Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, served with Grapes & Parmesan

At a glance

What stands out: Crisp green Brussels sprouts, sweet red grapes, and salty Parmesan cheese are combined in this straightforward shaved Brussels sprouts salad. You’ll love the from-scratch honey shallot dressing!

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: knife or food processor, large bowl, whisk, spoon
Servings: 6

Are you as crazy about Brussels sprouts as we are? We love these compact globes of wonder. They can be prepared in so many delectable ways. We especially love them roasted (any vegetable benefits from roasting!) but they are memorable in salads, too, like this shaved Brussels sprouts salad. Even people who profess to hate Brussels sprouts enjoy them in a salad.

Shaved Brussels sprouts salad

Nutritious. Brussels sprouts are a powerhouse nutritionally. A cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as cabbage and broccoli, Brussels sprouts are low in calories, and high in nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. Enjoy a rich Brussels sprouts salad and do your body a favor, all at the same time!

A straightforward salad. A Brussels sprouts salad is a snap to make. You can whisk the from-scratch vinaigrette right in a big bowl, add the sprouts and grapes, stir it up, then top with shaved Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.

Continue the grape theme and serve this salad with pork tenderloin with port wine sauce and roasted grapes. The roasted grapes are so memorable!

What goes in

• Brussels Sprouts: “Shaved” sounds way fancier than it is. Shaved Brussels sprouts are simply Brussels sprouts that are thinly sliced. You can slice them by hand or with a food processor.
• Red Grapes: Grapes add a nice sweetness and beautiful color. Other types of grapes work well, too, as long as they are seedless. The grapes can be halved or sliced, depending on their size.
• Parmesan Cheese: Shave the cheese, too! Use a vegetable peeler to make nice cheese curls.
• Parsley: Fresh emerald green parsley adds great flavor, nutrition, and color to the salad. Either Italian flat leaf parsley or curly parsley will work.
• From-scratch Vinaigrette: The straightforward dressing is made with olive oil, honey, shallots and white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar), seasoned with salt and pepper.

How To Prep brussels Sprouts

Trim the Brussels sprouts. Trim the tough root end off, and remove any wilted or spotted leaves. Rinse and dry the sprouts. Shave them using one of the two methods below. We don’t recommend using a mandoline because Brussels sprouts are just too small and round to safely use one. We'd definitely slice off our fingertips!

By hand: Using a sharp knife and cutting board, slice the sprouts to the desired thickness. It’s a little easier if you cut them in half first for more stability on the cutting board, and then thinly slice each half.

With food processor: Using the slicing disk of your food processor, drop the whole Brussels sprouts through the feed tube, pressing lightly with the presser thingy. You won’t believe how fast they’ll go! In no time, you’ll have them all ready. Your kids will find it vastly entertaining.

Store until ready to use. Shaved Brussels sprouts will keep in an airtight container or reseable bag for one to two days.

Ways to change it

• Fruit options: Instead of grapes, or in addition to grapes, you can add sliced apple, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or any crisp apple. A firm ripe pear, such as Anjou, goes well too.
• Possible add-ins: Dried cranberries, golden raisins, or dried cherries are good, as well as almost any type of nut, such as toasted pecans, sliced almonds, or toasted walnuts. You could add thinly sliced celery or red onions. For a savory note, add bacon, cooked and crumbled (try baked bacon or air fryer bacon).
• Cheese options: Try blue cheese, gorgonzola, or goat cheese instead of Parmesan.

Make-Ahead

Stir together the Brussels sprouts and vinaigrette, cover, and store in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving. When ready to serve, add grapes, Parmesan and parsley.

If desired, shave ahead of time! Shave the Brussels sprouts up to two days in advance and store in a zip top bag. Do the same with the Parmesan cheese.

Keeping leftovers

Leftover salad can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 2 days in the fridge. The salad will lose some of its crispness but it’s still tasty. The red grapes will turn the salad a little pink but you can substitute green grapes if you prefer.

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (about ½ shallot)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

For Salad:

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup sliced red grapes
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved (about ¾ cup)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley

Method

1. Trim stems from Brussels sprouts and remove wilted or spotted leaves. Rinse well and dry.
2. Shave (slice) Brussels sprouts thinly with a sharp knife, or with a food processor, using the slicing blade. You can do this up to 2 days in advance. Store shaved Brussels sprouts in a resealable bag and refrigerate.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well combined.
4. Add Brussels sprouts and grapes to the bowl, and toss to coat. If desired, refrigerate salad for up to two hours before serving.
5. When ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley; stir lightly and serve. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired.

Notes

Fruit options: Instead of grapes, or in addition to grapes, you can add sliced apple, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or any crisp apple. A firm ripe pear, such as Anjou pears, goes well too.

Possible add-ins: Dried cranberries, golden raisins, or dried cherries are good, as well as almost any type of nut, such as toasted pecans, sliced almonds, or toasted walnuts. You could add thinly sliced celery or red onions. For a savory note, add bacon, cooked and crumbled (try baked bacon or air fryer bacon ).

Cheese options: Try blue cheese, gorgonzola, or goat cheese instead of Parmesan

Storage: Leftover salad can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. The salad will lose some of its crispness and red grapes will turn the salad a little pink.