Filled with easy to find fall produce, this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad is easy enough to make for a weeknight but delicious enough to serve for a holiday dinner.  Plus, leftovers stay fresh for days, making it perfect for lunchtime meal prep!

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I don’t know about you guys, but we eat salads all summer long, and then fall comes and we just kind of… stop.  Summer produce is always so beautiful and fresh and begs for big, beautiful green salads.  Fall produce — not so much.

But!  Not anymore, with this shaved Brussels sprouts salad, full of fall and winter favorites.

Here’s what I love so much about this salad:

• made with actual in-season fall and winter produce
• crunchy with lots of different textures
• fancy enough for a dinner party (i.e., Thanksgiving or other holiday)
• easy enough for a weeknight
• leftovers keep well enough to pack for lunch all week

It’s refreshing to get some nice raw salads in during the sad fall and winter produce months, so we’ll be eating variations of this salad (see below for different mix-in ideas!) all winter long, and I’m not the least bit sad about it.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad Ingredients

First up, what do you need to make this salad? The list is pretty short and sweet. For this version, you need:

• Brussels sprouts
• good quality extra virgin olive oil
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
• dried cranberries
• grated pecorino cheese
• pomegranate arils
• apple (eating varieties, like honeycrisp, granny smith, gala, golden delicious, braeburn, jonagold, etc)
• salt + pepper

But! This is the perfect salad to switch things up!

I purposely keep this salad nut-free so my kids can pack it in their lunches for daycare/preschool.  Don’t like sunflower seeds and prefer nuts?  Substitute chopped walnuts instead.

Need to win over a bacon lover?  Toss in a few pieces of crumbled bacon.  Dried cherries, goat cheese, sliced almonds, chopped chives, or fresh blueberries would all be delicious here.

How to Shave Brussels Sprouts

There are three pretty easy ways to go about shaving your Brussels sprouts:

1. By hand, using a sharp knife.  This is my preferred method – it’s quick and easy and has the fastest cleanup.  Cut off the bottom stem, remove any loose outer leaves, and slice thinly.
2. Use a mandoline food slicer for thin, even slices.
3. Use a food processor with a shredding disk.

This YouTube video provides a great visual tutorial of each method.

Perfect Make-Ahead Salad

One of the best things about this fall Brussels sprout salad?  It lasts in the fridge!

You’ll want to make it the day you serve it, ideally at least an hour or so beforehand.  Make the salad, mix it up, and let it sit at room temperature for a little.  As the Brussels sprouts sit with the dressing, the citrus and salt will help break down some of the tougher leafy strips.

Kitchen Chemistry

Brussels sprouts contain cell walls composed of complex structures like cellulose and hemicellulose. These cell walls provide structural integrity but can be tough and resistant when consumed raw. When the sprouts are mixed with dressing, the acid in the salad dressing weakens the bonds between the molecules in the cell walls, a process known as hydrolysis. As a result, the Brussels sprouts soften over time and the flavors from the dressing penetrate throughout the vegetables.

But! If you have leftovers? They’re still good the next day.  And the day after that.  And even the day after that.

I ate leftovers of this salad for five days for lunch, and it wasn’t a sad, soggy salad.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

1. Shred the Brussels sprouts up to 2 days in advance.  Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until assembling the salad.
2. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
3. Use any variety of apples you like to eat for the salad. (Honeycrisp or braeburn are my favorites in this salad.)
4. Let the salad rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.  The lemon juice and salt will help soften the raw sprouts.
5. The salad is best served the day it is made, but leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

More Salad Recipes:

• Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Goat Cheese
• Watermelon Radish Citrus Spinach Salad
• Healthy Extra Crunchy Broccoli Salad
• Grilled Asparagus & Feta Salad
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