Name: Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts ((washed and dried)); 1/4 cup red onion ((diced)); 1 cup sunflower seeds ((salted)); 1 cup dried cranberries; 3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

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Don’t knock brussels sprouts until you’ve tried this salad! Creamy Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad is full of sunflower seeds and parmesan. Ready for the table in 20 minutes.

Last fall I visited a restaurant in Chicago along with a group of food blogging friends. It was a tapas restaurant with amazing food, but the one I came away craving to make?

Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad.

I know. I’m weird. I love roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and I also like cold broccoli slaw salads, so it’s no wonder that this simple salad made with shredded brussels sprouts hit the spot for me.

Can brussels sprouts be eaten raw?

Yes! Brussels sprouts are safe to eat raw. They may be harder to digest for some people rather than others, so if raw cabbage or broccoli makes you bloated, raw brussels sprouts may do the same.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad

We have just 5 ingredients that make up the base of our salad:

ingredients for brussels sprouts salad in a bowl

Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Red Onion. Use a sweet onion if you don’t like the strong flavor of red onion.
Sunflower Seeds. We use salted seeds, which means we don’t add more salt in the dressing. If you use unsalted, you’ll want to add salt to taste.
Dried Cranberries. Or you can use raisins if you’d like!
Shredded Parmesan. Buy a block of parmesan cheese and shred it yourself. It will be so much better than the powdered parmesan.

You can also add bacon if you’d like. It’s so so good in this salad!

Then comes the dressing which is a mix of mayo, sugar, vinegar, dijon mustard and dry mustard powder.

How to Shave Brussels Sprouts

The first step is to shred the brussels sprouts. There are two ways to easily do this.

With a knife. Slice off the end of the brussels sprouts and discard. Then take a large knife and finely slice each brussels sprouts. Now you may be better with a knife than I am, but I find this time consuming. Plus my husband cringes when he sees me chopping little sprouts with a large knife.
With a food processor. This is by far the easiest way to prepare brussels sprouts for salad. Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts and discard the trimmings. Place the sprouts in a food processor. We find we only need about 5 pulses of the food processor to get the sprouts perfectly shaved. If you have a small food processor, process the sprouts in batches so that they chop evenly.

whole brussels sprouts in a food processor

How to Make Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad

I can have this shaved brussels sprouts salad ready in about 15 minutes. It’s quick and easy perfect for making at the beginning of the week for lunches.

Trim the ends off the brussels sprouts. Discard the ends. Place the brussels sprouts in a food processor. Pulse about 5 times until the sprouts are shaved to the size you’d like. Place the shaved brussels sprouts in a large salad bowl.
Add the diced red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and parmesan cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

creamy dressing over brussels sprouts salad in a bowl

Recipe Variations

We don’t add salt to the dressing because we use salted sunflower seeds. If you use unsalted seeds, you’ll need to add salt to taste.
Looking for a lighter dressing? Try this oil & vinegar brussels sprouts slaw. It’s a simple vinaigrette with apple cider vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.
Want more crunch? Try adding pine nuts, pepitas, pecans or walnuts.
Sweeten the salad with honey or maple syrup instead of sugar. Use the same amounts for each.

How long does this salad last?

This brussels sprouts cranberry salad will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftovers will soften as it sits with the dressing on it. If you like a crunchier salad, wait to add the dressing until right before you want to eat it.

I often add a few extra shaved brussels sprouts on day 2 or 3 to make the salad crunchy again.

What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad

This is one of our favorite salads to serve with grilled meats. Try it with:

It also makes a great salad for the holidays. Keep it in your folder of Thanksgiving recipes!

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