Delicious Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries: A Refreshing & Healthy Side

Are you searching for a vibrant, flavorful, and incredibly versatile way to enjoy Brussels sprouts? Look no further! This spectacular Brussels Sprouts Salad, featuring the delightful sweetness of cranberries, crisp carrots, and a zesty homemade dressing, is about to become your new favorite. Forget everything you thought you knew about these mini cabbages; in this recipe, they transform into a refreshing, tender, and unbelievably delicious salad that’s perfect for any season.

This unique salad starts with thinly shredded Brussels sprouts, which are then perfectly complemented by the crunch of fresh carrots, the subtle bite of green onions, and the juicy tang of dried cranberries. But the real star? It’s the harmonious sweet and tangy dressing that not only softens and mellows the sprouts but also masterfully blends all the flavors into a symphony for your palate. Every forkful promises a burst of fresh, complex flavors!

Unlocking the Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts

Beyond their delicious taste, Brussels sprouts are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that contribute to overall well-being. Incorporating them into your diet, especially in a raw form like this salad, ensures you get the maximum benefit from their natural goodness. This makes our Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Salad not just tasty, but incredibly healthy too!

• Rich in Vitamin K: Essential for blood clotting and bone health. A single serving can provide well over your daily recommended intake, contributing to stronger bones.
• Excellent Source of Vitamin C: A powerful antioxidant that supports your immune system, promotes healthy skin, and aids in iron absorption. Vitamin C is crucial for fighting off colds and maintaining overall vitality.
• High in Fiber: Promotes digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and contributes to a feeling of fullness, which can aid in weight management. The fiber content in raw Brussels sprouts is particularly beneficial.
• Loaded with Antioxidants: Brussels sprouts contain compounds like kaempferol, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and may help protect against chronic diseases, making them a fantastic anti-inflammatory food.
• Good Source of Folate: Important for cell growth and function, especially crucial during pregnancy and for maintaining healthy red blood cells.
• Detoxification Support: Like other cruciferous vegetables, Brussels sprouts contain compounds that support the body’s natural detoxification processes, helping your body cleanse itself naturally.

By enjoying them raw in this salad, you’re preserving many of these heat-sensitive nutrients, making it an incredibly healthy addition to any meal. This recipe offers a refreshing and nutritious alternative to cooked vegetables.

Essential Ingredients for Your Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Crafting this vibrant salad requires a few simple yet impactful ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in building the delightful flavor and texture profile, making this Brussels sprouts salad with cranberries truly special. Pay attention to the quality of your ingredients for the best results.

For the Salad Base:

• Brussels Sprouts: The star of our show! Look for firm, bright green sprouts without blemishes. To prepare them, simply trim the tough ends and remove any discolored outer leaves. Shaving them thinly is key to achieving a tender, less bitter texture when raw, allowing them to absorb the dressing beautifully.
• Carrot: Adds a touch of natural sweetness, vibrant color, and a satisfying crunch. Shredding it finely helps integrate it seamlessly into the salad, providing a lovely contrast to the sprouts.
• Dried Cranberries (Craisins): These gems provide bursts of sweet-tart flavor and a chewy texture that beautifully complements the crisp vegetables. They also contribute to the festive red color, making this an ideal holiday side dish. You can find both sweetened and low-sugar varieties.
• Green Onion: Offers a mild, fresh onion flavor that enhances the overall taste without overpowering the other ingredients. Both the white and light green parts are used for maximum aromatic flavor.

For the Zesty Dressing:

The dressing is what truly ties this salad together, transforming raw vegetables into a delectable experience. It’s simple to whisk up and makes all the difference in tenderizing the sprouts and balancing the flavors!

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Provides the essential tang and helps to break down the raw Brussels sprouts, making them more palatable. Choose a good quality vinegar for the best flavor.
• Grapeseed Oil: A light, neutral-flavored oil that serves as the perfect base for our dressing, allowing other flavors to shine without adding a heavy taste. You can also use light olive oil or avocado oil if preferred.
• Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice: This is the secret weapon! It infuses a natural sweetness and citrusy brightness while also tenderizing the sprouts and balancing their natural bitterness. Freshly squeezed from one navel orange is highly recommended for the best, most vibrant flavor.
• Honey: Adds another layer of natural sweetness, rounding out the tangy notes from the vinegar and orange juice. Adjust the amount to your preferred level of sweetness.
• Dried Tarragon: Offers a unique, slightly licorice-like herbal note that elevates the dressing’s complexity. If you don’t have tarragon, a pinch of dried dill or a very small amount of dried thyme could be an alternative, but tarragon truly shines here.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Essential seasonings to enhance all the flavors and bring them into perfect balance. Always taste and adjust to your preference.

Always aim for the freshest ingredients possible to ensure the most vibrant and delicious outcome for your Brussels sprouts salad. Quality ingredients are the foundation of any great dish.

How to Make This Brussels Sprout and Cranberry Salad: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this delightful Brussels sprouts and cranberry salad is surprisingly straightforward, with most of the effort going into preparing the vegetables. Follow these steps to achieve a perfectly balanced and flavorful salad.

1. Preparing the Vegetables: Shredding for Success

The key to a great raw Brussels sprouts salad is achieving thinly shaved or shredded vegetables. This makes them easier to chew and allows the dressing to penetrate and soften them effectively, enhancing the overall texture and taste.

• For Brussels Sprouts and Carrots: If you own a food processor, this is its moment to shine! Use the slicing disk for the Brussels sprouts to get perfectly thin shreds. Then, switch to the grating disk for the carrot. This method saves significant time and effort, ensuring consistent results. If a food processor isn’t in your kitchen arsenal, don’t worry! You can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife (start by trimming the ends and peeling off any loose outer leaves), and use a box grater for the carrot. Consider adding a food processor to your wish list – it truly transforms vegetable prep!

• For Green Onion: While a food processor excels at many tasks, I’ve found it doesn’t quite do justice to green onions. For the best texture and appearance, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the green onion. Make sure to include both the white and the light green parts to capture their full, mild flavor, which complements the other ingredients beautifully.

2. Crafting the Dressing

In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: apple cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, fresh squeezed orange juice, honey, dried tarragon, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly blended and emulsified. The dressing should have a consistent, slightly creamy texture. This step is quick but essential for a flavorful salad, as it’s the dressing that will transform the raw sprouts.

3. Assembling and Tossing the Salad

Place all your prepared salad ingredients – the shredded Brussels sprouts, shredded carrot, dried cranberries, and sliced green onion – into a large mixing bowl. Pour the freshly whisked dressing generously over the top of the vegetables. Using tongs or your clean hands, toss everything together really well, ensuring every piece of vegetable and cranberry is thoroughly coated with the sweet and tangy dressing. This ensures even flavor distribution.

4. The Essential Chill Time

Once tossed, cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least one hour. This chilling period is crucial for several reasons: it allows the flavors to truly meld and deepen, creating a more cohesive and complex taste, and more importantly, it gives the dressing time to work its magic, softening the raw shaved Brussels sprouts. When you’re ready to serve, you’ll be greeted with a harmonious blend of sweet, tangy, and subtly savory notes, with sprouts that are tender-crisp rather than raw and tough. For even better results, you can prepare this salad a few hours ahead or even the day before, as the flavors will only improve with time.

Expert Tips & Delicious Variations for Your Brussels Sprouts Salad

This Brussels sprouts and cranberry salad is fantastic as is, but a few expert tips can elevate it further, and there are many ways to customize it to your liking. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make this healthy salad truly your own!

Tips for the Best Salad:

• Reduce Sugar Content: If you’re mindful of sugar intake, consider using low-sugar dried cranberries. While unsweetened varieties can be harder to find, they would also work well if you prefer a less sweet profile, though you might want to slightly increase the honey in the dressing to compensate for the tartness.
• Flavor Development: This salad truly benefits from time. The flavors deepen and meld beautifully after a few hours, or even overnight. You’ll notice that leftovers on day 2 or 3 taste even sweeter and more mellow than on day 1. Plan accordingly if you want the absolute best flavor experience for your shaved Brussels sprouts salad.
• Shredding Uniformity: Aim for consistent, thin shreds of Brussels sprouts. This ensures even softening by the dressing and a pleasant texture in every bite. A food processor with a slicing disk is ideal for this.
• Fresh Orange Juice is Key: While bottled orange juice can be used in a pinch, fresh squeezed orange juice from a navel orange makes a significant difference in the dressing’s brightness and ability to tenderize the sprouts.
• Serve Chilled: This salad is best served cold, straight from the refrigerator, allowing its refreshing qualities to truly shine.

Exciting Variations:

• Add Nuts for Crunch: Toasted pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds would provide an extra layer of texture and nutty flavor. Toss them in just before serving to maintain their crispness. These add healthy fats and protein.
• Introduce Cheese: Crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese can add a creamy, tangy, and salty element that beautifully complements the sweetness of the cranberries and the earthiness of the sprouts. Shaved Parmesan is another excellent choice for a more savory touch.
• Boost with Protein: For a more substantial meal, consider adding grilled chicken, pan-seared salmon, or toasted chickpeas. This transforms it from a side dish into a complete, healthy lunch or light dinner, perfect for meal prep.
• Herb Experimentation: While tarragon is wonderful, don’t hesitate to try other herbs. Fresh parsley, chives, or a touch of dill could offer different flavor nuances to the dressing.
• Citrus Swap: If oranges aren’t available, you could experiment with fresh lemon juice or lime juice in the dressing, adjusting the honey content to achieve the right balance of sweet and tart.
• Spice It Up: A tiny pinch of red pepper flakes can add a subtle warmth and kick to the salad, especially if you enjoy a little heat.
• Different Dried Fruits: While cranberries are classic for this healthy salad, dried cherries or chopped dried apricots could offer interesting alternatives, bringing slightly different sweet and tart notes.
• Sweetness Adjustment: Feel free to adjust the amount of honey in the dressing to suit your personal preference for sweetness.

No matter how you choose to customize it, this shaved Brussels sprouts salad is guaranteed to be a hit among your family and friends, offering a refreshing and flavorful alternative to traditional salads!

Serving and Storage Suggestions

This Brussels sprouts and cranberry salad is incredibly versatile, making it a perfect accompaniment to a wide array of dishes and suitable for various occasions. Knowing how to serve and store it properly will ensure you enjoy its deliciousness to the fullest.

Serving Suggestions:

• Holiday Feasts: Its vibrant colors and unique flavor profile make it a standout addition to Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinners. It offers a refreshing, lighter contrast to richer, heavier holiday fare. The red and green hues naturally fit festive themes.
• Summer Gatherings: Since it’s mayo-free, it’s an excellent choice for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues where food might sit out for a while. It holds up beautifully and won’t wilt quickly, making it a reliable crowd-pleaser for outdoor events.
• Everyday Meals: Pair it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy dinner, or serve it alongside roasted meats. It’s also a fantastic addition to packed lunches, providing a nutritious boost to your midday meal.
• As a Main Course: Add some grilled halloumi, roasted chickpeas, or a sprinkle of toasted seeds to transform it into a satisfying vegetarian main. For meat-eaters, sliced grilled steak or shrimp would also be delicious additions.

Storage Instructions:

• Refrigeration: Store any leftover Brussels sprouts salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The tightly sealed container will help maintain its freshness and prevent it from absorbing other odors.
• Flavor Enhancement: As mentioned, the flavors tend to deepen and become more harmonious over time, so you might find it even more delicious the day after! This makes it an excellent candidate for make-ahead meal prep.
• Freezing: This salad is not suitable for freezing. The raw vegetables, particularly the Brussels sprouts and carrots, will become soggy and lose their crisp texture upon thawing, significantly compromising the quality of the salad.

By following these simple serving and storage tips, you can enjoy this delightful Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Salad at its best, whether as a fresh side dish or a light, healthy main course.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About This Brussels Sprouts Salad

Can I make this Brussels sprouts salad ahead of time?

Absolutely! In fact, this salad benefits immensely from being made at least an hour in advance, allowing the flavors to meld and the sprouts to soften beautifully. You can prepare it up to 24 hours ahead of time for optimal taste and texture. Just give it a good toss before serving to redistribute the dressing.

What if I don’t have a food processor to shred the vegetables?

No problem at all! You can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a sharp chef’s knife. For the carrot, a standard box grater works perfectly. It might take a little longer and require more elbow grease, but the results will still be delicious and worth the effort for this healthy salad.

Can I use different dried fruits instead of cranberries?

Yes, you can certainly experiment! Dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, or even golden raisins could work as substitutes. Keep in mind that they will alter the flavor profile slightly, bringing different notes of sweetness and tartness, but will still create a delicious and visually appealing salad.

Is this shaved Brussels sprouts salad suitable for a vegan diet?

To make this salad vegan, simply swap the honey in the dressing for an equal amount of maple syrup or agave nectar. All other ingredients – Brussels sprouts, carrots, cranberries, green onions, apple cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, orange juice, tarragon, salt, and pepper – are naturally plant-based.

How can I make this salad a complete meal?

You can easily turn this vibrant side dish into a satisfying main course by adding your favorite protein. Grilled chicken breast, pan-seared tofu, roasted chickpeas, a scoop of quinoa, or a hard-boiled egg would all be excellent and nutritious additions that complement the flavors of the Brussels sprouts and cranberries.

How do I choose the best Brussels sprouts?

Look for Brussels sprouts that are firm, bright green, and compact. Avoid any that are discolored, soft, or have yellowing leaves. Smaller sprouts tend to be sweeter and more tender.

Can I add other vegetables?

Of course! Finely diced red bell pepper, thinly sliced red cabbage, or even some chopped celery could add more color, crunch, and nutritional value to this versatile salad.

More Refreshing Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy

If you’re a fan of fresh, vibrant salads like this Brussels sprouts and cranberry creation, you’ll love exploring these other delicious options from our kitchen:

• Broccoli Kale Salad (This one uses the same delicious, versatile dressing as our star recipe!)
• Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad (A classic, simple, and refreshing summer favorite.)
• Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Salad (A unique, healthy, and flavorful twist on a vegetable side.)
• Classic Greek Salad (Bursting with fresh flavors and Mediterranean goodness.)

Beyond Salad: Creative Ways to Enjoy Brussels Sprouts

While this shaved Brussels sprouts salad is a fantastic way to enjoy this cruciferous vegetable, there are countless other delicious preparations to explore. If you’re looking for more inspiration to incorporate Brussels sprouts into your diet, check out these mouth-watering ideas that go beyond the raw salad:

• For a classic and irresistible preparation that brings out their natural sweetness and crispy edges, Roasted Brussels Sprouts are always a divine choice.
• Need a super quick and easy side dish for busy weeknights? This 5-Minute Trader Joe’s Vegetable Side Dish Recipe offers a convenient and flavorful solution.
• For another simple yet satisfying cooked vegetable side, try these Stovetop Brussels Sprouts and Carrots, cooked until tender-crisp and seasoned perfectly.

No matter how you prepare them, Brussels sprouts are a versatile and nutritious vegetable that deserves a place on your plate!

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars based on 40 votes.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Refrigeration Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 305 kcal per serving

Author: Sula

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