This winter Brussel sprouts salad features shaved Brussels sprouts, bacon, feta cheese, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, chopped dates, red onion, and sliced pears. This post will be your guide to creating a bright, flavorful, and wholesome Brussel spouts (that you can also customized to your liking!)
Winter Brussel Sprouts Salad
I’m thrilled to share this winter Brussel sprouts salad with you today! It’s easy to make, packed with so much flavor, and a healthy, wholesome side or meal.
Brussel sprouts have made a comeback over the last few years, but usually in a roasted application. But Brussel sprouts are much more versatile than that! They also work beautifully raw and simply shaved. Much like a hearty green, they hold up well to dressing. Plus, they have a wonderful crunch and texture making them perfect in a raw salad application!
Ingredients in this winter Brussel sprouts salad
For this winter Brussel sprouts salad, I used:
- shaved, raw Brussel sprouts, adds wonderful crunch and texture
- chopped cooked bacon, for that irresistible crunchy, umami bite
- toasted pecans, for extra crunch and nutty flavor
- dried cranberries, for that sweet, chewy taste
- fresh, ripe, sliced pears, provides a juicy, slightly sweet bite. Pears are an under utilized winter fruit that get their opportunity to shine in this salad!
- chopped dates, provides an unexpected rich, pure molasses-like sweetness that helps balance all the savory flavors
- feta cheese, adds a salty creamy note that rounds out the flavors and makes this salad perfection!
how to shave your Brussel sprouts
I highly recommend buying whole Brussel sprouts and shaving them yourself as opposed to buying them pre-shaved, for a few reasons. For one, the pre-shaved Brussels are much more expensive and go bad faster. More importantly, the pre-shaved kind are usually cut into big, bulky chunks with the inedible stem sometimes still attached, making it hard or impossible to eat in a salad. This means you still have to cut them down, defeating the purpose of buying them pre-shredded.
Instead, I would just buy fresh, whole Brussel sprouts and shave them yourself, using a mandolin or food processor. If you don’t have either of those kitchen tools, you could also cut them thinly with a good, sharp knife. This allows you to pick the freshest, most vibrant Brussel sprouts and cut off the hard stem, making the salad fresher and more enjoyable to eat!
the maple dijon dressing
The star of the show is my maple dijon dressing. It’s bright, perfectly sweet, and luscious, making the whole salad dance with flavor.
It’s also incredibly simple to make, using a few pantry staples. It’s made with apple cider vinegar, make syrup, olive oil, a couple dashes of Worcestershire, and garlic salt. Simple and delicious!
how to customize this salad
You can customize this salad however you like to make it your own (and work with the ingredients you have in your pantry!).
Here are some ideas:
- are you vegan or vegetarian?! Remove the bacon and cheese to make this dish right for you!
- Add chicken or other protein to make it more hearty and work as a full meal.
- Change up the cheese! If you don’t have feta or prefer another cheese, goat cheese and shaved parmesan also works great!
- Use whatever nuts you have in hand. I recommend using some sort of nut for crunch, but you can also use walnuts, shaved almonds, or cashews if you don’t have or like pecans.
- Apples also work great! A fresh, ripe honeycrisp or rave apple would also provide a sweet, tangy bite that would work beautifully in this salad.
- other dried fruit options. I love dried fruit in salad as it adds a chewy, sweetness. I also think dried figs would work well!
- Forgo any ingredients you don’t like. If there is something in here that you’re not a fan of, just don’t add it! This salad is super easy to make perfect for you and your tastes!
enjoy!
If you make this winter Brussel sprouts salad, please leave a comment below. I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, cuz sharing is caring!
Winter Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound Brussel sprouts shredded
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 4-5 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 3-4 large dates pitted and chopped
- Half a small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium to large pear thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- A couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
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To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in bowl or shake together in a salad dressing shaker or small mason jar.
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Place the shaved brussel sprouts in a large salad bowl. Top with other salad ingredients, except feta cheese. Add in desired amount of dressing and gently toss. Allow the salad to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the Brussels to soften.
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Top it off with crumbled goat cheese and serve.
