Salad season is upon us! Wait… is salad season a thing? I’m not quite sure but the time of year when crisp, crunchy, produce-packed salads sound the most appealing has arrived and I am all for it!
I struggle with the desire to eat a cold salad in the dead of winter but in the spring and summertime when the sun is shining, a fresh and vibrant salad sounds like a dream! Especially when that salad is packed with crunchy pecans, sweet apple and fresh broccoli and tossed in a tangy homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.
Chopped salads are my favorite kind of salads because every bite packs so much flavor! The chopped broccoli and Brussels sprouts salad I’m sharing with you today has so many different textures and flavors that it’s sure to be a hit whether you decide to make it to have on hand for an easy lunch option or save this recipe for a summertime cookout with friends and family. No bland, boring salads here!
The base of this salad is fresh broccoli and shredded Brussels sprouts. I highly recommend purchasing pre-shredded Brussels sprouts to make your life easier but if those are hard to come by, shredding Brussels sprouts in the food processor works great, too! To give this salad a bunch of sweetness, I added dried cranberries and crisp apples. (I’m partial to Pink Lady or Honeycrisp for this salad but any kind will work well!)
As for the perfect, nutty crunch you’ll find in every bite of this chopped broccoli and Brussels sprouts salad? That can be attributed to chopped pecans!
Not only are pecans wonderful in both sweet and savory dishes, they’re also extremely nutrient dense and among the highest of all the nuts in monounsaturated “good” fats. Including pecans in this salad also adds fiber, protein and essential minerals to every serving but I included them mainly for the rich, nutty flavor I adore. Yum!
The dressing on this salad is one I intentionally made with pantry staples we usually have on hand in our house. It adds the perfect tangy flavor to this salad and comes together in a flash.
If you give this salad a try, I’d love for you to leave a review and let me know what you think! It’s a great one to make ahead of time since it still tastes fabulous the next day and doesn’t get weird and wilted. Keep this one in mind for a great meal prep recipe or a delicious salad recipe you can make ahead of time before a party with family and friends… some day in the future. (Wah!)
Chopped Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
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Chopped Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: salads, vegetarian recipes, side dishes
Description
A vibrant salad made with fresh, colorful produce, nutrient-dense chopped pecans and a tangy homemade honey mustard vinaigrette dressing
Ingredients
- 12 ounces raw broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 12 ounces raw Brussels sprouts, shredded
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion, soaked in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to remove some of the “bite”
- 1 large apple, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
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Oh goodness…this looks wonderful! I am just recently beginning to enjoy Brussels sprouts and while I’ve never had a honey mustard vinaigrette, honey mustard is my absolute favorite dressing so I’m sure I would like that as well. I’m going to add the ingredients to my grocery order now and I’ll let you know what I think when I give it a whirl 🙂
Please do!! I’d love to hear what you think!! Hope you love it!
So I made the salad this weekend while we were grilling and we LOVED it. I did absolutely adore the dressing, which I figured I would, but I also loved that when I pulled the salad out last night for a snack, it wasn’t soggy at all. 5 stars for sure!
Yes!!! The fact that leftovers actually hold up well is one of my favorite aspects of this salad!
OMG this looks SO good!! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Of course!! Really hope you love it if you decide to give it a try!
That looks so good!
I’m with you on salad season. I live in FL and I’m definitely ready to move to lighter, more refreshing meals!
yes!! when it starts to get hot outside, keeping the oven off becomes more and more appealing!
I made this last night as a side with Publix’s sweet honey chicken wing recipe and it was a hit! My husband prefers cooked veggies all day, everyday and I was so surprised and happy that he loved this recipe too. I especially loved the dressing. The salad made us feel better about indulging in chicken wings haha.
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to let me know AND for leaving a review!! I appreciate it so much and I am so glad you liked the recipe!! Love the idea of pairing it with wings — yum!
Just ate this for lunch. I made it earlier today during naps and let it hang in the fridge until I was ready to eat it for lunch. It’s so good, and I plan to eat it all week. Will definitely be keeping this on repeat.
Woop!! So happy you enjoyed it so much!! And thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Megan!
Made it, loved it. Making it again, after we finish the leftovers of course! Perfect for summer when I’m craving something cool and light for lunch. It was easy too, I used a food processor to chop my brocolli and brussel sprouts – no sweat. Thanks for sharing!
Hooray!! I’m so glad you loved it!! And THANK YOU for leaving a review — so helpful!
This recipe is sooo good. Made this salad twice in the last week. Becoming a family favorite. Thank you for sharing.
This makes me so happy!! So glad you all enjoy it so much!
Thanks for sharing your recipe for great Thanksgiving side fish ideas! This salad is going to be a great addition Abbas not just on Thanksgiving. Yum!!
I needed some greens in my life and this did the trick! Even in the dead of winter! The only fail we had was that my husband, who is the chef in the family, maybe “put in too many brussels sprouts” because he didn’t measure. 🙁 I think this is why I thought the dressing/salad proportion was a little off, but we’ll blame him and will definitely be making again! It makes a ton so I might cut it in half next time. We enjoyed it a lot, extra spouts and all.
So yummy! Made it exactly as written…scrumptious!
Just made this salad for lunch yesterday, and had leftovers today. I think it’s even better the next day after it sat and the flavors blended more. Meal prepping this weekly for spring!
This is an amazing salad! My husband loved it too! Thanks so much! I will definitely make it again and again!
I’m so glad to hear this, Kim, and love that you and your husband enjoyed the salad so much. I am also very grateful for the rating!! <3
I made this again for the 3rd time–it is SO beautiful and delicious. I love that I can do the brussel sprouts and carrots, even the onion (my only substitution I make is to use sweet onions, like a Vidalia). Thought I would share my cranberry salad — that I made right after this, just rinsing the food processor bowl: https://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-cranberry-pecan-salad-400271
It really needs to be made at least a day ahead of time to allow the pineapple juice and sugar to marinate the cranberries. My favorite breakfast is plain greek yogurt topped with this cranberry salad.
Your recipe is a perfect blend of flavors and textures! My family loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!