It’s officially a salad szn! You know, the season in between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, where everyone is trying to eat healthier. Not only does this salad look pretty when it is all assembled, it tastes delicious too!

Personally, I am drawn to salads with a combination of flavors and textures. You’ll see that most of my salads have ALL OF THE TOPPINGS for this exact reason. Between the crunch from the pumpkin seeds, almonds and apples, the chewiness of the dried cranberries, and the richness of the Parmesan cheese, these toppings are all nutritious and delicious rounding out the Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad. The added bonus of this salad is the pomegranate arils that burst in your mouth with each bite!
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Ingredients for this salad:
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped
- 1/4 cup almonds, sliced
- sunflower seeds
- dried cranberries
- Parmesan cheese, shaved

Homemade Salad Dressing
Making your own dressing is a great way to control what you are eating, especially when you are tying to eat clean. Bottled dressings can be convenient, however they are often full of additives and hidden ingredients. Plus, by making your own dressing, you only make what you need rather than being left with a bottle in your fridge that ends up expiring.
I like to use these OXO salad dresser shakers from Amazon to make my own dressing. They are leak proof and include the measurements on the side so you can pour ingredients directly into the shaker. The lever on the top makes it easy to pour the mixed dressing over the salad.
I wrote down this salad dressing recipe years ago from a food blog but unfortunately I forget which blog. While, I can’t take this credit for this dressing, it sure is delicious whoever created it! The best part is that it is full of ingredients that are common in most kitchens. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk and store in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Methods to shave Brussels Sprouts:
Before you begin slicing, don’t forget to rinse the Brussels Sprouts and trim any browned outer leaves.
There are 3 methods that can be used to shave the Brussels Sprouts for this salad. Two require special equipment, while one requires extra time. Pick the method that works best for you!
- Using a food processor with a slicing attachment. I find this to be the safest and quickest method, but not everyone owns a food processor so I wanted to provide two other methods.
- Using a mandoline to slice the Brussels Sprouts. Be careful – John Legend and Chrissy Teigen both sliced their finger on a mandoline. The blades are much sharper than they appear. I would recommend wearing a cut resistant safety glove when using a mandoline.
- Last but not least, the good ole fashion way, thinly slicing by hand! No special equipment needed for this method other than a knife. Allow for about 10 extra minutes for slicing if you choose this method.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 lb Brussels sprouts ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 honeycrisp apple chopped
- 1/4 cup almonds sliced
- sunflower seeds
- dried cranberries
- Parmesan cheese shaved
Instructions
- First, make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Using a food processor slicing attachment, shave the Brussels sprouts to thinly slice. Place in a large bowl.
- Add pomegranate arils, chopped apple, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and Parmesan cheese.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well to evenly coat.
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made and don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram!
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