Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad is tossed with kale, crisp apples, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and cherries with a tangy dressing.
We need a Thanksgiving salad.
There. I said it.
I know you have the big stuff covered…the turkey…the stuffing….the pumpkin pie. But everyone always overlooks the salad. Just chop up some lettuce, some cucumber and tomato and maybe be festive and throw some pecans in…am I right? Let’s face it. The salad at Thanksgiving is never exciting in comparison to the plethora of turkey and potatoes and gravy and all that other delicious stuff.
But every season should have salad that hones in on emotional flavors. In My Ultimate Summer Salad, I want everything bright and fresh and fruity and minty and cold. My Obsessively Delicious Corn Avocado Salad is all about that pinnacle moment when corn is in season and lime is squeezed with a heavy hand. Well…it’s now late November and we need an earthy salad with bold, firm autumn overtones and flavors. A salad that you eat in your fuzziest sweater and your comfiest leggings. A salad that stands up to November’s brisk chill and golden afternoons. The kind of salad you twist your tongue over and feel satiated from.
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad is this salad….the late November salad..my favorite autumn salad….the perfect Thanksgiving salad. It’s actually my favorite all the time salad but I love to make it during Brussel sprout season, aka around Thanksgiving, because it doesn’t have lettuce….but it’s not quite a slaw but it’s this yummy side dish loaded with vegetables and nuts and seeds and all that good stuff that makes you say “yuuuuuummmm.”
Why You’ll Love Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
My Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad is filled with with those two Thanksgiving food items….shaved Brussel sprouts and dried cranberries alongside ribbons of kale, slivered almonds and pumpkin seeds all tossed together with a gorgeous maple Dijon vinaigrette. (By the way…keep this vinaigrette recipe for all your autumn inspired salads because it’s garlicky and tangy and has big, deep notes from the maple syrup.)
What also perfect about Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad is the texture. Yes. Texture in salad is big thing for me because salad should never..EVER..be cumbersome to eat. Just like my My Ultimate Summer Salad, Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad is all about the size…because it matters. When preparing this salad, slice the Brussel sprouts as thinly as absolutely possible. If you need a mandolin, use it. The kale also needs to be cut into very thin ribbons. This gives the salad a chopped salad, almost slaw type texture that slightly softens in the dressing but still has that beautiful crunch.
The best part of this salad is the add ins. I left this recipe dairy free but I highly suggest you crumble in some gorgonzola or feta cheese. It lends that pungent, salty creaminess and fully balances this dish. But it’s optional and you’ll love it either way! Also try tossing in some cooked and cooled wild rice right before serving to hone in on that Thanksgiving experience and to make it a hearty vegetarian dish. So many possibilities here…each one of them truly delicious.
However you serve this salad, you’ll fall in love. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- ⅓ cup + 3 tb pumpkin seeds toasted
- ⅓ cup + 3 tb sliced almonds toasted
- 1 lb Brussel sprouts bottoms removed, sprouts sliced on mandolin or thinly sliced
- 4 oz. dinosaur kale stems discarded, leaves cut in thin ribbons. 2 packed cups
- ¼ heaping cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- ¼ heaping cup dried cherries roughly chopped, see notes
- 1 small Cortland apple cut in thin matchsticks
- gorgonzola or feta cheese crumbled (optional)
For the Maple Dijon Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon gritty Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fresh garlic cloves pressed
- 1 large pinch kosher salt
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Ideally, make this dressing the night before or at least 4 hours before you intend to use it.
To make the salad:
- Pour the pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds into a skillet and allow them toast over medium heat. Stir often. Cook until you begin to smell the nuts and seeds and there is a slight color to the almonds. Remove them from the skillet into a bowl and allow them to cool.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together shaved Brussel sprouts, kale, dried cranberries, dried cherries and cooled pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds, and the Cortland apple. If adding cheese, crumble it over the top.
- Shake the dressing well and pour ¾ of the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad well for 1 minute to fully work the dressing into the salad. Allow the salad to rest for a few minutes.
- At this point, you may want to add more pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, dressing, etc. to your taste.
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