Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples & Walnuts

5 from 3 votes

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If you’re looking for a crisp, fresh salad that will take you from fall to winter, you have to try this brussels sprout salad. Savory with sweet bites here and there, it has diced apples and dried cranberries along with toasted walnuts and sourdough croutons. The salad is crunchy and is tossed in a simple white wine vinaigrette.

Brussels sprout salad with apples, walnuts, dried cranberries and croutons on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No offense to the usual salad greens, but brussels sprouts really deliver on nutrition. They are members of the cabbage family, which shouldn’t be a surprise. That’s because of their wonderful crunch. The play well with other ingredients with their mild taste and incredible fresh texture.

Never tried raw brussels sprouts? Now is the time to skip roasting and sautéing. When you thinly slice raw sprouts, they are crisp, and you will get all their beautiful nutty and slightly sweet flavor. 

This recipe is a salad and a side dish. I’m never one to lock a certain food or dish into a single category. Because you have sprouts as the base rather than lettuce, the line is blurred. Go ahead and serve it either way. It doesn’t matter what you call it.

Peak brussels sprout season happens to be when there are fewer seasonal produce options. Nowadays I know you can get pretty much anything anytime of the year with a few exceptions. Sprouts are at their best September through February/March.

How To Cut Brussels Sprouts

Try one of these three ways:

  1. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice brussels sprouts, no other equipment necessary. That’s what I did in these photos. Trim off the bottom stems and slice them lengthwise.   
  2. Cut brussels sprouts with a mandolin. Hold them on the stem, and be careful. Brussels sprouts are small and the blade of a mandolin is sharp. They will be thinner than if you cut them with a knife, but you probably will have more waste since you’re holding the sprouts while watching out for the mandolin blade.
  3. The quickest way to slice brussels sprouts is with a food processor. They will turn out more shredded than sliced, which is also tasty. Trim the sprouts and then cut them with the slicing disc.

The Ingredients

Ingredients including brussels sprouts, apples, walnuts, scallions, bread, cranberries, parmesan, olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard and garlic.

This is what you need:

  • Brussels sprouts: Fresh ones have leaves that are tightly closed. Avoid sprouts that have loose, wilted outer leaves. If you end up with a few, then just rip them off. Shredded cabbage is a good substitute, and you can buy it already cut.
  • Apples: Pink Lady, Fuji and Honeycrisp apples are all great choices because they are crisp.
  • Walnuts: Take the time to toast the nuts before you add them to the salad. You can do this by spreading out the walnuts on a sheet pan and toasting them in a 350-degree F oven for 5 minutes. You can substitute with almonds or pecans.
  • Dried cranberries add sweetness with the apples. You can substitute with pomegranate seeds if you want more freshness.
  • Parmesan: I also stir in shaved Parmesan cheese. Take a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to cut paper-thin slices. Then you can crumble them in your hands. You can substitute with Manchego cheese.
  • Scallions: These green onions are mild, and that’s why I like them in salads.
  • Parsley: I include chopped fresh herbs.
  • White wine vinaigrette: The dressing is made with garlic, mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper and white wine vinegar. Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
  • Bread: I tear a couple slices of sourdough bread to make croutons, adding even more crunch with the brussels sprouts.

How To Make This Brussels Sprout Salad

1. Toss the torn bread with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can do this right on a large rimmed baking sheet, and then you won’t have to wash another bowl. Spread the bread across the entire pan in a single layer, so the pieces aren’t overlapping.

2. Bake the croutons until they are toasted and golden brown.

Torn bread on a sheet pan before and after it is toasted into croutons.

3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until fully combined. You can do this while the croutons are in the oven.

4. Assemble the salad in a big bowl. Stir together the brussels sprouts, apples, scallions, walnuts, cranberries, parmesan and parsley. Drizzle in the dressing and toss to combine.

Vinaigrette whisked in small bowl. Salad ingredients combined in large bowl.

5. Fold in the sourdough croutons.

Croutons stirred into salad.

Serving

This salad is perfect for the fall and winter months. Of course, you can bookmark it for a Thanksgiving because it ticks the box for brussels sprouts without taking up any precious oven space. As I said, this is where it is a salad and a side dish.

Always think of this recipe for a lunch or weeknight dinner. Even though it is filling on its own, you can add roasted chicken, salmon or tofu for protein.

Leftovers & Storage

The salad is best eaten right after you make it.  You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days. The longer the salad is saved, the stronger the smell from the sprouts will be.

Before you put the salad in the refrigerator, try to take out the croutons and brush off any other salad ingredients. If you want them to stay crunchy, toast them on a sheet pan for a few minutes in a 300-degree F oven to remove any moisture. Let them cool and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Store the salad and dressing in separate containers. I like to put dressing in a mason jar. If you are planning to save some of the salad, only dress the amount that you are eating rather than the entire salad, so the leaves don’t get soggy. Also, only stir in some of the croutons.

Brussels sprout apple salad in a bowl.

Recipe Tips

Do not shred the brussels sprouts in advance. They will lose their crisp bite, and they can develop a sulfur-like smell.

You can make the dressing 2 days ahead of time. The oil will become solid in the chill of the fridge, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to warm up and then stir it.

Recipe FAQs

How do you make the salad vegan?

Either use a plant-based substitute for the parmesan or leave it out.

How do you make the salad gluten-free?

Instead of standard sourdough, use gluten-free bread, or skip the croutons all together.

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Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples

5 from 3 votes
By Paige Adams
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
This fresh and crisp brussels sprout salad has diced apples, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and Parmesan tossed in a white wine vinaigrette.

Ingredients 

For croutons

  • 1-1/2 cups torn sourdough bread
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For vinaigrette

  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

For salad

  • 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 2 crisp apples, cored and diced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • For the croutons, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the bread with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper on a large baking sheet. Spread into a single layer. Toast the croutons until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, flipping over halfway through toasting.
  • For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until fully combined.
  • For the salad, stir the brussels sprouts, apples, scallions, walnuts, dried cranberries, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle in the vinaigrette, tossing to combine.
  • Fold in the croutons before serving.

Notes

You can slice the brussels sprouts with a sharp knife or with a mandolin. Also, you can shred them with the shredding disc or slicing attachment of a food processor. Trim the stem ends and remove any wilted outer leaves before shredding.
The salad is best eaten the day it is made. Do not cut the brussels sprouts in advance.
You can make the dressing up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes and stir it before you toss it in the salad.
Also, you can toast the croutons up to 3 days in advance. Let them cool before you store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
If you do have leftover salad, you can keep it in the fridge up to 2 days in an airtight container. The salad will lose some of its crispness. To save the croutons, take them out of the salad and brush off any other ingredients. If you want them to stay crunchy, toast them on a sheet pan for a few minutes in a 300-degree F oven to remove any moisture. Then let them cool and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 828mg | Potassium: 635mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
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Hi, I'm Paige.

Welcome to Last Ingredient where you will find simple seasonal recipes with plenty of fruits and vegetables, all for the home cook.

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