Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette is unique, delicious, and the perfect side salad to serve with a fall or Holiday dinner! It’s full of exciting flavors and textures that makes any meal feel special.
As the seasons’ change, so should your salads. Roasted, crispy brussels sprouts adds an exciting flavor to this salad recipe.
Unlike shaved brussels sprouts salad which uses raw brussels sprouts, roasted sprouts have a crispy texture, mild flavor and are less bitter. Combined with sweet fresh apple and dried cranberries, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy pecans, the Brussels sprouts salad recipe is an exciting perfect fall salad and great side dish for holiday meals.
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Brussels Sprouts. You’ll need 1 pound of fresh Brussel sprouts. Choose average size sprouts that are all similar in size to each other. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the stem end with a fresh cut, remove any outer leaves that are blemished and halve the sprouts stem to end.
Honeycrisp apple. These crisp apples have great flavor. One apple is used. Rinses, pat dry and slice very thinly. Honeycrisp apples are sweet with a hint of tartness and have a strong delicious apple flavor.
Greens. You can use baby arugula for a light peppery flavor (be sure to use baby arugula which is milder) or mixed salad greens of your choice. You’ll need 2 cups.
Crumbled blue cheese. You can either buy already crumbled bleu cheese or crumble it yourself from a block. You’ll use 2 tablespoons.
Dried cranberries. These give a sweet-tart seasonal look and flavors.
Shallot. Shallots are a cross between onion and garlic in flavor. They are milder than onions and make a great ingredients in salad dressing.
Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor results. We love using a handheld juicer which quickly extract lots of juice.
How to make Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad
STEP 1. Roast the Brussel sprouts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place prepped sprouts on a large rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper (photo 1). Roast for 15 minutes (photo 2).
STEP 2. Make the shallot dressing
While the Brussels sprouts roast, make the shallot vinaigrette by combining olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey, and shallot in a sealed jar (photo 3). Shake until combined and set aside (photo 4).
STEP 3. Make the salad
Remove the baking sheet with the brussels sprouts from the oven.
In a large bowl assemble the salad by tossing together warm brussels sprouts, sliced apples, chopped pecans, baby arugula, bleu cheese, and dried cranberries (photos 5-8).
Note: for a pretty presentation layer the arugula or salad greens on a serving plate, place brussels sprouts and other ingredients on top as shown in the images above.
Serve with shallot vinaigrette on the side (photos 9-10).
Variations
Feta cheese. If you prefer saltier feta cheese to the tangy flavor of blue cheese, you can swap in feta instead. Feta tastes excellent with the sweetness of the rest of the salad.
Goat cheese. This is another tangy cheese that doesn’t have the blue cheese flavor. It makes a nice addition.
Parmesan cheese. Parmesan also blends wonderfully with the brussels sprout salad recipe and has a more familiar and milder flavor than blue cheese or feta cheese.
Pears. These are delicious either instead of the apple or in addition. Perfect for fall salads.
Pomegranate arils (seeds). For a fresh, seasonal addition to this salad, you can swap the dried cranberries for pomegranate arils! They’ll add a nice, bright color, crunch and flavor!
Use different nuts or seeds. Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds would be great in this salad. Toast them briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat just until they become aromatic (a couple minutes). Stir the entire time while the roast to avoid burning.
How to store leftovers
Once the dressing is added to the salad it will not keep well.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a salad that’s best assembled right before it’s time to serve. However you can combine the salad ingredients EXCEPT the apple and Brussels sprouts the day before and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The dressing can also be made beforehand and kept in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to serve this salad, remove the salad and dressing from the refrigerator while you roast the Brussels sprouts. Add the sliced apple and roasted sprouts and serve.
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Recipe
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound brussels sprouts stems trimmed, any blemished outer leaves removed, halved stem-to-top
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt to lightly season the sprouts before roasting
- freshly ground black pepper to lightly season the sprouts before roasting
- 1 Honeycrisp apple sliced thin
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 3 cups baby arugula or mixed salad greens
- 2 tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese
- 2 tablespoons dry cranberries
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place prepared Brussels sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, lightly season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes.1 pound brussels sprouts, 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- While the Brussels sprouts roast, make the shallot vinaigrette. Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey, and shallot in a jar and seal with a lid. Shake until fully combined.½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- Remove Brussels sprouts from the oven. and begin to assemble your salad by tossing together warm brussels sprouts, sliced apples, chopped pecans, baby arugula, bleu cheese, and dry cranberries.
- Serve with shallot vinaigrette on the side.
- In a large serving bowl combine the warm brussels sprouts, sliced apples, chopped pecans, baby arugula, bleu cheese, and dry cranberries. Toss to combine.Alternatively layer the ingredients on a serving platter starting with the salad greens followed by the other ingredients.1 Honeycrisp apple, ¼ cup chopped pecans, 3 cups baby arugula, 2 tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese, 2 tablespoons dry cranberries
- Serve the shallot dressing on the side for diners to dress their own portion.
Nancy Baker says
I finally got everything together to make this, and it was worth the wait and effort…so good!
Toni Dash says
So glad you enjoyed it Nancy!
Michelle says
Amazing salad! Perfect combination of sweet, savory, creamy, fruity!
Tayler says
My favorite way to eat brussels sprouts is in a salad, and this salad did not disappoint!
Debbie says
I am loving all the flavors and textures in this Roasted Brussels Sprouts salad. Plan to make it again for Thanksgiving.
Lindsey H says
I just found this recipe and immediately had to make it. My friends came over for lunch and it was a huge hit!! It’s pretty and delicious!
Ava M. says
I love this! Quick and easy to make and tastes really good! Thanks 🙂
Jen says
This is really an amazing salad!! Perfect for family meals!