This shredded Brussels sprouts salad with kale and apples is quick and easy to make!
It's full of crunchy bits (apple and toasted nuts) and savory bits (olive oil, massaged kale, and shredded parmesan).
It's a wonderful green salad that makes an excellent side dish!
Why You'll Love this Brussels Sprout Apple Salad
- This delicious salad is perfect for a weeknight meal or a holiday dinner!
- It's easy to prep in advance. Just massage the kale and Brussels sprouts, but don't add the apples and vinaigrette until you are ready to serve.
Ingredients
To make this recipe, you'll need a full head of kale, a handful of Brussels sprouts, some good parmesan cheese, olive oil, walnuts, apples (we suggest Honeycrisp, but any crunchy apple will do!), and salt and pepper.
How to Make a Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
Shred, Slice, & Chop. Prep all the ingredients for the recipe (kale, Brussels sprouts, apples, walnuts, and parmesan).
Massage the leaves. Combine the kale and Brussels sprouts in a large salad bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Massage until the leaves become soft.
Brown the nuts. Toast the walnuts in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until crispy and browned.
Combine all the ingredients. Add the apples, walnuts, and cheese to the salad.
Make the vinaigrette & dress the salad. Combine the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Whisk briskly to combine. Drizzle dressing across the salad and toss to combine.
Tips for Making Kale Brussel Sprout Salad
- Recommended Ingredients - I recommend using Honeycrisp apples for this recipe. They are crisp and have a nice balanced sweet and acidic flavor. However, any crisp apple will work for this recipe!
- Recommended Tools - You can use a mandoline to make all the chopping in this recipe faster. I also use cut protection gloves to protect my hands when using the mandoline.
- Tips for Early Prep - If you are taking this salad to a holiday dinner, you can massage the leaves up to two hours before the event, but don’t add the apples till the last minute (they’ll brown - even if they still taste good).
- Dietary Changes - If you want to make this recipe vegan, just leave out the parmesan. You can swap it out with additional apples or dried fruit.
- Additional Ingredients - If you want to add additional items to this salad, it would be great with dried apricots, dried cranberries, or breadcrumbs.
great for holidays!
More Fall Flavors
Check out our favorite recipes with fall and winter produce!
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Brussels Sprout Kale Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Lacinato kale thinly sliced
- 3 cups (6 ounces) shredded Brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 Honeycrisp apples thinly sliced (⅛" on mandoline)
- ⅔ cup hazelnuts
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup 4 ounces shaved parmesan
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the kale and Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Massage the olive oil into the leaves for at least 30 seconds.
- Toast the walnuts and hazelnuts in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until crispy and browned. Roughly chop them.
- Add the apples, walnuts, hazelnuts, and parmesan cheese to the salad, reserving a small amount of each of the ingredients to top the salad before serving.
- Combine the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Whisk briskly to combine.
- Drizzle dressing across the salad and toss to combine.
- Plate the salad in a large serving bowl or salad bowl. Top with your reserved ingredients.
Debi Cole says
Make for Thanksgiving at Rachel's house