Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash

Fresh Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, chopped apple, and feta cheese. Tie everything together with a citrusy maple cinnamon dressing for an amazing, colorful, nutritious salad!

I shared this simple Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash back in November, 2016 and it has been a reader favorite ever since!

Loaded with goodies like thinly sliced raw brussels sprouts, pomegranate arils (also known as pomegranate seeds), fresh sweet crisp apple, pumpkin seeds and tangy feta cheese, this amazing brussel sprout salad recipe is truly a flavor fest!

If this is the first time you have seen raw brussel sprouts used in a salad, never fear! It is a great way to enjoy the cruciferous vegetable while maintaining its crunchy texture.

Ideal for anything from regular weeknight meals to holiday entertaining, this simple colorful impressive salad is sure to wow all who try it. 

The feverishly delicious Maple Cinnamon Vinaigrette is what ties everything together so delightfully. I highly recommend you try it on several other salad recipes as well!

Add any of your favorite goodies like avocado, blueberries, walnuts, or dried cranberries to customize this shaved brussels sprouts salad to your heart’s delight!

Let’s discuss the fresh ingredients for this delicious salad.

Ingredients for Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad:

Brussel Sprouts: The star of the show! Raw brussel sprouts are thinly sliced to take the place of lettuce in this healthy cruciferous vegetable salad. No need to blanch or saute the brussel sprouts ahead of time, although you certainly can for a less crunchy, softer consistency.

Butternut Squash: Delicious creamy butternut squash gets chopped and roasted to golden brown perfection. 

Pomegranate Arils (Pomegranate Seeds): Fresh tangy, sweet pomegranate seeds add a pop of color and a burst of flavor to this salad. Pro Tip: you can often find pomegranate seeds in the produce section of the grocery store already removed and packaged so that you don’t have to take the time to remove them yourself.

If you don’t have access to fresh pomegranates or if you want to save time, replace the pomegranate seeds with dried cranberries.

Pumpkin Seeds: Raw pumpkin seeds add that nutty flavor and lovely crunch to this salad. For a nice toasty flavor, use toasted or roasted pumpkin seeds rather than raw.

Apple: Sweet, crisp, tangy apple adds all sorts of pomp and circumstance to this healthy brussel sprouts salad. I like using a sweet apple like Gala apples or Fuji apples, but honey crisp, Granny Smith Apples, and pink lady apples work too.

Feta Cheese: Creamy feta cheese adds little bursts of tanginess to round out the full experience.

Dressing Ingredients:

Olive Oil: Used to roast the butternut squash and in the salad dressing, extra virgin olive oil provides the much needed fat to bring flavor and richness to this shredded brussels sprouts salad.

Lemon Juice (or Balsamic Vinegar or Rice Vinegar): Bringing tang to the dressing for a well-rounded flavor, I love using fresh lemon juice, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or rice vinegar. All are great options so you can pick which you use according to your personal preference.

Maple Syrup: Adding subtle sweetness to offset the savoriness of the dressing, pure maple syrup brings that perfect compliment to the dish. Skip it if you prefer cooking without added sugar.

Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon generates that warm fall vibe to really bring something special to the dish.

Sea Salt: Add kosher salt according to your personal taste. If the salad tastes at all bland, that just means it needs a little salt until the flavors shine through. You can also add a pinch of black pepper or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard if you like it.

Thinking of swapping out some ingredients? Here are some recipe adaptations to consider.

Optional Changes or Additions:

• Replace the butternut squash with sweet potato or a different winter squash such as kabocha squash or acorn squash.
• Omit the feta cheese to make it vegan
• Substitute goat cheese, grated parmesan cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola for the feta.
• Use roasted or candied nuts, such as maple-toasted walnuts, pine nuts, or pecans.
• Substitute pecans, almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds.
• Add chopped crispy bacon and/or use bacon drippings instead of oil in the dressing.
• Toss in some dried cranberries for more sweetness and tang.
• Make it a complete meal by adding leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken or your protein of choice. White beans, chickpeas, and black beans are great too!
• Just add avocado!
• Add 1/3 cup of thinly sliced red onions for some added zing.
• Swap the cinnamon dressing for a homemade honey mustard dressing if you have one you love.

Now that we have all the basics down, let’s make it!

How to Make Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad:

Prepare the Dressing:

Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small blender (such as a NutriBullet or Magic Bullet) and blend until completely smooth. Store in a sealed container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Note: If you don’t own a small blender, you can easily whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Just be sure to give the dressing a good stir before pouring it over the salad to be sure all of the ingredients are well-combined.

Prepare the Salad:

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.

Spread the butternut squash over a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use your hands to coat the squash in oil. Sprinkle the squash with sea salt and a dash of cinnamon if desired.

Roast butternut squash for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring half-way through, or until squash is golden-brown and cooked through. Once the butternut squash has finished roasting, set it aside to cool to room temperature.

While squash is roasting, thinly slice all of the Brussels sprouts. Hold the Brussels sprouts by the stem (the root end) on a cutting board, and use a sharp knife to carefully chop (or shave) them into thin slices. Discard the hard stems. Note: if you have a food processor, you can use the shredding blade (also known as the slicing attachment or shredding disc) to shave the brussel sprouts much quicker. 

Add the shaved Brussels sprouts to a large bowl (or serving bowl), along with the roasted butternut squash, apple, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds. Toss in desired amount of dressing until everything is well coated. Taste for flavor and add sea salt to taste.

Serve alongside your main entrée. 

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Advance Prep:

Looking for some meal prep tips? If you want to make this salad ahead of time, you can easily roast the butternut squash and/or make the dressing up to 4 days in advance.

The salad itself is hearty and saves well, so you could prepare the whole salad 1 day ahead of time and simply toss the dressing in just before serving it.

I’ve had several readers tell me this shaved brussels sprout salad recipe is on their Thanksgiving table every year, so you know it’s a great addition to any holiday meal. 

And there you have it! A vibrant, crunchy salad that is loaded with various flavors for a wildly entertaining perfect side dish or main dish.

Love brussel sprouts? Also try my Creamy Brussel Sprout Casserole!

If you’re looking for more healthy sides, also check out these reader favorites!

More Healthy Recipes for Side Dishes:

• Healthy Green Bean Casserole
• Healthy Paleo Sweet Potato Souffle
• Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets
• My Go-To Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
• Apple Cider Glazed Roasted Carrots with Rosemary
• Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach
• Instant Pot Artichokes

A refreshing salad and quite possibly your new favorite brussels sprout recipe for your holiday table or any time of year!

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Original Recipe Published November 23, 2016. I made minimal changes to the recipe to make it even better and updated the text to provide more relevant information.