Looking for an amazing salad with roasted brussel sprouts? You’ve come to the right place! This delicious roast Brussels sprouts salad with kale, quinoa, apples and pecans has all the fall vibes. Would make an amazing Thanksgiving side dish or pair with chicken for a flavorful lunch.
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Do you have extra roasted Brussels sprouts that you’re not sure what to do with? Keep those babies and toss together this amazing salad. Paired with apples, pecans, quinoa, celery, cranberries and feta, this salad is amazing for a lunch, or add chicken or turkey for dinner.
This salad also makes for a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish option. This salad can be prepped in advance (with the pecans and dressing on the side), and served along with your stuffing, mashed potatoes and turkey for the ultimate holiday feast.
What do I need to make a Brussel sprouts salad?
- Brussels sprouts – fresh sprouts are available in the produce section of the grocery store. If you can’t find fresh Brussels sprouts, feel free to get a package of frozen sprouts.
- Fresh kale – feel free to purchase some pre-washed and cut kale to save prep time, or buy a bunch to trim, wash and cut.
- Quinoa – adding quinoa is a great source of fiber and add some wonderful texture to this salad.
- Apple – feel free to use one of your favorite apple varieties in this salad. I used a Honey crisp apple, but you could also use a Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady or Jazz varieties.
- Dried cranberries – I recommend purchasing the lower-sugar version of dried cranberries, as the regular tend to have quite a bit of added sugar. Interested in drying your own cranberries? Check out my post for Homemade Dried Cranberries here.
- Celery – this will add some great crunch and texture to the salad.
- Pickled Red Onions – these can be purchased in a jar (located near the pickles and olives at the grocery store) or you can easily make your own Easy Pickled Red Onions here.
- Pecans – pecan halves or chopped pecans are a great addition to this salad for added texture and crunch.
- Feta cheese – feta cheese crumbles can be found in the cheese/deli section of your local grocery store. Goat cheese crumbles can also be used.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How do I make a salad with roasted brussel sprouts?
To begin making this salad, you’ll need to roast the Brussels sprouts. This can be done on a simple sheet pan. Lightly coat the Brussels sprout halves with olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast until tender and lightly browned.
You can also use leftover roasted sprouts that have been refrigerated. This is a great salad to assemble the day after Thanksgiving when you have leftovers Brussels sprouts to use.
Making the honey Dijon vinaigrette for dressing the salad:
This simple homemade salad dressing is a perfect pairing for this salad. It can be made minutes before serving or whisked together and refrigerated for later.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Wait to dress the salad until just before serving. If you’re making this salad in advance, store the dressing in a separate container and serve the dressing on the side.
Want some other dressing ideas? Here are some of our other, easy homemade salad dressing recipes:
Here are some of our other homemade salad dressing recipe that you may enjoy:
- Healthy Caesar Dressing
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- Yogurt Dill Dressing
- Healthy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
- Avocado Lime Dressing
- Creamy Poppyseed Dressing Recipe
Ingredient Substitutions and Recommendations:
- Instead of Pecans – try adding pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), walnuts, pistachios or sliced almonds.
- Substitutes for Apple – sliced pears or figs would be a great substitute in the salad.
- Instead of Cranberries – you could substitute golden raisins, dried apricots or even dates to add some extra sweetness to the salad.
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts – instead of using roasted Brussels sprouts, you can add fresh, shaved brussels sprouts to the salad. Shaved sprouts can be purchased already shaved.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
Frequently asked questions about making, serving and storing salads:
Yes, this salad can be made in advance. I would recommend assembling the salad the day before Thanksgiving, and store in a sealed/wrapped container. Store the dressing in a separate container and hold off adding the pecans until just before serving to keep them crunchy. When ready to serve, add the pecans and dress the salad or serve the dressing on the side.
When refrigerated and undressed salad will last 3-4 days. (If you expect to have leftover salad and want to enjoy later, I recommend serving the salad with the dressing on the side.) The salad will refrigerate and keep better when undressed. Store the dressing separately.
This salad is hearty enough to be served on its own. If you’re looking to add a protein, go with something like grilled chicken, roasted turkey, salmon or even grilled steak for a complete meal.
What proteins can be added to this salad?
Here are some great ideas for proteins that can be added to this salad for a complete meal:
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Chicken
- Juicy Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
- Sheet Pan Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs
- 8 Minute Air Fryer Salmon with Maple Soy Glaze
- Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets from Kylee Cooks
If you loved this salad recipe, check out some of our other salad ideas:
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Kale and Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
For roasted Brussels sprouts:
For the Salad:
- 5 oz. kale rinsed and cut
- ¾ cup quinoa, dry about 1 ½ cup prepared quinoa
- 1 cup apple diced
- ⅔ cup celery diced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup pecan halves or pieces
- ¼ cup pickled red onion
- ¼ cup feta crumbles
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the Brussels sprouts and quinoa:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a sheet pan, add the trimmed and sliced Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the sprouts for 30-35 minutes or until tender and browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While the sprouts roast, prepare the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, prepare the quinoa according to package directions. You'll only need about ¾ cup of dried quinoa to yield about 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa. Once done cooking, let the quinoa cool.
For the Salad:
- In a large salad bowl, add the rinsed and cut kale. Add in the cooked quinoa, roasted sprouts, diced apple and celery, dried cranberries, pecans and pickled onions. Top the salad with the feta cheese crumbles.
For the Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, Dijon, olive oil, garlic powder, garlic salt and pepper. Keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
For Serving the Salad:
- When ready to serve, either dress the full salad with the entire amount of dressing OR serve the dressing on the side. If you expect to have leftover salad, I would recommend serving the dressing on the side, as the salad will keep better when undressed.
Notes
Nutrition
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