Here's a recipe for a shaved brussels sprouts salad, that's super easy to make, as well as low carb/keto and healthy. It's surprisingly filling -- the brussels sprouts are very hearty, and the addition of shaved parmesan, Castelvetrano olives, and toasted nuts really rounds out this shaved brussels sprouts salad recipe. Make it for dinner alongside some roasted garlic bread and serve with some red wine for date night!
Background on this shaved brussels sprouts salad
If you or your loved ones hate Brussels sprouts, it's probably because they've only had them boiled.
Brussels sprouts are good when cooked in one of two ways. 1) Roasted with a lot of olive oil and/or bacon and 2) shaved/sliced very thinly and eaten as a salad.
I love a shaved brussels sprouts caesar salad, but for this recipe I was improvising in the kitchen and came up with this salad that has shaved brussels, lightly toasted pecans, shaved Parmesan cheese, and a simple vinaigrette.
This is an inadvertently keto shaved brussels sprouts salad!
You could totally add slices of apples, or some avocado, or crumble some bacon on top, for an extra-hearty salad.
How to make a healthy shaved brusssels sprouts salad
Start with 1 pound of fresh brussels sprouts -- it is easier if the sprouts are on the larger side. One pound looks like 10 big Brussels sprouts.
Using a mandoline, thinly shave your sprouts into a salad bowl. You could use a food processor here, too. If you don't have either, using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the sprouts.
Add your ½ cup of chopped green (castelvetrano) olives into the bowl.
Toast your nuts: in a small skillet, over medium heat, toast ½ cup of chopped pecans until they just *barely* smell toasted. This happens quickly - don't take your eye off the stove!!!
Toss your salad with ¼ cup of olive oil and ⅛ cup of vinegar, and finish with about ⅓ cup of Parmesan cheese shavings on top.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dominant flavors of this salad and can I change that?
- This healthy shaved brussels sprout salad is crunchy, hearty, and very savory from the brussels sprouts, cheese, nuts, and olives.
- If you want to add some sweetness to the salad, add some apple slices or dried cranberries.
- This would also be great with some crumbled bacon or avocado on top.
- If you don't like olives, leave them out!
If I don't have 1 pound of brussels sprouts, can I augment the salad with other greens?
- Yes, totally! You can add in arugula or thinly sliced romaine to round it out - I did that here in the photographs, as you can see.
Would this salad be good with bacon in it?
- Duh
How do you store this salad and how long will it last?
- Since the brussels sprouts are pretty hearty, this should last another day in if stored in a sealed tupperware in the fridge.
Can you make this recipe spicy?
- I guess? Salads aren't meant to be spicy, but sure?
Is this recipe keto?
- Yes!! It has 6 net carbs per serving. See the recipe card below for the nutritional data.
If you like this recipe, check out all of my salad recipes!
Healthy Shaved Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- ½ cup pecans
- ⅓ cup green olives Castelvetrano olives
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup vinegar
Instructions
- Start with 1 pound of fresh brussels sprouts — its easier if the sprouts are on the larger side. Using a mandoline, thinly slice your sprouts into a salad bowl. Add your ½ cup of chopped green (castelvetrano) olives into the bowl.
- in a small skillet, over medium heat, toast ½ cup of chopped pecans until they just *barely* smell toasted. This happens quickly – don’t take your eye off the stove!!!
- Mix the ¼ cup of olive oil with the ⅛ cup vinegar
- Toss all the ingredients together and serve!