Brussels sprouts salad is a perfect taste of fall

I used to not like Brussels sprouts and couldn’t get anyone in my family to eat them either, but I was determined to change that fact. After cooking and baking them, we still didn’t love them. So I decided to try them raw — just shredded and in a salad. Well, that was all it took.

The way these Brussels sprouts are prepared, my whole family goes crazy over them. Especially me — I could eat Brussels sprouts just about every day. In this salad, they are finely sliced, and then the slices are separated, making the sprouts more like thin and crunchy lettuce that tastes so great with the other ingredients in the salad — the warm sweet potato chunks, the crunchy pecans, the savory feta cheese and the chewy cranberries. Everything is combined into a perfect combination of flavor and missing only one thing.

The dressing. This dressing is creamy thanks to the Greek yogurt, but it’s also quite healthy. The fresh fruit juice, poppy seeds and bit of oil in this dressing whip up quickly in a blender. I like to massage the sliced Brussels sprouts and dressing together and then top the prepared salad with a little more. I’m all about creamy dressings — the more, the better.

If you are on the fence about Brussels sprouts, then you’ll have to give this salad a try. It will definitely make you a fan. It’s healthy and light but not missing any amount of flavor.

Brussels sprouts salad with creamy poppy seed dressing recipe

This delicious and very nutritious salad is the perfect side dish for your big Thanksgiving meal. It’s also a great way to use up some leftover sweet potatoes. You can use whatever dressing you like with this salad, but this one is my family’s favorite.

Serves 4

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup freshly crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup sweet potato, chopped and cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Juice of 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1-1/2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts. Thinly slice them, break apart the layers with your hands, and place them into a bowl. If desired, make the dressing now, and massage it into the chopped sprouts. If you are preparing this ahead of time to serve later, then don’t put any dressing on the salad until right before serving.
2. Peel the sweet potato, and chop it. Sauté the chopped potato in the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until tender, then remove from the heat, and allow the potatoes to cool.
3. To the Brussels sprouts, add in the chopped pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese and cooked sweet potatoes.
4. To a blender, add the garlic, orange juice, lemon juice, agave nectar, Greek yogurt, olive oil and salt. Blend until creamy. Stir in the poppy seeds.
5. Add water as needed until your desired consistency is reached.
6. Toss the salad in the dressing, and garnish with some more feta cheese, if desired.

More Brussels sprouts recipes

Grilled Brussels sprouts salad
Chicken noodle soup with Brussels sprouts
Seared scallops and bacon Brussels sprouts