If you don’t like brussels sprouts, at least hear me out. I believe this apple pecan brussels sprout salad will change the way you feel about brussels sprouts. I don’t know about you, but with all of the food that I consumed shoveled into my mouth this past Thursday and into the weekend, I NEED a salad or two!
Are you still with me?
I didn’t grow up on brussels sprouts. David introduced me to them many years ago. Although his idea of brussels sprouts come from the frozen food section of the grocery store with some kind with a strange buttery sauce on them.
I’m a little late to the brussels sprouts bandwagon because I had to find a way to overcome my fear of the way he prefers them. Trying brussels sprouts fresh made all the difference in the world. A lot of people don’t like brussels sprouts, because of their sulfur flavor. What many do not know is that the bitter sulfur flavor comes from overcooking the brussels sprouts. In their raw form, brussels sprouts are not bitter at all! Raw, shredded brussels sprouts have a mildly sweet taste like cabbage, with a wonderful crunch.
Yep, brussels sprouts are not as nasty as you may have thought.
How To Purchase Brussels Sprouts:
This time of year brussels sprouts are easy to find at the grocery store. You may even be able to find them pre-shredded in a bag. However, the pre-shredded sprouts may be more expensive than a stalk of fresh ones. Trust me, the ones on the stalk will be much fresher too. Shredding brussels sprouts is made easy using a mandoline or food processor, but don’t worry, you don’t have to have fancy kitchen gadgets to shred them. A good sharp knife can easily cut the brussels sprouts into shreds.
This apple pecan brussels sprout salad is for all of you crunch lovers out there. Made with shredded brussels sprouts, crisp apples, chopped pecans, shaved parmesan cheese, and homemade dressing. The dressing for this brussels sprout salad is a bright honey lemon vinaigrette. The honey gives this salad just a touch of sweetness and can easily be adjusted depending on the flavor of your sprouts.
How To Make Apple Pecan Brussels Sprout Salad
Make the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
Add the ingredients of the honey lemon vinaigrette to a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously to emulsify; set aside.
If you don’t have a jar (get one!), simply whisk all of the ingredients, EXCEPT the olive oil in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl with the lemon mixture until well incorporated and the dressing turns a nice light yellow color.
Thinly slice the brussels sprouts using a very sharp knife, mandoline or food processor fitted with the slicer attachment and place the sliced brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add the diced apple, Parmesan cheese, and chopped pecans.
Drizzle with the dressing, toss with tongs to coat. Let the salad stand at least 5 minutes before serving to allow the brussels sprouts to wilt some and the flavors to blend together.
Apple Pecan Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe Notes:
I highly recommend that you use a very crisp variety of apple, such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji. I had a variety called “Wine Sap”, that I used and it worked very well.
To make ahead of time, drizzle only about half of the dressing and toss. Refrigerate no longer than overnight. Allow the salad and dressing to come up to room temperature. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad, toss and serve.
If you have a Thanksgiving hangover, this simple brussels sprout salad is a great way to get some veggies in. I find it hard to crave salads this time of year when the weather is cold because they are cold and clammy. Perfect for Meatless Monday, this brussels sprout salad is also a way to break out of your normal salad rut. Served at room temperature, this brussels sprout salad packs crunch and flavor without the chill.
Just make sure to let this salad stand for at least 5 minutes after tossing the ingredients together to allow the flavors to blend together. This also gives the sprouts time to soften a little.
Trust me, you never knew brussels sprouts could be so good!
Apple Pecan Brussels Sprout Salad
Useful Equipment:
Ingredients
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts cleaned and trimmed
- 1 Honeycrisp apple diced, a crisp variety works best
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese shaved
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette: Add the ingredients of the honey lemon vinaigrette to a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously to emulsify; set aside.
- If you don’t have a jar (get one!), simply whisk all of the ingredients, EXCEPT the olive oil in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl with the lemon mixture until well incorporated and the dressing turns a nice light yellow color.
- Thinly slice the brussels sprouts using a very sharp knife, mandoline or food processor fitted with the slicer attachment and place the sliced brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add the diced apple, Parmesan cheese, and chopped pecans.
- Drizzle with the dressing, toss with tongs to coat. Let the salad stand at least 5 minutes before serving to allow the brussels sprouts to wilt some and the flavors to blend together.
Notes
Nutrition
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Diane says
Yum! Iove brussels sprouts! I need to try this recipe ASAP! Do you find the sprouts on the stem to be any better than the sprouts off the stem?
The Mountain Kitchen says
Then you will love this recipe, Diane! I have not compared them, but I would think the ones on the stem would be fresher and perhaps sweeter because they are still intact with the nutrients in the stem. Great question. Thanks for stopping by!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I love brussels sprouts but don’t think we ever had them growing up. John just doesn’t like them any way that I cook them but he does like then raw in salads like this beauty!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Perfect! Glad this is something you both can enjoy!
FrugalHausfrau says
Gorgeous, Debbie!! I love your photos in this post. I think it’s a great idea to do a double dose of that dressing. A little to soak in and then a good finish!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Mollie!