Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad

I had a little bit of beef left from a joint and wasn’t sure what to make with it. Decided on topping a couple of jacket potatoes with it, with caramelised onion and mushroom, seasoned with soy sauce. Which just left what to have with it
How To Make Sprout Salad
We had Brussel sprouts in the fridge, but I really didn’t fancy having them cooked with the baked potatoes. So decided to shred them. Carrots were next, sliced on the slicer part of the box grater rather than grating them. No particular reason, just fancied something different
Next up was a handful of dried cranberries to give a sweet and sour pop to the salad. And a handful of crushed walnuts was added to give a nutty crunch and to add some Omega 3 to this vegan Brussel sprout salad.
Raw Brussel Sprout Salad Dressing
So what to dress it with? Decided on a standard vinaigrette, but with the addition of a blob of cranberry sauce. Really pleased with that. Drizzled a little over the salad and it brought it all together. Didn’t need much dressing on this
Lovely little salad this, using seasonal Brussel sprouts and walnuts, and, at the time of writing, a bit of Christmas flavour. The sprout salad would work well all through their season of October to March.
What other flavours would work?
Outside of the festive period, if you don’t want the Christmas flavour of cranberries, change up the seasonings. Use a little soy sauce instead of the cranberries, and raisins in the salad; or orange / lemon zest in both the salad and dressing; or a little pomegranate molasses for a delicious tang
Swap the nuts for chestnuts, almonds, cashews or value salted peanuts, whatever you have. Add a fine sliced spring onion or red onion crescents. Use savoy cabbage, red cabbage or white cabbage, finely shredded, instead of the sprouts
Swap out the cranberries for any other dried fruit – mango strips, dried pears or currants
Other combinations to try include
- finely shredded red cabbage, almonds, orange zest and a pomegranate molasses dressing
- finely shredded white cabbage, cashews, raisins and a lemon zest dressing
- finely shredded dark greens, hazelnuts, strips of dried pear and a dressing with a little muscovado added
None of the salads here want drowning in salad dressing. Too much would hide the lovely fresh flavour. Just use about a tablespoon for 2 servings and toss the salad gently to distribute it.

Ingredients
Salad
- 130 g brussels sprouts 3 or 4 sprouts each, 30p
- 80 g carrots a medium carrot each, 4p
- 30 g dried cranberries 30p
- 30 g walnuts crushed, 36p
Dressing
- 15 ml rapeseed oil 100ml or 60g, 11p or olive oil
- 5 ml balsamic vinegar 2p
- ½ tsp mustard
- 1 tsp cranberry sauce 2p
Instructions
Salad
- Shred the sprouts
- Shred the carrots, or grate them, or slice very finely
- Mix all the salad ingredients together
Dressing
- Whisk everything together in a small jug until thickened
To Serve
- Pour about a tblsp of dressing onto the salad and mix it all well without crushing the leaves
Equipment Needed
Notes
Got a great recipe? How about submitting it to appear on Thrifty Lesley!
My Dad grew sprouts, so I’ve always had them, and love them. Dark green Savoy cabbage is another thing we had at home. Love it
You might like the sprout salad as the sprouts are raw and have less of the sulphurous taste that people who don’t like them complain of. Good luck!
I can honestly say I’ve tried Brussel sprouts once in my life. It wasn’t a good experience. It actually fits into the category of foods I say I will try only once. I wonder if giving it another go using some of your suggestions would help.
Pinching my nose…