Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Berries with oil-free strawberry vinaigrette is a festive salad that bursts with flavor when fresh berries are in season.
The fourth of July is right around the corner, so I wanted to create a lovely, festive dish perfect for sharing. I think this gorgeous Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Berries would be a welcome addition at any gathering over the summer—especially when berries are fresh and abundant, sweet and juicy.
I love the way the naturally sweet berries and strawberry vinaigrette complement the slight bitterness of the raw brussels sprouts in this salad. Fresh mint adds a pop of brightness and chopped walnuts bring just a hint of richness. And this salad is as wonderful to look at as it is to eat.
How to make shaved brussels sprouts salad
Aside from using ingredients that complement each other, the key to making a great shaved brussels sprouts salad is to shave your brussels sprouts quite thin. It’s fine to use a food processor with a slicing attachment as long as it slices thin enough. You may want to test a few to be sure.
[STORY ALERT!: The first time I used my new food processor to make a shaved brussels sprouts salad, I didn’t realize the chopping blade was still in the bottom of the processor. So while I was merrily shredding along with my slicing blade at the top of the food processor, at the bottom, the other blade was chopping my brussels sprouts shreddings into tiny bits!]
If you don’t have a suitable food processor blade, a mandolin will work. Though you have to be really careful not to slice a finger! Or, it will take quite a bit of time, but you can certainly slice your brussels very thin with a good sharp chef’s knife.
How to make a WFPB & vegan shaved brussels sprouts salad
To make a shaved brussels sprouts salad vegan, we skip common ingredients like bacon or cheese. Unlike my broccoli salad, I didn’t even try to mimic those here. Instead, I took this salad in a fresh and fruity direction.
To make this salad whole food plant-based, we make our own oil free dressing. I like using mellow white miso paste in a lot of recipes that might call for oil, such as this strawberry vinaigrette. It’s great where you want to add a little texture and richness, but don’t quite want the stronger flavor of something like tahini.
This recipe also has no refined sugars. The berries are naturally sweet, so there’s just a teaspoon of maple syrup added to offset the bite of the lemon in the dressing. But you could certainly skip that to make this completely free of added sweeteners.
What make this salad so healthy?
According to Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen (video), both berries and cruciferous veggies (like brussels sprouts) are SO good for us, we should try to eat them every day. I love the fact that I can get BOTH my berry and cruciferous servings in one place, just by eating this beautiful and delicious salad.
How to make a cooked brussels sprouts salad
I’m a big fan of cooked veggies, but I love this salad completely raw. Even though the brussels sprouts are a bit bitter, I feel the sweetness of the berries and dressing offsets that bitterness nicely.
However, if you really don’t have a taste for raw brussels sprouts, you could blanch them for this salad. Just place your shredded pieces into boiling water for no more than 30 seconds—just until they start to turn bright green—then drain them and immediately place into a large bowl of water and ice to stop the cooking.
You can also quickly and thoroughly rinse them in a colander in the sink under very cold tap water. Either way, you want to get them cold to stop the cooking. Then, be sure to dry them completely by pressing between paper towels or clean kitchen towels.
If you like this healthy vegan & whole food plant-based recipe, you might also like:
- Vegan Broccoli Salad with Smoky Almonds & Raisins
- Dijon Mustard Dressing with Herbs (& Maple Syrup)
- ‘Eat Your Greens’ Pasta Salad
- Simple Chickpea Salad with Lemon Aquafaba Dressing
- Shaved Brussels Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Citrus Dressing
- Vegan Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Crispy Spicy Sushi Bowls
- Watermelon & Forbidden Rice Salad
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📖 Recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Berries
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup)
- 1 heaping cup diced strawberries
- 1 lemon juiced and zested (about 3+ tablespoons of juice)
- 2 teaspoons almond butter (sub tahini or omit for nut free)
- 2 teaspoons mellow white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar free rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Brussels Sprouts Salad
- 1 pounds brussels sprouts cleaned and ends removed. (see notes for blanching, if desired)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves chopped (reserve some whole leaves for garnish if desired)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (omit or sub sunflower seeds for nut free)
- Optional: a couple of handfuls of fresh spring greens
Instructions
To make the strawberry vinaigrette:
- Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a food processor or blender, and process until well blended.
To make the salad:
- Shave the brussels sprouts using your food processor's fine slicing blade, or by hand using a mandoline slicer.
- Place the shaved brussels sprouts in a large bowl, add the chopped mint leaves, and toss together. Pour the citrus vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to coat.
- Add half of the berries, and gently toss to combine.
- To assemble, place the optional spring greens on a platter or individual dishes (if using) then place the brussels sprouds salad on top of the greens. Top the salad with the remaining berries and chopped walnuts. Garnish with reserved whole mint leaves if desired.
Notes
- I like my salads lightly dressed. But if you prefer more dressing, increase the recipe by 50% or even double it.
- Make sure you choose the fine slicing attachment if using a food processor. You want the brussels sprouts slices very thin. Or, use a mandolin or a very sharp chef's knife.
- For cooked brussels sprouts: If you don't care for raw brussels sprouts, you can blanch them by placing your shredded pieces into boiling water for no more than 30 seconds—just until they start to turn bright green—then drain them and immediately place into a large bowl of water and ice to stop the cooking. You can also quickly and thoroughly rinse them in a colander in the sink under very cold tap water. Either way, you want to get them cold to stop the cooking. Be sure to dry them completely by pressing between paper towels or clean kitchen towels.
- To make it nut free: omit the almond butter or sub tahini, omit the walnuts or sub sunflower seeds or pepitas
- To make it free of added sugars: omit the maple syrup or add 2 teaspoons of date paste
- About the mellow white miso paste: I like using mellow white miso paste in a lot of recipes that might call for oil, such as this strawberry vinaigrette. It’s great where you don’t quite want the stronger flavor of something like tahini. It's considered a 'green light' salt (video) that's less damaging than table salt. You can usually find it near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
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