This shaved brussels sprouts salad with apples, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese is perfect for fall or a holiday meal. From Thanksgiving to Christmas to a weekday lunch, we love making this salad all fall and winter long. Not only is it delicious, it can be made ahead. Brussels sprouts are one of the few salad ‘greens’ that can be dressed in advance and end up tasting even better with time! Unlike other lettuces, brussels sprouts stand up to the shallot vinaigrette and get even more flavorful. Since it can be dressed in advance, it’s the perfect salad to add to your holiday table or weekday lunch routine.
All the toppings in this salad come together for such a delicious dish. The base of the salad is slightly bitter with the arugula and shaved brussels sprouts. These greens are paired with a slightly sweet shallot vinaigrette with honey and thyme. The shallots and thyme add delicious flavor, and the honey adds balance and sweetness. The salad is topped with sweet and tangy dried cranberries which add chewiness and brightness. The pumpkin seeds and apple add crunch, and goat cheese adds creaminess. This salad is balanced, full of flavor, and a perfect fall or holiday side dish.
To make the salad, start with trimmed, shaved brussels sprouts. To shave them we highly recommend a food processor. Trim the base of the brussels sprout and remove any damaged outer leaves. With the shredding or 2 mm slicing blade attachment, place cleaned brussels sprouts into a food processor. You can also buy pre-shredded brussels sprouts but ensure they are fresh and thin. Add the arugula to the shredded sprouts. These two will become the base of your salad.
For the dressing, dice 1 small shallot. Add shallot, olive oil, sherry vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, and honey. Mix together to emulsify and combine. Pour the dressing over the brussels sprouts and arugula and top with cranberries, goat cheese, sliced apples and pumpkin seeds
Brussels Sprouts Salad Notes:
- Sherry Vinegar: If you don’t have sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar or lemon juice will work great!
- Shredded Brussels sprouts: the best way is to use a food processor and shred them yourselves so they are fresh and thin. If you don’t have a food processor, buy the pre-shredded ones. Getting them thin with a knife is too tricky for just about anyone!
- Pumpkin seeds: we like toasted, spiced pumpkin seeds. Any pumpkin seed will be delicious but if you can find spiced ones, they make the salad even more special.
- Apples: honeycrisp are our favorite in this but pink ladies or other varieties are also delicious. Just slice them thinly and scatter them throughout the salad.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Cranberries, Goat Cheese, and Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon thyme dried (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 small shallot diced
Greens:
- 10 ounces shredded brussels sprouts
- 2 cups arugula
Toppings:
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds we like ours toasted
- 3 oz Goat cheese crumbled
- 1 Apple sliced
Instructions
Dressing:
- Add all dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine
- Add brussels sprouts and arugula to dressing and toss to combine
- Top with cranberries, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, and sliced apples
