Easiest Ever Brussels Sprouts Salad

This is the BEST Brussels Sprouts Salad, with an easy apple cider vinegar and honey dijon dressing. Toss with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for a festive fall slaw! 

Ingredients in Brussels sprouts salad

The ingredients for the salad are just four simple things:

• Brussels Sprouts
• Cranberries
• Almonds
• Pumpkin seeds

The only other ingredients you will need are pantry items to make your dressing. You can always add in more toppings (croutons and walnuts or pecans would add more crunch!), or you can remove whatever you don't have on hand. As long as you have lots of brussels sprouts, you're good to go!

How to make shaved Brussels sprouts salad

This salad is so easy and nutritious. You’ll be able to put it together in less than 30 minutes and the taste will blow you away! Here's exactly how to make brussels sprouts salad step-by-step:

1. Slice the Brussels sprouts thinly – you can do this by hand, or using a mandolin or food processor (see more details below)
2. Mix the Brussels sprouts, cranberries, almonds and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl
3. Whisk the dressing together in a separate bowl
4. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine

How to cut the Brussels sprouts

Since Brussels sprouts are so small to begin with, you may be wondering how you will cut them even smaller. Take your time and follow a few simple steps:

1. Cut the bottom root part off. This is much tougher than the rest and you don’t want it in your salad
2. Put the sprouts in a bowl of cool water to rinse. They usually aren’t very dirty, but any residual dirt will sink to the bottom.
3. Slice the Brussels sprouts thinly with a sharp knife. Start by cutting the root off and lay them with the cut side down on the cutting board. This will give you a flat surface and make them easier to slice.
4. Carefully slice from end to end.

If you have a food processor, this job can be even easier. Use the slicing blade and run the sprouts through. You can also use a mandolin for this job.

Brussels sprouts salad dressing

It’s so easy to make your own salad dressing. Once you learn how to make this one, you’ll want to mix your own dressing for every salad you make! It’s the best way to make sure you don’t have any unexpected sugars or artificial ingredients in your dressing. Plus it only takes a minute.

Brussels sprouts taste great with an apple cider and dijon mustard mix. I will frequently use this dressing as a coleslaw dressing because it also tastes great with a blend of cabbage, broccoli and carrots.

If you decide to adjust the flavor, keep a few things in mind.

• You need something acidic. The apple cider vinegar works in this dressing. But it can be lemon or lime juice or any other vinegar.
• Pour the oil into the mixture in a slow stream while whisking. This creates the most consistent flavor.
• You can store this dressing in the refrigerator for up to four weeks, so make a big batch and use it on all sorts of things!

Here's what's in this dressing and this is what you'll whisk together in a small bowl:

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Make it vegan

Many dijon mustards are not considered vegan because they contain white wine. That wine is filtered with animal-based products. However, there are specifically vegan dijon mustards on the market. Look for one of these or substitute for yellow mustard, which is vegan.

There is some debate as to the classification of honey being vegan or not. If you stay away, you can use maple syrup as a substitute, although the flavor will be slightly different. Brown rice or sorghum syrup are also options.

Make it nut free

If you need to omit the nuts, there are other ingredients you can add that will still give this recipe its crunchy texture.

• Sunflower seeds
• Roasted chickpeas
• Hemp seeds
• Croutons

What to serve with Brussels sprouts salad

An easy way to turn this into a complete meal is to serve it with turkey sausages. They cook quickly and taste great with the Brussels sprouts.

This is also a great side dish to take to a holiday party. The bright green will liven up a table of potluck dishes.

Other ideas of what to pair with this salad are:

• Prosciutto
• Chicken breasts
• Steak
• Kielbasa

Turn this slaw into meal prep bowls

The Brussels sprouts salad will last in the refrigerator for five to six days. This means that you can make a big batch of it in advance and divide it into meal prep bowls.

The amount in this recipe will make four servings. You can divide it between four glass meal prep containers and be ready for a whole week of lunches.

Just add a little protein to the bowl for a delicious and filling meal on the go.

I typically eat the sausage cold because that's how you enjoy the salad, but you can remove the sausage and microwave it before enjoying alongside the brussels sprouts salad.

Storing and serving

The complete Brussels sprout salad will last for five to six days in the refrigerator. Store the salad in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap, or store individual servings in glass meal prep bowls as pictured. You don't need to heat the salad up or anything, just serve and enjoy!

The salad dressing by itself will last for four weeks. You will need to keep it in the refrigerator, and I usually store it in a mason jar so that it has a lid and can be shaken before serving.

More brussels sprouts recipes

Here are my other fave brussels sprouts recipes – there are so many creative ways to cook them!

• Crispy bacon brussels sprouts
• Asiago brussels sprouts and kale dip

More fall recipes

This brussels sprouts salad is the epitome of fall food! Check out some of my other fall favourites below.

• Butternut squash recipes
• Stuffed acorn squash
• Broccoli salad

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this salad into leftovers
• I get all my free-range turkey sausage from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
• Get a meat thermometer to make sure your sausage is cooked through

* Add 175 calories and 22g of protein if serving 1 turkey sausages alongside the brussels sprouts salad as pictured in the meal prep bowls in this post