Our 15-minute Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette makes a perfect weeknight side, meal prep lunch option, or healthy dish for your Thanksgiving table.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Healthy Winter Salad Recipes
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
This recipe is…
Chances are that most of the Brussels sprouts you’ve eaten in your life have been either halved and roasted, or cooked whole. And while these are both delicious ways to eat these tiny cabbages, enjoying shaved, raw Brussels sprouts is like eating a different vegetable altogether.
That’s because these tiny brassicas have a milder flavor when raw, and they have tons of texture and crunch — making them perfect for make-ahead salads like this one. Shredded Brussels sprouts get dressed in a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette, then tossed with pumpkin seeds, apples, and dried cranberries.
The salad and dressing can be prepped in advance. When they’re tossed together just before serving, the dressing softens the shaved sprouts just enough so they still retain their crunch. Eat it right away, or meal prep a batch so you’ll have healthy lunches for the days ahead.
This quick recipe takes just 15 minutes to throw together, but it looks impressive enough to serve at Thanksgiving, or other holidays. Looking for more holiday side dishes? Try our Gluten Free Sausage Stuffing, Kale Salad with Apples and Butternut Squash, and Cranberry Stuffing with Sweet Potatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe
- A base of shredded Brussels sprouts = great texture and crunch!
- Takes just 15 minutes start-to-finish
- Perfect for healthy meal prep
- Pretty enough to serve at your holiday table
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious salad. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Fresh Apples – Fresh diced apples help add a bit of crunch and sweetness to this salad. We used honeycrisp, but you can use any of your favorite apple varieties.
- Dried Cranberries – If it were up to me, I’d sneak cranberries of some form into every dish from November to December. Here, the cranberries add the perfect pop of sweet and tart.
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds – Pumpkin seeds add just a bit of crunch and a lovely toasted flavor to this salad.
- Parsley – Chopped Italian parsley adds a beautifully fresh flavor to this dish.
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette – This vinaigrette is what MAKES this salad! A simple blend of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and a touch of dijon mustard produces a perfectly balanced dressing that you won’t be able to get enough of.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Here are a few more additions that would be wonderful in this salad:
- Add cheese – about 1/2 cup shredded parmesan or crumbled goat cheese would both go beautifully in this salad.
- Add bacon – because everything is better with bacon! If you’d like, add about 4 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon to the salad for a bit of salty crunch.
- Substitute the pumpkin seeds – Sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, or even hazelnuts would all be wonderful in this dish.
- Play with dressings – As much as I love the apple cider vinaigrette in this recipe, feel free to customize the dressing to your taste! This creamy honey mustard dressing is at the top of my list.
- Roast the sprouts – if you don’t want to eat the brussels sprouts raw, you can also make a warm version of this salad. Just toss the shredded sprouts with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, half a teaspoon of salt, then spread out onto a sheet pan and roast at 400 F for 25-30 minutes. Once they are browned, toss them with the parsley, pumpkin seeds, apples, cranberries, and about half of the apple cider vinaigrette.
How to Make Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Here’s how this easy 15-minute recipe comes together.
Step 1: Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and thyme, until fully combined, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is thickened.
Step 2: Add the Brussels sprouts, apples, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and parsley to a large bowl.
Step 2: Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss to combine.
Recipe Tips
Shaving sprouts – if you’re wondering “How do you shave Brussels sprouts, anyway?” read our FAQ below for three easy options (the easiest being buying them pre-shredded.)
Make-ahead option – this is a great make-ahead recipe, which can be made even a few days in advance. Just store the salad and dressing separately, and wait until about 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat to combine them.
How to Serve
If you’re not going to serve the salad right away, chill the salad and dressing separately until about 30 minutes beforehand. Then, dress, toss, and serve!
How to Store
The dressed salad will keep well for about 3 days in the refrigerator. It will wilt a bit over time, but will still maintain a good amount of crunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
The base of this recipe calls for 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, which can be shaved/shredded 3 different ways:
Method 1: Thinly Slice Them With a Knife
To shred your brussels sprouts, you can cut off the ends, halve them, then thinly slice them, taking care to try to slice them as thinly as possible. This method can be a bit tedious, especially when working with a large quantity, but you can speed it up by lining up the halved brussels sprouts and slicing a few of them at one time.
Method 2: Shred the Brussels Sprouts in Your Food Processor
I am always reluctant to drag out my food processor (so many parts to clean!), but in this instance, your food processor will save you a TON of time with shredding the sprouts and is definitely worth the extra bit of effort. Just use the slicing blade on your food processor and feed in the Brussels sprouts until they are all sliced.
Method 3: Buy them Pre-Shredded
There’s no shame hitting the easy button and buying pre-shredded Brussels sprouts. I’ve been able to find these at my local grocery store, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods for a reasonable price.
Brussels sprouts (and other cruciferous vegetables) are chock full of nutrients, especially fiber, vitamin K, and vitamin C.
More Healthy Winter Salad Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the slaw:
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, shredded
- 2 large apples, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
For the apple cider vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Instructions
- Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and thyme, until fully combined, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is thickened.
- Add the brussels sprouts, apples, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and parsley to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
Nutrition
This looks amazing!! Do you have a recommendation on a brand of dried cranberries that doe not contain sunflower oil? Please let me know!! Thank you!
THESE look to be sunflower oil-free, Joni…we haven’t tried them, though!
Thank you so much for finding these dried cranberries without oil Brandi!! I can’t wait to order them! Also, I am making this salad right now as I write this for a make ahead salad to go with grilled burgers later for dinner!! Can’t wait to try it!! Next time I’ll have the cranberries!
You’re so welcome, Joni!!! Enjoy!
This salad is seriously delicous! I did add some sliced red onion and a bit more of the dressing. This will be going in the rotation for sure!
We’re so happy to hear that, Lindsay! Thank you for sharing!!
This recipe is amazing!! I prepared it ahead for my lunches this week. I love ACV so I put a little dash before l eat it. I’ve only had Brussels roasted (usually burnt, lol) but this is amazing and whole 30! Thank you for sharing!!
So glad you liked it Heather!