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A refreshing Brussels sprouts salad featuring a delicious combination of shaved sprouts, crispy bacon, cranberries, and almonds tossed in a zingy lemon vinaigrette.
Come the cooler months, salads play a secondary role, unless they are full of unique and fun ingredients. This brussels sprouts recipe is the epitome of that.
See, unlike your classic green or garden salad, this one doesn’t use any of the conventional ingredients you’d expect. There is no lettuce, no tomatoes, and definitely no mixed greens.
Instead, brussels sprouts take center stage and the additions are anything but boring- you have a sweet element, crunchy element, and a dressing that’s ridiculously simple but also ridiculously delicious. It’s the perfect side dish to almost any meal and it’s so good, my family request it as a meal in itself!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this brussels sprouts recipe
- Highly nutritious. Brussels sprouts are called a superfood for a reason. Being the main ingredient, they make this salad rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins.
- Under 10 minutes to make. As you don’t need to cook the Brussels sprouts for this recipe, making this salad takes barely any time.
- Minimal prep work. The only thing you need to cook for this salad is the bacon. Do some chopping and mixing, and your delicious and healthy salad is ready.
- Perfectly versatile. As mentioned earlier, I sometimes make weeknight meals around this salad. I just amp it up with some grilled or baked protein (chicken legs are a popular option) and bam- dinner is sorted.
Ingredients needed
This recipe is all about balancing out the unique flavor of raw sprouts. Here’s everything you will need to make it.
- Brussels sprouts. Trimmed and washed in cold water.
- Bacon. Finely chopped.
- Almonds. Lightly toasted slivered almonds. Toasting the nuts brings out a lovely smoky flavor that really takes the salad up a notch.
- Parsley. I use flat leaf for this recipe as it has a fresh and fragrant flavor.
- Parmesan. Parmesan and Brussels sprouts go well together whether the sprouts are cooked or raw. The rich, nutty flavor of freshly grated parmesan is a fitting addition to this salad.
- Cranberries or currants. Dried cranberries or currants adds a hint of sweet and sour flavor that helps fight the bitterness of the Brussels sprouts. You can use the fresh versions if you have them on hand.
For the dressing:
- Lemon juice. Freshly squeezed.
- Olive oil. Avocado oil will work too.
- Sugar. A pinch of sugar to balance all flavors.
How to make a Brussels sprouts salad
Step 1 – Cook the bacon. Finely chop the bacon. Add oil to a non-stick frying pan and place it over medium heat. Once the oil gets hot, add the bacon and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy.
Step 2 – Mix all ingredients. Trim the Brussels sprouts and slice them thinly. Add them to a bowl along with almond slivers, cranberries, grated parmesan, chopped parsley, and crispy bacon.
Step 3 – Toss with the dressing and serve. For the dressing, mix olive oil with lemon juice and sugar and mix well until fully combined. Toss the dressing through the salad and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Roast the Brussels sprouts. If you like warm salads, roast the Brussels sprouts. Cut the sprouts into quarters, season them and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast Brussels sprouts at 425F degrees until nicely browned. You can also use air fryer Brussels sprouts or balsamic Brussels sprouts.
- Use goat cheese. Skip the parmesan and crumble some goat cheese over the salad right before serving it. Feta cheese will work well, too.
- Add pine nuts. Pine nuts fit in perfectly into this Brussels sprouts salad. You can use them instead of almond slivers or use both.
- Make maple syrup vinaigrette. To enhance the sweet flavors of the salad, add some maple syrup to the lemon juice and olive dressing.
Storage instructions
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. The salad will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge.
For best results, it is recommended to store the dressing separately. If you do this, the dressing will keep well for up to 7 days.
More salad recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
While Brussels sprouts are naturally slightly bitter, there are some tips and cooking techniques you can use to make them taste less bitter. Some of the best ways to get the bitterness out of Brussels sprouts are to cook them on high heat, blanch them in salt water, and add sweet or acidic ingredients to the dish to balance out the bitterness of the sprouts.
Yes, you can eat Brussels sprouts raw. Just be sure to remove the ends and any loose leaves.
Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes or until crispy.
- Trim the sprouts and slice them very thinly. Add them to a large bowl with the almonds, parsley, parmesan, and cranberries.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and sugar and gently toss through the salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Date nights seem cool–but I’ve never been on a formal one 😀 but I would never get that measly house salad–a fish or chicken veggie salad is better for me! Anyways, this chorizo and brussel sprouts salad looks DEE-vine!! The sausages look wonderful!
She got the salad because she ate cake beforehand 🙂
I don’t like mid week dates. In fact, I don’t really like to make any plans during the week. I’d rather be home and be a curmudgeon. 🙂
Mmm Brussels sprouts.
🙂 I love a certain 5/6pm chat time 🙂 My favourite date 🙂
Aww, Niki! I think weeknight dates are special because it means you care about the person enough to go out of your busy way to spend time with him/her. Tell Niki that Panda is more of a dream guy than this ex.
You know how I feel about these brussels sprouts… :))))
Dude. You need to see Panda now.
LOL. That poor alien brussels sprout.
Chorizo is delicious! Brussels sprouts always stink up the apartment but it’s worth it. Also, midweek dates are awesome…what in the world? Clearly she dodged a bullet with that one…
Haha touche! PS- I’m jealous of your seafood feast!
I was very surprised to find this recipe! I really liked it! It would be interesting to try with some spanish chorizo! I’ll defenetly going to try it 🙂
Please do, Santiago 🙂
El.oh.el. Poor Niki! I don’t mind weekend date nights, but then again… I don’t exactly have a normal work schedule, so there’s that. Actually, scratch that. Even back in the day when I -did- have a normal schedule, I still didn’t mind weekend date nights. A little break from the grind is never a bad thing!
Hahaha how about mid day dates huh? 😉
Bacon and chorizo?! Yessssss.
Seriously, best combination EVER
I love a good roasted salad! Not so sure about the chorizo, but I will take your word for it. And I cannot imagine a date on a weeknight because I am usually in my PJs by 7. It’s a good thing I am married. And yes, he is a lucky man.
Roasted salads are the only salads!
I love brussel sprouts- even though they are deemed as one of the ‘nastiest’ vegetables alongside broccoli by the toddlers of the world committee.
Niki’s date sounds horrible. I understand that someone may not like to be around a person who ONLY want to eat lettuce for meals, but this seemed out of line! I hope the next guy is a little less judgmental of food choices… or maybe you can invite them all over and show them what a REAL salad looks like ;).
Hahahaha TOUCHE!
Thanks Niki! Maybe you and Niki can go on a friend date and discuss where the hell our mothers picked that name.
i love the idea of weekday date nights! I dont mind lettuce every now and then but im more of a arugula or chickpea type of person.
Oh chickpeas are such a great addition!
This looks great! I have an unhealthy obsession with brussel sprouts.
Haha, that’s a good obsession!
Of course. I love salads for meals. However they have to have some sort of protein/fat on them to make them filling for me! This salad looks really good and unique. I used to think that brussel sprouts were gross. I had never even tried them, but people were always talking about them as the ‘despised’ vegetable. Then I tried them, and I loved every bite. Needless to say, next time we get brussel sprouts, this sounds like a good option.
As for weekday date nights, I don’t think I would care either way. 😉 Pretty flexible in that department.
Thanks Emily! I’m so glad we can praise the humble sprout now haha! 🙂
I love salads. But not the boring ones. Lettuce and tomato doesn’t do it for me. The bigger the salad the better. Sounds like the guy was a bit off anyhow. I mean, if she wants a salad, who cares. He already knew she wasn’t an “always salad” girl. Whatever. Anyhow…on to your brussels sprouts…yum! We love them here, which is kind of funny, because I HATED them growing up…like so much I would sit at the table for hours to avoid eating them and try to get the dog to eat them too and he wouldn’t. Turns out, its all in how they’re cooked. My kids love them. And the only reason I tried them again is because my father in law was such a great cook and he made them. I was hooked after one batch of his.
Right? Lettuce and tomatoes are like….not even condiments. They are the pickles of the salad.
Oh we had a similar situation too- It totally is how it’s cooked! My mum studied in the UK and thought the only method was steamed or boiled. WORST.
OMG definitely going to their website now to check out their other products! Since I love sausage and working full time requires fast preparation, i believe this has to enter my weekly roundabout. I love that you said salad-less salad because that’s actually what i have for lunch every day. lots of veggies ( no lettuce HA) topped with potatoes, meat, guac, hot sauce you name it. if a tree falls but no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound? if theres veggies but too many toppings to see them, do they still exist? that kind of sounds like everything i eat.
annnnnnnd i would have a weeknight date with you if you serve brussels sprouts. (and cake.. gluten free egg free delicious (No nake?) CAKE) 😀
YES! NO LETTUCE!
Please see if you can find it- They are so good and easy!
Hmmm….I’m gonna have to nix the weeknight date night. I mean, I did it occasionally when Laura and I were dating, but in general I’m not a fan. Unless it’s Thursday. Thursday is practically Friday, so it’s fair game. And we all know the fun happens on Fridays! But salads as a meal? Yes, yes and more yes…especially during the summer! I haven’t seen the Green Giant Sautes yet, but I totally want to pick some up now. I love me some Brussels…and this salad sounds incredible!
Ooooo I know why you liked Thursdays. If it’s anything like it was in Australia, Thursday was the ‘cheap’ dinner and drink nights. I’m telling Laura! 😉
You know I love my Brussels sprouts and yes, salads and veggies are definitely meals to me 🙂
I LOVE your salads because of the goodness ratio 😀
well you know my thoughts on salads….go big or go home. But i love that niki had cake before. haha. she’s so well balanced. and the date should have know that. Bugger! p.s I ADORE THIS COMBO! seriously, how did you know i (we) are obsessed with brussels and chorizo? Mind reader!
Seriously, all we need now is one of your lasagnas and we’d be in heaven!
I once almost dumped a guy for ordering a salad. I made him order something else. Haha!
smart woman!
Oh no that’s no good!
Anyone who says that salads can’t be meals has obviously never met a salad of mine. And my salads are miffed at the implications. Don’t go offending my food.
Hahahaha no offending your food- Touche 😀
I totally agree that salads can be meals, and this one is ideal for the cooler weather temps to come. Pinned!!
Thanks so much, Blair!
This looks SO delicious. I’ve been on a brussels sprouts kick lately. I love roasting them with balsamic vinegar, but it’s totally time to up the game! Yummmmy!
Thanks Erin, it’s delicious.
I use the term salad loosely as you might see on my Instagram. Lots of fried stuff on top of spinach is my salad. This salad definitely speaks to me, you know my thoughts on chorizo! And if she really got dumped for ordering lettuce, well, that’s lame too! Lamer than lettuce 😉
Hahahaha I despise plain lettuce salads!