Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Grapes & Parmesan
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Crisp green Brussels sprouts, sweet red grapes, and salty Parmesan cheese are combined in this easy shaved Brussels sprouts salad. You’ll love the homemade honey shallot dressing!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Simple salad perfection!
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 I am? I love these compact globes of wonder. They can be prepared in so many delectable ways. I especially love them roasted (any vegetable benefits from roasting!) but they are amazing in salads, too, like this shaved Brussels sprouts salad.
We were at the farmers’ market the other day and just had to buy Brussels sprouts still on the stalk. It’s really kind of funny how they grow, especially if you’re used to buying them in a little mesh bag.
Brussels sprouts are a powerhouse nutritionally too. 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 delicious Brussels sprouts salad and do your body a favor, all at the same time!
About this Brussels sprouts salad
A Brussels sprouts salad is a snap to make. You can whisk the homemade vinaigrette right in a big bowl, add the sprouts and grapes, stir it up, then top with shaved Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley. So easy!
I’ll run you through the recipe here and give you lots of extra tips.
As always, look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post. You’ll find complete instructions and nutrition information.
What you’ll need
- Brussels Sprouts: Shaved Brussels sprouts are simply sliced thinly. You’ll find more about that in the FAQ section and learn how to do it. It’s very easy. Even people who profess to hate Brussels sprouts enjoy them in a salad.
- 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.
- Homemade vinaigrette with Olive Oil, Honey, Shallots and White Wine Vinegar
FAQs
“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.
Trim the tough root end off, and remove any wilted or spotted outside leaves. Rinse and dry the sprouts. 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 slice each half.
You could use a mandolin but I wouldn’t recommend it. Brussels sprouts are just too small and round to safely use a mandolin. I’d definitely slice off my fingertips!
For a complete how-to, see this handy guide by The Culinary Compass.
Trim the Brussels sprouts as directed above. 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.
Shaved Brussels sprouts will keep in an airtight container or zip-top bag for one to two days.
Make It Your Own
This salad is easy to customize. Simply add or substitute what you like best or what you happen to have in the house. Use coleslaw mix instead of Brussels sprouts. Make it with apples, or nuts, or green grapes. Jazz it up with bacon! Here are more suggestions of add-ins:
- Sliced apples, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or any other firm apple. Pears are great, too!
- Dried cranberries, golden raisins, or dried cherries
- Toasted pecans, almond slices, or walnuts
- Sliced celery or red onions
- Blue cheese, gorgonzola, or goat cheese instead of Parmesan
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Pomegranate seeds (arils) are beautiful in this salad!
- Make a lemon Parmesan dressing. Simply zest a lemon over the Brussels sprouts, and then juice the lemon. Whisk the lemon juice into the dressing, omitting the white wine vinegar. If desired, increase the amount of honey to two teaspoons. Stir in 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese instead of shaved Parmesan.
- Substitute white balsamic vinegar for the the white wine vinegar.
Make-Ahead Ideas
To 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.
Storage Tips
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 really tasty. The red grapes will turn the salad a little pink, too.
More Brussels sprouts!
These little green spheres can be prepared in lots of ways: roasted, air fried, baked, shredded, or blanched. Try:
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
- Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Cayenne
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Asiago
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples and Cranberries
- Smoked Paprika and Shallot Brussels Sprouts
- Pasta with Shrimp, Brussels Sprouts, & Wine Sauce
- Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta {Guest Post}
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot (about ½ shallot)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, washed, and dried
- 1 cup sliced red grapes
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved (about ¾ cup)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Shave (slice) Brussels sprouts thinly with a sharp knife, or with a food processor, using the slicing blade.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well combined. Add Brussels sprouts and grapes, and toss to coat. If desired, refrigerate salad for up to two hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley; stir lightly and serve. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired.
- Serving size: about 1 cup.
Notes
- To 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 the Brussels sprouts up to two days in advance and store in a zip top bag. Do the same with the Parmesan cheese, in a separate bag.
- Leftover salad can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 2 days in the fridge. The salad will lose some of its crispness and red grapes will turn the salad a little pink.
- Be sure to take a look at the post for lots of ways to make adaptations to this salad!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
denise says
Ooh, I really want to try this.
Rachel Gurk says
They’d be a great addition to Thanksgiving!