I came home from Thanksgiving with a distinct craving for something fresh and crunchy. I love love love all the foods and flavors of Thanksgiving, but we ended up repurposing leftovers for 5 days in a row, which, while delicious, stopped being satisfying after about day 3. 
This Brussels sprout salad was exactly what I needed after a week of roasted, soft, herbaceous veggies and leftover pies. I knew I wanted to make a salad, but when I walked around the market, none of the lettuces jumped out at me. I managed to come home with one thing-a giant stalk of Brussels sprouts. Oh, and a container of fresh feta, which was so creamy and perfectly salty, I considered just eating it plain. I didn’t, and this salad was born.
Do you crave the same food year-round? In the summer I don’t even want to THINK about baked pasta and hearty soups; I’m all about salads and everything fresh. But come winter I just want root vegetables, cheesy stuff, and soup, all day everyday. I literally have a pot of soup on the stove while I’m writing this-its going to be a ginger-soy based soup with mushrooms and noodles and roasted Brussels sprouts. But, that’s not the point here. The point is that despite my current love affair with all things warm this time of year, this bright, fresh salad rose to the top of my to-do list. My body was craving it, and I listened to those cravings. Usually it’s chocolate and peanut butter and BROWNIES RIGHT NOW, PLEASE that I’m craving, but when salad comes a-knocking, I answer.
To make this salad, you first start by finely slicing a boat-load of Brussels. Twenty-four, to be exact. Hopefully you wind up with about 4 cups of shredded Brussels sprouts. I hear tell you can get bagged, pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at the grocery store, but I’d have to drive 20 minutes to get to said store, so farmers market Brussels it is. 
While your knife and cutting board are out, thinly slice half a red onion and a whole green apple. I used a Mutsu apple (my faaaaav), but if you’re fresh out of heirloom apples, go ahead and use whatever crisp, sweet apple you can find at the store (am I being obnoxious? I swear I’m not trying to be…). Seriously. Any Apple works. 
Crumble on some feta, shake up the dressing in a jar, and voila! Crispy, crunchy, super lemony shaved Brussels sprouts with sweet-tart bites of apple, spicy slivers of red onion, and salty feta. If you’re wary of Brussels sprouts, give them a try raw! I actually think they taste more like raw broccoli than cabbage, and they hold their crunch so well. Even 3 days later this salad was pretty darn crisp and flavorful. 
If your body has been asking you for fresh, bright, tangy salads lately, I hope you’ll give this one a try. It would also be a perfect side to bring to a holiday party; I’m always pleasantly surprised to see how many people are craving fresh veggies this time of year, too. I guess it’s not just me. 
As always, I love to see what you come up with! Leave a comment below telling me how your salad came out, or take a picture and tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram. Happy weekend, friends!
Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad
Ingredients
- 24 brussels sprouts or about 4 cups, shredded
- 1 crisp apple like Mutsu, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, etc
- 1/2 a medium red onion
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta thick shards of pecorino romano is also delicious, if you aren't into feta
Lemon Vinaigrette
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey/agave
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Cut each Brussels sprout in half, then finely slice/shred into thin strips. Place shredded brussels sprouts into a large serving bowl.
- 2. Thinly slice the apple and red onion, then add them to the bowl. Finally, sprinkle on the crumbled feta.
- 3. Put all dressing ingredients into a small jar, close the lid, and shake to combine (alternately, whisk it together in a small bowl). Pour dressing over the salad, and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.