself some time. Make sure you have the proper blade (the shredding/grating disc) and simply place the brussel sprouts through the feed tube and watch the magic happen!
• A mandolinis another good option for quickly getting the job done and you can adjust the blade thickness for your cuts as well…just watch your fingers! The blades are super sharp and when you get into the motion of cutting you sometimes don’t realize how close your fingers are.

Whatever method you choose to use just be sure to keep your slices as consistent as you can for your Brussel Sprout Salad.

Can you shred brussel sprouts ahead of time

Shredding your brussel sprouts ahead of time is an easy way to make this dish come together even faster! Be sure to keep them in a sealed container or Ziploc bag so the air can’t get to them and turn the edges brown.

I love how easily this salad comes together especially for the holidays. I recommend getting everything ready the day before, except for your apples as they will brown.

To keep your pine nuts from getting soft after toasting you will want to put them in an airtight container or sandwich bag and then put all the other ingredients in a large container and dress before serving.

Side dishes

• Simple Kale Slaw with Apples
• Kale and Broccoli Salad
• Holiday Brussel Sprouts – Taste of Home
• White Bean and Kale Salad (served warm or cold)
• Sauteed Kale with Cranberries and Pecans

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