Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad is clean eating at its best! This vegan salad is crunchy, addictive, and tossed in a refreshing lemon vinaigrette!
December has been eventful already…my oldest son turned 16 years old! I can’t help but wonder how this happened so fast. It’s like he jumped from taking his first steps to driving with nothing in between.
Luckily my husband handled teaching our son to drive because that whole thing stresses me out. I did take my son out once after my husband taught him the basics and I was so nervous.
He’s doing great, but I’ve just got to find a way to relax with my 16 year old at the wheel.
I’m open to suggestions 🙂
All that aside, I created this Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad about a month ago when I was craving something fresh, clean and crunchy. It’s completely plant-based and loaded with nutrient rich superfoods!
It also balances out all of my mad gingerbread and chocolate-peppermint cravings at the moment. 🙂
I prepare roasted brussels sprouts and air fryer brussels sprouts, but eating them raw is my favorite way to enjoy them. When they’re thinly shaved, they’re crisp and crunchy like cabbage slaw but the cabbage flavor is much more mild.
I make variations of this shaved brussels sprout salad all fall/winter long!
It’s no secret around here that I’m a huge fan of kale. I grow it in my garden and use it all the time in pasta, soups, salads and smoothies.
I added chopped curly kale to this salad to give it even more heartiness and flavor. I love the deep bitter flavor of kale, especially when paired with sweet fruits like apples, grapes and oranges.
This Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad recipe came together perfectly with sweet crisp Fuji apple, green onions, and crunchy hazelnuts.
Normally I love adding dried cranberries to salads like this for chewiness, but I had a pomegranate in the fridge and I knew they would be the perfect touch.
They’re like the crown jewels of autumn/winter and make this salad look even more inviting!
Toss this salad up with my bright, tangy lemon vinaigrette and you’ve got one of the freshest, tastiest salads ever.
The fact that it’s easy on the eyes certainly doesn’t hurt either. 🙂
What I love most about this salad is that it keeps very well. The shaved brussels sprouts and kale won’t get soggy on you, so you can make it (and dress it!) in advance.
It’s perfect for lunch during the week or as a side dish for entertaining. And doesn’t it scream holidays?
This salad is proof that clean eating isn’t boring.
It’s downright delicious.
More salad recipes you’ll love:
- 15+ Fall Salad recipes
- Broccoli kale salad
- Detox salad by Gimme Some Oven
- Massaged kale salad
- Radicchio salad
If you try this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups curly kale chopped (about 1/2 bunch)
- 8 ounces brussels sprouts trimmed, halved and shaved thin
- 1 medium apple I used fuji, diced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 green onion both white and green parts, sliced thinly on the bias
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts*
- Lemon Vinaigrette
Instructions
- Place the kale, brussels sprouts, apple, pomegranate, and green onions in large bowl.
- Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad (you may not need it all) and toss to coat. Serve with the chopped hazelnuts and enjoy!
Notes
- This salad keeps very well and is great for lunches during the week. For best results, add the hazelnuts right before serving to keep them nice and crunchy.
- *I used Trader Joe’s pre-toasted hazelnuts. They’re a great timesaver!
- If pomegranates aren’t in season, substitute with dried cranberries or cherries.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
19 Comments on “Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad”
Happy birthday to your son! I can only imagine how fast the years go by. I’m sure it’s bittersweet knowing that he can drive now! This salad sounds delicious, Marcie! And your photos are gorgeous. I love salads any time of the year, but I’ve been craving them like crazy over the past few weeks. Such a festive spin for the holidays and I love that lemon vinaigrette!
Thank you Gayle! This salad satisfies my biggest salad cravings. 🙂
This looks like the perfect crunchy salad to cancel out all those cookies! Love the zippy dressing, too!
Thanks Liz!
Happy birthday to your son! I had to giggle reading your post; my mom took me out once after I got my permit and I jumped a curb. My parents hired a driving teacher after that :). This salad is just fabulous. I think I could drink the dressing with a straw!
Thanks Kelsie! I love the driving story…that’s hilarious!
I feel like hearty greens like brussels and kale are definitely the way to go for winter salads!! And my stomach sank as I read about your son being 16 and how time flew by… I want time to just stop while they’re little now!!
Thanks Becky! It’s so much work when the kids are little but those were the days…I never want them to leave home! 🙂
Real talk- I straight up need that salad in my life right now because I’ve been so bad with indulging lately! I love how you used maple syrup as your sweetener for the vinaigrette instead of sugar, it sounds delicious! And happy birthday to your son!
Thanks Christina! I haven’t eaten too many holiday treats yet but that’s not going to last much longer. 🙂
We always make salads for Boxing Day to go along with leftover turkey and ham. This would be the perfect addition! It’s a great way to introduce a clean eating dish to the meal, and I love that you can make this in advance and it won’t get soggy!
Boxing Day sounds like a delicious day full of food! This salad definitely sounds like the perfect side for your leftovers!
Oh man, the thought of Eli driving and being 16 makes me want to cry haha, but I’m sure it will be here before I know it! This salad looks right up my alley! I love the lemon dressing 🙂
Izzy it makes me want to cry all the time. Life is crazy when they’re small but I just want to relive those days sometimes! 🙂
Looks like we’re both missing some greens in our life during this holiday baking season! The pomegranate is a perfect touch to this light salad! This is definitely something I could eat for a few days straight and not tire of.
PS – good luck with the driving lessons! I think I would definitely pass those duties on to my husband as well 😉
I haven’t hit my stride when it comes to baking yet so I’m doubling up on greens for what is yet to come! haha Thanks Katherine! 🙂
I am so all over this salad! Thank you for giving it to us all!
Thanks and you’re welcome! 🙂
I wish I had some suggestions for you, but the idea of my kids driving gives me hives, and my oldest is only 11. Ha ha. Love this flavor combo and the lemon dressing! Yum!