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I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit…and it has been requested for Christmas! The only thing I did different was add chopped kale.
Jennifer
So this is the part where you ask me if I’m just repeating recipes on you.
And then I answer: ummm, lemme think.
Yes.
Okay, no, not really, but I still have the taste of this pomegranate wild rice salad in my mouth and dreams of the bacon and brussels sprout salad from, like, years ago in my head, so it’s only natural that this would come along. Basically these two very lovable salads of my Pinch of Yum past met and had a salad-child called Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad with Everything Yummy In The World.
i.e. pomegranates (♥), almonds, bacon, Pecorino Romano cheese, and creamy honey shallot dressing with fresh orange and lemon juice. 99% sure I just drooled as I wrote that.
Coincidence that this is in time for Thanksgiving? Negative.
I know I already talked about how I am bringing the corn pudding this year like a good Midwestern wife, but I forgot to tell you that I’m also bringing the brussels sprout salad. Seriously, who am I? I’m in that sweet spot where I don’t have to host yet and I don’t have to make the turkey because my mom rocks it for all of us, and so Thanksgiving sides are my thing. And I love a good side at Thanksgiving.
In case you’re interested, this is how cool Brussels sprouts look when you shred/chop/shave/mandoline them into thin little perfect pieces and wash them in a big blue bowl of water. I almost can’t stand to think of eating them any other way.
This is not just me puffing out my feathers here, except only a little, but EVERYONE in my family likes this. Er, I know for-surely for-surely they’re going to like it because they all polished off the bacon and brussels sprout salad that I brought a few years ago to some holiday feast. It perfectly compliments whatever you’re having as a main dish including our holiday family favorite: chicken wild rice soup.
Hey btw. I did not intend for this post to be a link landmine when I first started writing, but, FOOD.
The win-win of this situation is that this is a salad made for holidays because it’s completely festive-ish, but it also makes for a great weeknight meal being that it comes together in a snap and packs a ton of nutrition. And/or just because it’s delicious and you want to.
Crunchcrunch.
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Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 as a side 1x
Description
This chopped brussels sprout salad has pomegranates, almonds, crumbled bacon, and homemade creamy salad dressing. Perfect for a healthy holiday dish!
Ingredients
- 30–40 brussels sprouts (makes about 4 cups shredded)
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
For the dressing
- 1 shallot, chopped
- juice of one orange
- juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup oil
- up to 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Fry the bacon over low heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels; crumble and set aside.
- Shred or slice the brussels sprouts. I’ve found the absolute best way to do this is with a handy dandy mandoline – slice them super thin and then break the layers apart with your hands. Fluff it up a little and you’ll get a delicate shredded texture.
- Prep the pomegranate seeds. Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Toss the brussels sprouts, bacon crumbles, pomegranate arils, almonds, and cheese together.
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and pulse until creamy. Add the water as needed for consistency. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brussels sprout salad, thanksgiving salad, christmas salad, healthy salad
Can’t wait to try this out. I love brussel sprouts.
I don’t have a pomegranate. Any substitution? Maybe dried cranberries?
That would be a great substitute!
I made this recipe . Everyone liked it.
This is a perfect side dish – for family dinner, for guests, or for a pot luck. Rave reviews from everyone that’s tried it. Sometimes I can’t find pomegranates, so I substitute crunchy, tart apples. Love this!!
Glad to hear that, Emily!
This looks great! But can you substitute the yogurt for something else, or exclude it altogether? I’m trying a diet that cuts out dairy. Thanks!
Hi Maribeth! We haven’t tried but I think you could just omit it.
Making this right now! Also if you ever get to the Spice and Tea Co. in Stillwater, they have a coarse roasted garlic salt that is HEAVENLY over thinly sliced roasted Brussels sprouts. As in, I have to hide them from my husband and son so I can scarf them like candy 😬
Thanks for the tip, Brittany!
This is a beautiful recipe and I can’t wait to make it one day but I’m not sure that this should be described as “coming together quickly”, what with shredding 40 sprouts, seeding a pomegranate, making a dressing, and prepping the almonds- lol! Maybe I’m just queen of the lazy girls… but I will make it when I have some time and a nice occasion!
Totally understand, Kaila! What I’ve done before is get pre-shredded bags of brussels sprouts – I’ve been able to find them in most grocery stores. You can also omit the pomegranate seeds, or I’ve even just used some dried cranberries in place of them. 🙂
This salad is amazing! We had it tonight with a steak. My husband said it was better than a salad he could’ve gotten at a restaurant with his steak. I consider that high praise!
That’s great, Heather! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Looks amazing!! Can you chop the brussel sprouts the day before serving?
Hi, Kara! We generally do all the prep the day of serving, but I think it would be fine to chop the brussels sprouts the day beforehand. They are pretty hearty vegetables so I doubt they will wilt. 🙂
I have done all the prep 2-3 days before and it has come out great. I love making this salad and I always get so many compliments on it. Thanks for a great healthy recipe
Thanks for the feedback, Tanya!
Making this again for Thanksgiving! Can’t wait!!!!
Enjoy, Amy!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit…and it has been requested for Christmas! The only thing I did different was add chopped kale.
I made a whole lot of changes – it’s just how I roll! Added avocado and chicken to make it a meal instead of just a side. All kinds of delicious!! Even my 5-year-old ate gobs!
Thanks Danielle! Love hearing that.
Could you recommend a substitute cheese? We dont have that type where we live. Also, can I use onion instead of shallot? This looks magnificent and cant wait to try it!
Yes to the onion, and I would use Parmesan cheese.
We have a nut allergy in the house. Any ideas of what to substitute for almonds???
Allergic to all nuts? Hmmm, can you do seeds? what about sunflower seeds?
I’m not a super huge pomegranate fan (I know, I know) but this salad looks so, so good. Do you think I could use Craisins as a sub for pomegranate seeds?
Sure! 🙂
Never have worked with brussel sprouts but you make this look too good not to try.
Question – do you wash (rinse) (soak) or what? before you slice them? Can’t wait to try.
I rinse them, yes.
Found you via Pinterest and am already planning my next meal from your recipes!
Just made this last night for hubby, kiddo, and I to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I second the recommendations to use TJs bagged Brussels sprouts and pomegranate seeds. The bonus of using the prepped ingredients was that my 3.5 year old could help with assembly — just open and dump.
I would definitely recommend making the citrus shallot dressing — it added so much to the salad, and it tasted even better the next day (bonus, dressed Brussels sprouts dont get soggy like lettuce does). I also used precooked bacon but didn’t get the crispy texture that I wanted.
I also made the honey glazed adobo chicken — YUM. Tangy sweet umami goodness.
Thanks for existing, yummy blog.
Thanks PKS! Always love comments like this!
I found this recipe on Pinterest. It was delicious – thank you! I wanted to share my short cut version…Go to Trader Joe’s and buy their:
1. Shaved brussels sprouts in a bag (You might want to buy 2 10 oz bags because you will want to remove pieces of brussels sprouts that have the core – they are too tough to eat raw. I cook the ones that have a core and they are fine.)
2. Pomegranate seeds in a container (they are located in the refrigerated produce section – near brussels sprouts/bagged salads).
3. Shaved cheese (the one I bought had a mix of cheeses).
4. Champagne Pear Vinaigrette Salad dressing (I am sure the homemade one is good but I haven’t tried it yet).
5. Bacon (It’s precooked so it’s not a gross mess – just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and crumble).
I love this salad idea but I’m headed to a friends tonight where I wont have the ability to make the dressing (and wont have time to make ahead of time). Is there a premade one you would recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I’m getting to this a little bit too late but I honestly can’t think of a dressing that would be similar to this one – although I think it could still taste good with the dressing of your choice 🙂 Just something simple, garlic/olive oil/vinegar kind of thing.
I made this tonight. It is so good. Love the dressing and plan to use it on other salads. I also added chicken to the recipe so i could eat it as a meal!!
This was the first recipe I tried from your blog. It is fabulous. I love the crunch and the combos of flavors and textures. I have tried 3 others since then and plan to try more of them. Can’t wait to make this one again!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! I’m going to share this on my blog with a link back to you. Thanks for sharing!!
This sounds lovely though we are not big brussel sprout fans. I just may try it anyway.
I just pinned this to my Salad Board! This looks amazing, can’t wait to try….especially that dressing. Thanks for sharing :).
I made this as a side dish to add to a Christmas dinner, planned by a family of chefs. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. What a delicious salad! Thank you.