~ Brussels Sprout Salad recipes are soooo trending right now. But how do you make a great salad recipe even greater? Add lots more nutritious superfoods, plus irresistible mix-ins like crunchy pistachios and sweet-tart dried cranberries … and then toss it all with a delicious Maple-Balsamic Dressing! Oh yessss! Ready in about 5 minutes flat, it’s perfect as a unique Thanksgiving side dish, or as a super-fast summer salad! ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegetarian  •  Gluten Free  •

Everybody seems to be loving Brussels sprout salads lately.

But a Superfoods Brussels Sprout Salad??

Huh. You’re intrigued, right? I mean, who doesn’t want to gobble up all the headliner “superfoods” they can, packing in all that healthy antioxidant glory (and patting themselves on the back for nutrition victory)? I know I sure do!

But still. Maybe you’re eyeballing all that extra veggie goodness, wondering if it will actually taste good, too? And for real … how long will it take to shred that all up (won’t your fingers be oh-so-exhausted)?

Fear not, friends. Take my hand and come with me to superfoods nirvana. You won’t be disappointed.

What Makes This Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad SOOOOO Delicious!

But maybe you’re still not quiiiiiite convinced. Not quite ready to head to the grocery store and make this Brussels Sprout Salad tonight (and next week, and the week after that, too).

It’s the yum-factor, right? You’re still nervous about how this will taste with all those Brussels sprouts – plus the napa cabbage, kale, broccoli, and even kohlrabi. I hear ya. You’re wondering if it’s just too virtuous to be DELICIOUS!

But don’t worry – just like all our recipes here at THK, it’s tested, tested and retested … and completely family-approved! In fact, the very first time I made this as a dinner side dish, my family loved it so much that we polished off almost the entire bowl in one sitting! Even my veggie-suspicious Amy has been seen scarfing down a BIG portion! (Which, trust me, is pretty much the ULTIMATE seal of approval! 😉 )

From chewy to crunchy, sweet to savory, this simple little salad is bursting with vibrant flavors and textures!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I mean, exactly what makes this Brussels Sprout Salad a “Superfoods” Salad. And, ummmm … exactly what are superfoods, anyway?!?

What Are Superfoods?

The term “superfoods” seems to apply to a slightly different list of foods and nutrition goals, depending on what source you ask. But, it basically refers to nutritious foods (usually whole foods) that are standouts for their high levels of beneficial nutrients – whether that’s all their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, their high levels of clean protein or fiber, or their functional ability to do things like protect heart health.

Merriam Webster puts it pretty simply, saying that a superfood is, “a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person’s health.”

And, although the exact list of “superfoods” changes a little from one publication or “expert” to another, there are definitely recurrent themes that emerge. Obvious foods that are on practically everyone’s list. Or foods that fall into broad categories, that most everyone can agree upon as being über-healthy.

So, that leads us to the next question …

What Superfoods Are in This Brussels Sprout Salad?

Again, the precise answer here can depend a little on which list you consult. But, most of the ingredients in this Brussels Sprout Salad make the list somewhere, somehow.

Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage and kohlrabi

As Harvard Health explains, these powerhouse cruciferous vegetables, “… are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals including indoles, thiocyanates, and nitriles, which may prevent against some types of cancer.”

Kale

Like other dark, leafy greens, kale tends to top a lot of superfoods lists. That’s because dark, leafy greens are great sources of a wide range of vitamins and minerals (like folate, zinc, vitamin C and even calcium). Plus, they offer lots of fiber and also notable levels of carotenoids (which are believed to act as protective anti-inflammatory agents). (Pssst … if you’re a kale fan, be sure to check out our Tuscan Kale Salad, our Kale Chopped Salad with Berries, and our Kale and Quinoa Tabouli Salad.)

Cranberries

Various types of berries generally rank pretty high up on most superfoods lists. They’re not only full of vitamins, minerals and fiber – they’re also jam-crammed with antioxidants. You’ll often see blueberries as a headliner superfood choice, but other berries – like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries – are standouts, too.

Pistachios

Nuts and seeds are tiny nutrition heroes. Sure, they’re high in protein. Plus, as Cooking Light explained in its list of Dietitian’s Top 10 Superfoods of 2019, nuts are noteworthy because of their “healthy levels of unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.”

Olive oil

Surprised? After we all jumped on the fat-free craze of the 1980s, science has come a long, long way in understanding fats and oils. And, it turns out that some oils – like olive oil – are actually good for us. Like, superfood good for us! Although it’s still important to remember to keep calories in check, since oils are high in calories, there are a lot of benefits to using the right oils in reasonable amounts. Olive oil is a great choice because it’s a “good source of vitamin E, polyphenols, and monounsaturated fatty acids, all which help reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Wow. That’s a whole lotta nutrition packed into something that tastes sooooooo good!

And remember – this salad only takes about 5 minutes to toss together! Really! Check it out …

Tips for Making This EASY Salad

• Storing Pistachios – I usually keep dried cranberries and pistachios on hand, so they’re always ready and waiting for me. One specific ingredient tip here: store pistachios (as well as other nuts, seeds and whole-grain flours) in the refrigerator, and they’ll stay fresh much, much, much longer.

• FAST Veggies – For the veggies in this salad, I always like to grab bags of prepared, pre-shredded “power blend” or “superfoods blend” greens, like Mann’s Power Blend (which looks like this). My local grocery also has a similar store brand. The ingredient list includes Brussels sprouts, napa cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, and kale. And they’re all pre-washed and ready to use. Easy!

But of course, you could also shred your own veggies if you’ve got a bumper crop in your garden or your CSA box.

And if you can’t find the exact blend I like to use, feel free to play around with other similar prepared blends that include a mix of shredded Brussels sprouts with other veggies.

You could also concoct your own mix by combining a couple of different bagged, pre-shredded vegetables. Look for pre-shredded Brussels sprouts and maybe combine that with shredded kale and a packaged coleslaw mix that has cabbage, broccoli and carrots. Voilà! You’ve got your own blend, and you didn’t even have to break out the box grater!

• Make-Ahead Tip – You can serve this salad immediately, or make it up to about a day ahead. If you make it ahead, the veggies will soften a little, the dressing will become more prevalent, and the flavors will all meld a bit. But it’s good either way!

• Adding Pistachios LAST – Definitely, though, I recommend that you don’t add the pistachios until right before you serve this. They’ll be so much crunchier with a more pronounced nutty-salty flavor.

• {Hint} EXTRA Dressing – You can make the salad dressing several days ahead. Simply store it in the fridge until you’re ready to finish your salad (giving it a quick re-whisk if needed).

Actually, though, this dressing is so crazy-awesome, you might want to whisk up a double-batch while you’re at it, and keep some on hand for other salads throughout the week.

The recipe for this dressing is adapted from our Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette, which we use on our wildly popular “Thanksgiving Salad with Goat Cheese,” our Butternut Squash Salad, and our main course Pecan Chicken Salad. (Yes … it’s so good, we use it on almost everything but breakfast cereal!!)

It adapts really well to a wide variety of salad types, so it’s a great little go-to salad dressing to keep on hand!

How to Serve Your New Favorite Brussels Sprout Recipe

Summer picnics, potlucks and cookouts

I’d envisioned this super-fast salad recipe as a summer side dish. Sort of a unique alternative to regular summer coleslaw recipes. It’s a great change of pace next to grilled meats. And it’s special enough to be a standout amongst all the other more “typical” dishes at summer cookouts and potlucks.

Weeknight dinners

But, through the years I’ve been making this salad, we’ve found that’s it’s a terrific side dish for lots of other meals, too. Try it with simple roasted chicken or salmon – any main dish that would pair well with the maple-balsamic flavors in that fabulous dressing. It’s so quick to throw together on busy nights, and it’s a terrific way to get your family eating some extra veggies!

Easy lunches

This salad packs great to take along to work in your lunch, too! Try it with some whole-grain crackers, a hard-boiled egg or a few slices of deli turkey or cheese, and maybe some refreshing grapes for dessert.

A Thanksgiving Brussels sprout recipe alternative

Brussels sprouts and Brussels sprout salads are an absolute must-have Thanksgiving side dish on many people’s holiday menus. Since this salad is so super-fast to make, it’s ideal for filling out a Thanksgiving buffet, without needing lots of extra time and effort (so you have more time to work on that turkey and all those pies!).

Brussels Sprout Lovers, Rejoice!

Now you’ve got one more slam-dunk-amazing way to enjoy your beloved veggie!

But be prepared to share … because even people who didn’t think they were Brussels sprout lovers are gonna find themselves scooping up seconds! And since this salad is so crazy-nutritious, you’ll feel really, really good about sharing it with family and friends.

Lucky for you, it’s so ridiculously easy to make more!