This recipe for parmesan Brussels sprouts salad, made with shredded sprouts, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, and a lemon mustard dressing, is a delicious and easy side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any winter meal. Salty parmesan beautifully complements the other ingredients in the dish, contributing to a complex array of sweet, savory, and zesty tastes.
With Thanksgiving six days away and Christmas around the corner, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us! What makes this season so wonderful for a vegetable lover like me is that Brussels sprouts tend to get a lot of time in the spotlight. This cruciferous veggie makes a wonderful base for festive salads and even warm sides like gratins (see my cookbook for a recipe!).
If you haven’t added a Brussels sprouts recipe to your holiday menus, now’s the time! This parmesan Brussels sprouts salad is truly perfect for a celebratory meal. It’s very flavorful, thanks to salty parmesan, sweet pine nuts, tart dried cranberries, and a zesty lemon dressing.
Plus, it can be ready in a flash, especially if you use pre-shredded sprouts or shred them in the food processor. It also holds up well in the refrigerator and can be made in advance for gatherings.
This salad isn’t the only option I have for you eat more Brussels sprouts this holiday season. Check out the Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dates, Candied Brussels Sprouts, and Baked Ricotta Dip with Honey and Brussels, too.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shredded Brussels sprouts: See my tutorial on How to Shave Brussels Sprouts for tips on shaving them with a knife. To save time, shred the sprouts using the slicing disk of a food processor or a mandoline. Many grocery stores also sell pre-shredded Brussels sprouts in the produce section.
- Toasted pine nuts: Trader Joe’s and some other stores sell pre-toasted pine nuts. If you can’t find them, toast them yourself by heating them in a skillet until fragrant. Sliced almonds or walnuts can be substituted. For a nut-free substitution, try sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Dried cranberries: Dried tart cherries also taste delicious in parmesan Brussels sprouts salad. If you don’t have dried fruit, try fresh apples.
- Shaved parmesan cheese: For best results, get a block of aged parmesan and shave it yourself. Pre-shaved or shredded parmesan also works, but I find that shaving parmesan yourself gives the salad a really fresh flavor. If you need the salad to be strictly vegetarian, look for parmesan cheese that is labeled vegetarian, such as the Whole Foods 365 brand.
- Dressing ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup (can sub honey), Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Equipment
A few specific tools can be very helpful when making a shredded Brussels sprouts salad. Here is the food processor I use to shred Brussels sprouts. You can also use a mandoline. For shaving the parmesan cheese, I use this swivel peeler.
Instructions
The full recipe card with ingredient quantities and steps is at the end of the post.
Shred the Brussels sprouts. You can do this using the slicing disk of a food processor (as pictured here), a sharp knife (see my tutorial), or a mandoline. Using a food processor is the fastest option.
Shave aged parmesan with a swivel peeler.
Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad, and toss to combine.
Storage
If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. The salad will lose some of its crispy texture over time, due to the salad dressing, but it overall keeps very well.
If you are making parmesan Brussels sprouts salad in advance, such as for Christmas or Thanksgiving, combine the salad ingredients in a bowl without the dressing and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can do this up to a couple days ahead of time. Wait to add the dressing until about an hour before eating.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad
Equipment
- Food processor with slicing disk (optional, can use a knife or pre-shredded sprouts)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts - cleaned and trimmed
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons - juiced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shred the Brussels sprouts using your preferred method. The fastest way is to use the slicing disk of a food processor. If you are shredding them with a knife, the prep time will be longer. You can also use pre-shredded Brussels sprouts, available at most grocery store, to save time.
- If your pine nuts are not pre-toasted, place them in a skillet over low to medium heat. Toast for a few minutes until fragrant, making sure not to overcook and burn them. Remove from heat.
- For the parmesan, you can either shave it yourself or use pre-shaved parmesan. If doing it yourself, get a block of aged parmesan cheese and use a swivel peeler or paring knife to make thin slices.
- Combine the shredded Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, and shaved parmesan in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well to coat. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- You can make the salad up to two days ahead of time. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl, cover, and keep in the fridge. Add the dressing about an hour before serving.
- Parmesan cheese often contains animal rennet and is therefore not strictly vegetarian. If you need this to be strictly vegetarian, use parmesan cheese that is labeled as vegetarian.
Nutrition
Happy holidays! – Lizzie
Mo
I made this salad the other day and it was wonderful. I ran out of time so used maple glazed pecans and blue cheese that I had on hand instead of the parmesan and walnuts … will try the parmesan and walnuts tomorrow. I’m not a cooked brussels sprouts fan, but this was a very refreshing way to use them. The simple dressing was excellent also. I’m planning on making this a nice change for my usual Christmas dinner (with the addition of a few dried cranberries). Thank you so much for such a delicious way to use brussels sprouts!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Mo, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this salad! Thanks for leaving a review! I hope everyone enjoys it at Christmas dinner :).