I’ll be honest with you – I was one of those people who thought Brussels sprouts were just those bitter little vegetables you had to tolerate at holiday dinners. But then I discovered the magic of turning them into a salad, and everything changed. Now, this Brussels sprouts salad is my go-to dish for potlucks, holiday gatherings, and even just regular weeknight dinners when I want something healthy but exciting.

The beauty of a Brussels sprouts salad is that it’s completely different from the mushy, overcooked sprouts you might remember from childhood. When you shave them raw, they become this crispy, crunchy base that’s full of flavor and nutrition. Let me walk you through exactly how I make my favorite version, with all the ingredients and steps spelled out clearly.

Watch This Helpful Tutorial:

Before we dive in, I highly recommend watching this Preppy Kitchen Brussels Sprout Salad tutorial – it’s an 8-minute video that shows you every step of the process beautifully. The host walks through shaving the sprouts, making the dressing, and assembling everything in a way that makes it seem totally doable even if you’re nervous about trying something new.

Basic Ingredients You’ll Need

Let me break down exactly what you need for this salad. This recipe serves 4-6 people as a side dish, or 2-3 people as a main course.

For the Salad Base:

• 1.5 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts (about 5-6 cups when shaved)
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup pecans (or walnuts)
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (or shaved Parmesan)
• Optional: 4-6 strips of bacon, cooked crispy

For the Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small shallot, minced (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

That’s it! Simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. The Brussels sprouts are obviously the star, but each component plays an important role in balancing flavors and textures.

How to Prep Your Brussels Sprouts

This is the most important step, and I learned through trial and error that the way you prepare the sprouts makes all the difference. Here’s exactly what I do:

First, I wash my Brussels sprouts thoroughly under cold water. Then I trim off the tough stem end – usually about a quarter inch. I also peel off any wilted or discolored outer leaves. Don’t worry about being too precious with this step; the goal is just to get rid of anything that looks brown or damaged.

Now comes the shaving part. You have three options here, and I’ve tried them all:

Option 1: Food Processor – This is my go-to method when I’m making a big batch. I use the slicing blade attachment and feed the sprouts through. It takes maybe two minutes total, and you get beautifully consistent thin ribbons. Just make sure your sprouts aren’t too small, or they might bounce around instead of slicing properly.

Option 2: Mandoline Slicer – This gives you the thinnest, most delicate ribbons. I set mine to about 2-3mm thickness. The downside is you have to be really careful with your fingers. I always use the hand guard, even though it’s annoying, because Brussels sprouts are not worth a trip to the emergency room.

Option 3: Sharp Knife – If you don’t have either of the above tools, a sharp chef’s knife works fine. I cut each sprout in half lengthwise, place it cut-side down for stability, and then slice as thinly as I can. It takes longer, but it’s actually kind of meditative once you get into a rhythm.

The key is getting them thin enough that they’re tender to eat raw, but not so thin that they turn to mush when you add the dressing. You’re aiming for ribbons about the thickness of a dime.

Toasting the Nuts (Don’t Skip This!)

While you’re prepping your sprouts, this is the perfect time to toast your nuts. I cannot stress enough how much better toasted nuts taste compared to raw ones. It’s the difference between a good salad and a great salad.

Here’s my foolproof method: I heat a dry skillet over medium heat – no oil needed. Once it’s warm, I add my pecans in a single layer and toast them for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. You’ll know they’re done when they smell incredible and have darkened slightly. They’ll continue cooking a bit after you remove them from heat, so I take them off just before they look perfect.

Sometimes I’ll toss the warm nuts with a tiny drizzle of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. This creates these sweet-savory candied clusters that are absolutely addictive. But plain toasted nuts are also wonderful, so don’t feel like you have to do this extra step.

Let the nuts cool completely before adding them to your salad, or they’ll wilt your sprouts.

Making the Perfect Dressing

The dressing is where the magic happens. I’ve tried dozens of variations, but this mustard vinaigrette is my absolute favorite. Here’s how I make it:

In a small bowl, I whisk together the Dijon mustard and honey first. This creates a smooth base. Then I add the apple cider vinegar and whisk again. If I’m using shallot, I add it now – the acid from the vinegar helps mellow out the sharp onion flavor.

Slowly, while whisking constantly, I drizzle in the olive oil. This creates an emulsion that’s smooth and creamy rather than separated and oily. Finally, I season with salt and pepper. I always taste it at this point and adjust – maybe it needs a touch more honey if the sprouts are particularly bitter that day, or a bit more vinegar if I want it tangier.

Some people like to warm this dressing slightly before adding it to the sprouts. The gentle heat softens the sprouts just a tiny bit while keeping them essentially raw and crunchy. If you want to try this, just microwave the dressing for 15-20 seconds, or warm it gently in a small saucepan for about a minute.

Assembling Your Salad

Now we’re ready to put everything together. This part is actually really forgiving – there’s no wrong way to do it, but I’ve found a method that works really well.

I put my shaved Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Like, larger than you think you need, because you’re going to be tossing and mixing, and you don’t want sprouts flying everywhere. Been there, done that, learned my lesson.

I pour about three-quarters of my dressing over the sprouts and then – here’s the secret technique I learned from watching America’s Test Kitchen – I massage the dressing into the sprouts with my hands for about 30 seconds. I know it sounds weird, but this really helps. The massage action breaks down the tough cell walls just enough to make the sprouts more tender while they keep their crunch. You’ll actually see the color brighten and the volume decrease slightly.

After massaging, I add the dried cranberries and toss everything together. Then I add the toasted nuts and the cheese and give it one more gentle toss. I taste at this point to see if I need more dressing or any additional salt and pepper.

If I’m using bacon, I crumble it over the top right before serving. Bacon tends to get soggy if you add it too early, so I wait until the last minute.

Timing and Make-Ahead Tips

Here’s something that makes this salad incredibly practical: unlike most salads, this one actually gets better as it sits. The Brussels sprouts soften slightly but maintain their structure, and all the flavors meld together beautifully.

I often prep everything the night before. I shave my sprouts, make my dressing, toast my nuts, and cook my bacon (if using). I store everything separately in the fridge. Then, anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before I want to serve it, I dress the sprouts and let them marinate.

The only things I add at the last minute are the nuts (so they stay crunchy), the cheese (so it doesn’t dissolve), and the bacon (so it stays crispy). But the dressed sprouts and cranberries? They’re actually better after sitting together for a while.

If you’re taking this to a potluck, you can dress the sprouts before you leave home, then carry the nuts, cheese, and bacon separately in small containers and sprinkle them on top when you arrive.

Variations I Love to Make

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, the variations are endless. Here are my favorite ways to change things up:

Fall Version: I add diced Honeycrisp apples and substitute maple syrup for the honey in the dressing. Sometimes I’ll also throw in some roasted butternut squash cubes for extra heartiness.

Winter Holiday Version: I use pomegranate arils instead of cranberries for these beautiful ruby jewels throughout the salad. I switch to hazelnuts, and I use a balsamic vinaigrette instead of mustard. It feels more luxurious and festive.

Spring Version: I add sliced strawberries and slivered almonds, and I make a lemon-poppy seed dressing instead. I know it sounds unusual, but strawberries and Brussels sprouts are incredible together.

Bacon Lover’s Version: I cook 6 strips of bacon, crumble them over the salad, and use 2 tablespoons of the warm bacon fat in place of some of the olive oil in the dressing. I also add quick-pickled red onions (just soak thin slices in red wine vinegar for 15 minutes). This version is not for the faint of heart, but it’s what everyone requests at parties.

Why This Salad Is So Good for You

Beyond tasting amazing, I love knowing that this salad is packed with nutrition. Brussels sprouts are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. They’re loaded with vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and folate. They’re also high in fiber, which helps with digestion and keeps you feeling full.

When you eat them raw like in this salad, you preserve even more of the heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C. Plus, the healthy fats from the olive oil and nuts help your body absorb all the fat-soluble vitamins.

Adding nuts brings protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The cheese adds calcium and more protein. And if you’re adding bacon, well, everything in moderation, right? The point is, this isn’t just an indulgent salad – it’s genuinely nourishing.

I’ve found that this salad keeps me satisfied for hours. It’s substantial enough to be a complete meal, especially if I add some grilled chicken, salmon, or chickpeas on top. I’ve eaten it for lunch at my desk countless times, and I never feel that mid-afternoon energy crash.

My Biggest Lessons Learned

After making this salad dozens and dozens of times, I’ve learned some important lessons that’ll save you from the mistakes I made:

Lesson 1: Always trim the stem ends before shaving. Those woody ends don’t slice well and create stringy, unpleasant bits in your salad. I learned this the hard way during a dinner party.

Lesson 2: Taste your Brussels sprouts before committing to a full raw salad. Sometimes, depending on the season, they can be more bitter. If you get a particularly strong batch, blanch them in boiling water for literally 30 seconds, shock them in ice water, dry them thoroughly, and then shave. This takes away the bite while keeping them essentially raw.

Lesson 3: Start with less dressing than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away. I’ve drowned perfectly good sprouts in too much dressing, and it’s heartbreaking.

Lesson 4: Room temperature matters. If your ingredients are all ice cold from the fridge, the flavors won’t be as pronounced. I try to let everything come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Lesson 5: Fresh Brussels sprouts make all the difference. Look for bright green sprouts that are firm and compact. Avoid any that are yellowing or have loose, wilted leaves. The fresher they are, the less bitter they’ll taste.

Why This Has Become My Signature Dish

This Brussels sprouts salad has genuinely become my thing. When people invite me to dinner parties, they specifically ask me to bring “that Brussels sprouts thing.” I’ve written out the recipe on index cards more times than I can count. I’ve texted photos of my ingredient list to friends who are standing in grocery store aisles trying to remember what I told them to buy.

What makes me happiest is watching people’s faces when they try it for the first time. There’s always this moment of surprise – surprise that Brussels sprouts can taste this good, surprise at how all the flavors work together, surprise that they’re reaching for seconds and thirds of what is essentially a vegetable salad.

I’ve served this to self-proclaimed Brussels sprouts haters, and I’d say about 90% of them become converts on the spot. There’s something about the fresh, bright flavors, the variety of textures – crispy sprouts, crunchy nuts, chewy cranberries, creamy cheese – and that perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy that completely changes people’s perception of this humble vegetable.

I love that this salad is a bridge dish for people trying to eat healthier. It doesn’t taste like diet food or something virtuous that you’re forcing yourself to eat. It tastes celebratory and indulgent, even though it’s made primarily from vegetables. That’s exactly the kind of food I want in my life – delicious first, healthy as a happy bonus.

Final Thoughts and Encouragement

If you’ve never tried Brussels sprouts raw, or if you’ve only had them roasted and aren’t sure you like them, I’m telling you – give this salad a chance. The raw preparation is so different from cooked Brussels sprouts that it’s almost like a completely different vegetable.

Start with this basic recipe exactly as I’ve written it. Follow the steps, measure everything carefully, and see what you think. Then, once you’ve made it once or twice and you understand how it all comes together, start playing with variations. Add your favorite nuts, try different dried fruits, experiment with different cheeses and dressings.

This salad has brought me so much joy, both in making it and in sharing it with people I care about. There’s something special about taking an ingredient that a lot of people think they don’t like and transforming it into something they can’t stop eating.

So grab a pound and a half of Brussels sprouts, sharpen your knife or dust off your food processor, and let’s make some magic happen. Your taste buds – and your dinner guests – are going to thank you. I promise, once you try Brussels sprouts this way, there really is no going back.