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This 15-minute shaved Brussels sprout salad/slaw with apples in a sweet & tangy lemon poppy seed dressing is a bright, crisp, crunchy, delicious year-round and holiday side dish!
Sweet and Tangy Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples
While boiled sprouts aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and roasted sprouts have their place, get ready to be blown away with this simple, sweet, savory, crisp homemade Brussels sprout slaw/ salad. They’re essentially like mini cabbages, so it makes perfect sense!
Shredded/shaved Brussels sprouts make for a wonderfully fresh and crisp salad/slaw base. Meanwhile, the sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing is bright, zingy, and the perfect balance of sweet and tart to complement the flavors of the sprouts and apple. It can also be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge!
Best of all, all you need is a knife, but if you have a mandoline and/or food processor with a shredding attachment, you can get the prep for this Brussels sprouts salad done in practically no time.
The sturdy nature of the sprouts makes this Brussels sprout coleslaw a great contender for meal prep, buffets, and other long events/gatherings. Plus, you can dress the salad up with extras like dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, kale, and more, to fit any event. Either way, it’s the perfect dish to freshen up any meal.
Enjoy this fresh Brussels sprout slaw recipe alongside all your favorite plant proteins, pasta, a vegan grilled cheese, soup, tacos, in wraps, sandwiches, or as part of your holiday Christmas/ Thanksgiving table. It’s also a shoo-in at potlucks and other large gatherings.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
This Brussels sprout apple salad is fresh, crisp, sweet, tangy, and loaded with fiber and several micronutrients, all with just 7 ingredients!
- Brussels Sprouts: Use fresh, not frozen, sprouts. These bring a healthy dose of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin K.
- Apple: It’s best to use crunchy/crisp, sweet or sweet-tart apples, like Honey crisp apples, Pink lady, etc. Pear would also pair well with the shaved Brussels sprouts.
The Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- Oil: Use any neutral-flavored oil, like canola oil, light olive oil, etc.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Sugar: You can use regular sugar, maple syrup, or a sugar alternative and adjust the amount to taste.
- Salt: Just a little to enhance the various flavors in the recipe for Brussels sprouts slaw.
- Poppy seeds: To add the delicious crunch and black specks.
For more of a traditional lemon poppy seed salad dressing, you could also add a small amount of mustard, starting with just ¼ tsp (or less) and increasing to taste. Alternatively, swap out this dressing for a maple mustard one.
What Could I Add to Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad?
- Dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
- Pomegranate seeds
- Onion (sweet onion, shallots, or red onion—thinly sliced. Soak in ice water for 10 minutes for a milder flavor)
- Toasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios—toasted at 350F until fragrant)
- Shredded kale
- Shredded cabbage
- Vegan parmesan
- Avocado (add just before serving the Brussels sprout slaw – sliced or diced)
How to Make Brussel Sprout Slaw with Apples
This Brussels sprout slaw/salad comes together with just 7 ingredients, 4 steps, and about 10 minutes of prep work.
- 1) First, prepare the lemon poppy seed dressing by whisking all the ingredients (oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and poppy seeds) in a medium bowl and setting it aside.
- 2) Then, rinse and trim the Brussels sprouts, removing any tough outer layers, before patting them dry and shredding them.
- 3) Then, slice the apple into matchsticks/ julienned pieces.
- 4) Combine the apples and shaved Brussels sprouts with the dressing, toss well, and leave to ‘marinate’ for at least an hour in the fridge first (for even better flavor!) before serving. During this time, the sprouts will tenderize and the flavors will blend.
How To Shred Brussels Sprouts?
Use a sharp chef’s knife to chop the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise before placing them cut-side-down on your chopping board and thinly slicing them crosswise to create the shreds. Discard the tough root end.
Alternatively, use a mandoline (press a fork into the root of each sprout to avoid injury). Also, a food processor (or KitchenAid) grating disk/attachment will do the job in seconds.
Top Recipe Tips
- For quick prep time: Use tools like a mandoline or food chopper, if you have them, to speed up the sprout shredding/ apple slicing time.
- Adjust to your taste: I.e., tweak the lemon poppy seed dressing to your liking, tasting and adjusting as you like. Choose a sweet vs. sweet-tart flavored apple, etc.
- Leave it to rest: Allowing the Brussels sprout and apple salad time for all the flavors to meld will produce an even better-tasting slaw and remove some bitterness in the raw sprouts. We recommend leaving it for at least 30 minutes.
- For flavor depth: Use a combination of raw shredded Brussels sprouts and roasted sprouts.
- To serve immediately: If you don’t have time to leave the shaved brussel sprout salad to rest for 30+ minutes, it can help to massage the dressing into the sprouts. This will help to tenderize the sprout leaves, making them easier to eat and digest.
Storage Instructions
You can prepare the lemon poppyseed dressing up to 5 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Shredded sprouts will also last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Once fully assembled, it’s best to leave the Brussels sprouts slaw/ salad to sit for a few hours for even better flavor. You can also store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The sprouts will soften as they sit and can turn a little brown along the edges over time, but they will still taste delicious.
If the flavors become too mild over time, perk the Brussels sprout slaw up with a little more lemon juice, salt, and/or oil before serving. If lots of liquid gathers at the bottom of the bowl, drain it if preferred.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
- Spicy Mint Brussels Sprouts
- Cheesy Tahini Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet and Salty Brussels Sprouts
- Brussels Sprouts Curry
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Shaved Brussel Sprout Slaw with Apples
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of light-flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 pound of brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
- 1 apple
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, sugar, poppy seeds and salt. Set aside.
- Half Brussels’ sprouts lengthwise, then slice thinly. Add to dressing.
- Slice the apple into short matchsticks. Add to the dressing. Mix well.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours before enjoying.
Notes
- For quick prep time: Use tools like a mandoline or food chopper, if you have them, to speed up the sprout shredding/ apple slicing time.
- Adjust to your taste: I.e., tweak the lemon poppy seed dressing to your liking, tasting and adjusting as you like. Choose a sweet vs. sweet-tart flavored apple, etc.
- Leave it to rest: Allowing the Brussels sprout and apple salad time for all the flavors to meld will produce an even better-tasting slaw and remove some bitterness in the raw sprouts. We recommend leaving it for at least 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I never thought I could like brussels sprouts until I started making Plant Based on a Budget recipes! This one is so fresh and lovely. It’s amazing that I’m enjoying this dish so much 😀
That’s so awesome to hear! This recipe does make them shine!
This Brussels sprouts slaw is so bright, crisp and refreshing!
Gotta love a delicious slaw recipe!
What a delicious recipe! Love it 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!
Love how quick and easy this salad is to make!
Right?! So quick and simple to whip up!
A great way to use sprouts! Great texture and flavours.
This slaw is so refreshing and sweet!
lovely recipy – certainly want to find some morel
It’s a delicious one, alright!