Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon & Pecans
This shaved Brussels sprouts salad is tossed with bacon, chopped pecans and Parmesan cheese, then dressed with a lemon-maple vinaigrette. Perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish, or for keeping in the fridge for healthy lunches throughout the week!
This Brussels sprouts salad was a last-minute addition to the Thanksgiving menu last year, when I realized that we didnโt have any green veggies in the mix. I didnโt want another casserole, but I also wasnโt feeling green beans, so I did some searching and found a Brussels sprouts salad from Pinch of Yum that sounded crazy good. It was made with bacon, nuts, and cheese, which meant that my family would probably give it a chance. I changed it up to suit our tastes, and was totally smitten with the results.
This salad ended up being the hit of Thanksgiving last year. Everyone raved, everyone took some leftovers home with them, and at least four people asked me to email them the recipe. The absolute best testament to how good a recipe truly is!
How to Make Brussels Sprouts Salad
Great news โ itโs incredibly easy! Which means that itโs a perfect option not only for a make-ahead holiday side dish, but also for batch prepping to keep in the fridge for a healthy lunch throughout the week. (Pro tip โ store the salad and dressing separately! The salad will stay fresh much longer!)
Hereโs what weโre going to doโฆ
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- First, shred the Brussels sprouts. You can do this one of two ways โ do it by hand using a mandoline (this is the one I use), or use a slicing blade on a food processor (this is the food processor I own and love). I have used both, depending on my moodโฆ I love how fast it goes with a food processor, but I really donโt like having to wash it when Iโm done, and I can pop the mandoline in the dishwasher. Decisions, decisionsโฆ
- Next, throw all of those beautiful shredded Brussels sprouts into a huge bowl and toss with the bacon, pecans, and Parmesan cheese. (For an easy, no-mess prep, cook the bacon in the microwave or in the oven while you are prepping the Brussels sprouts!)
- Time to make the salad dressing! I throw everything into a glass jar and shake, shake, shake! You can whisk by hand if youโd like, or use a dressing cruet if you have one.
- Finally, toss the salad and dressing together. If you are planning to serve the salad immediately or within four hours, you can toss the salad, then refrigerate. If you are making it a day ahead or want to keep it to eat throughout the week, then store the salad in an airtight container separate from the dressing and toss together the day you are serving, or as needed if you are eating it throughout the week.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can slice/shave the Brussels sprouts by hand with a mandoline, or by using the slicing blade of a food processor.
- You can substitute the bagged shredded Brussels sprouts if youโre in a serious pinch, but the texture is definitely different. Theyโre a little thicker/heartier and not nearly as light and airy as the texture you get from buying them whole and then slicing/shredding them.
- I weighed the Brussels sprouts and four dozen comes out to approximately 2 pounds 10 ounces.
- Feel free to use more bacon, or omit entirely for a vegetarian dish.
- You can substitute other nuts and cheeses, as youโd like.
- This is a great make-ahead recipe and will stay super fresh made in advance. You can keep the salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately and only dressing it a few hours before serving so it doesnโt get too soft and wilted.
I was utterly amazed at how much I loved this season. I will eat Brussels sprouts, but I certainly donโt love them. This Brussels sprout salad totally converted me. Iโm sure the bacon didnโt hurt, either *wink*.
QUESTION: Whatโs your favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts?
If You Like This Brussels Sprouts Salad, Try These Recipes:
- Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta, Cranberries & Pine Nuts
- Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Gratin
- Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
- Brussels Sprout Slaw with Mustard Dressing and Maple-Glazed Pecans
One year ago: Ask Me Anything [2017]
Four years ago: Traditional Bread Stuffing
Five years ago: Dark Chocolate Chunk Eggnog Cookies
Six years ago: Bacon and Mushroom Potato Gratin
Nine years ago: Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti
Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon & Pecans
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 dozen brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced thin
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (99 g) pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Shaved Parmesan cheese, to garnish
For the Dressing
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ยผ cup (54 ml) maple syrup
- ยฝ cup (108 ml) olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructionsย
- In a large bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts, bacon, pecans and grated Parmesan cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, maple syrup, olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. You can also place the ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to ensure that all of the ingredients are evenly moistened.
- The salad can be served immediately, or refrigerated for up to 4 hours before serving (if making further in advance, see notes below). Top with shaved Parmesan before serving.
Notes
- You can slice/shave the Brussels sprouts by hand with a mandoline, or by using the slicing blade of a food processor.
- You can substitute the bagged shredded Brussels sprouts if you're in a serious pinch, but the texture is definitely different. They're a little thicker/heartier and not nearly as light and airy as the texture you get from buying them whole and then slicing/shredding them.
- I weighed the Brussels sprouts and four dozen comes out to approximately 2 pounds 10 ounces.
- Feel free to use more bacon, or omit entirely for a vegetarian dish.
- You can substitute other nuts and cheeses, as you'd like.
- This is a great make-ahead recipe and will stay super fresh made in advance. You can keep the salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately and only dressing it a few hours before serving so it doesn't get too soft and wilted.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I love this recipe and have made it for all my holiday affairs (3 times) since itโs been posted and itโs always a big hit. I use a food processor w/ the grating tool to slice the brussels sprouts, which makes it a really quick task. The whole salad can come together in less than 30 minutes. The dressing is a good balance of having just a bit of sweet from the maple syrup to make it feel indulgent.ย
This sounds delicious!! Canโt wait to try it. Will serve it in our โtrial runโ Thanksgiving with our first ever fried bird. (thanks to your tutorial)
What an interesting combination of flavors. ย Iโm going to give this a trial run before Thanksgiving. ย Michelleโs idea of adding dried cranberries sounds tasty, too. ย
This is tasty and definitely benefits from being dressed at least an hour or so before serving. ย It takes a long time to slice the brussels sprouts and for that reason alone Iโll probably never make this again.ย
This is perfect timing for this recipe. ย Iโve been thinking about trying a Brussels sprouts salad and adding it to my menu for our Thanksgiving. ย Iโm thinking this recipe will get the first go. ย I may add dried cranberries to it for some color, otherwise Iโll keep it just as youโve written.