Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad

This Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad is super-easy to make with shredded fresh Brussels sprouts and a zippy orange vinaigrette. It’s also naturally gluten-free and vegan, so that everyone at the table can enjoy it.

Brussels sprouts are back in season! Which means it’s time we all make my favorite Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad! ♡

This salad has been my go-to salad for holiday entertaining for years and years now. It’s quick and easy to make with fresh, healthy, seasonal, simple ingredients. It holds up really well in the fridge, if you would like to prep it up to 3 days ahead of time. It looks beautiful on any holiday table, especially with all of those vibrant reds and greens. And best of all — it’s quite simply so delicious!

Since many of you probably missed this recipe the first time I shared it five years ago, I thought I would bump it back to the top of the blog today for some holiday salad inspiration. I’ve updated the post with a fresh batch of new photos, and have also included a video tutorial on how to shred Brussels sprouts either by hand or with the help of a food processor. (Or nowadays, you can also buy Brussels pre-shredded at most grocery stores, if you would like to save a step!)

Tons of our readers have made and loved this recipe over the years, so I hope you enjoy it too!

How To Shred Brussels Sprouts:

Ok, first things first, let’s talk about how to shred Brussels sprouts!

Nowadays, you can purchase pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at most grocery stores. But if you would like to shred them yourself, you can either do so by hand (example #2 in the video above). Or if you happen to have a food processor with a blade attachment, you can do so extra-easily with the help of a food processor (example #3 in the video above). No need to cook the Brussels afterwards — we will just be eating them raw as our salad greens.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad Ingredients:

In addition to shredded Brussels sprouts, you will also need the following ingredients for this salad:

• Shredded Brussels: As detailed above.
• Quinoa: I always like to cook my quinoa in vegetable stock (or chicken stock) to give it extra flavor.
• Dried cranberries: Or dried cherries — whichever you prefer.
• Chopped pecans: Which I highly recommend taking a few minutes to toast — either in the oven or in a skillet — before adding to the salad, for extra flavor.
• Shallot: I’ve added this into the updated version of this recipe, to round out the rest of those salad flavors. (If you don’t have a shallot on hand, you can sub in some finely-chopped red onion instead.)
• Orange vinaigrette: Which is super-quick and easy to make with orange juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper.

Full ingredient amounts/instructions listed in the recipe box below.

How To Make Brussels Salad:

To make this Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad recipe, simply…

1. Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk all of the vinaigrette ingredients together until combined. (Or my preference — combine them in a mason jar, cover, and shake until combined.)
2. Make the salad. Combine the shredded Brussels, cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, chopped pecans and shallot in a large bowl. Drizzle evenly with the vinaigrette, then tossed until completely combined.
3. Season.  Taste and season the salad with extra salt and pepper, as needed.
4. Serve. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Possible Variations:

Want to customize this recipe a bit? Feel free to…

• Add avocado: My best suggestion? Add some diced avocado to this salad for an extra creamy twist — delicious!
• Use pomegranates: In place of (or in addition to) dried cranberries, some fresh pomegranate arils would be beautiful in this salad!
• Use different nuts/seeds: In place of pecans, feel free to use sliced or slivered almonds, walnuts, pepitas or sunflower seeds.
• Add bacon: For an extra delicious twist, feel free to add in some chopped cooked bacon. YUM.
• Add arugula: I’ve also made this salad using half Brussels and half arugula, and the peppery flavor of arugula was a delicious addition to the other flavors.
• Add cheese: Some freshly-grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese would also be delicious addition to this salad.

More Favorite Salad Recipes:

Looking for more salad recipe inspiration? Here are a few of my faves!

• Everyday Salad
• Everyday Kale Salad
• Feel-Good Fall Salad
• Sunshine Citrus Avocado Salad
• Tahini Ranch Avocado Chicken Salad

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Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 14 reviews

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

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Description

This Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad is super-easy to make with shredded fresh Brussels sprouts and a zippy orange vinaigrette.  See notes above for possible ingredient variations.

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Ingredients

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Salad Ingredients:

• 1 pound shredded Brussels sprouts
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• orange vinaigrette (see below)

Orange Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• generous pinch of fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

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Instructions

1. Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until combined.
2. Make the salad. Combine the shredded Brussels, cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, chopped pecans and shallot in a large bowl.  Drizzle evenly with the vinaigrette, then tossed until completely combined.
3. Season.  Taste and season the salad with extra salt and pepper, as needed.
4. Serve. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

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Equipment

Tri-Color Quinoa

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Pecan Halves

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Mixing Bowls

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Notes

*Recipe update: Shallots and Dijon were added to this recipe in the fall of 2019.  Otherwise, the recipe is the same as always!

*Cook time: Cooking time does not include the time required to cook the quinoa.