Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
This Brussels sprout salad is crisp, refreshing and filling! Enjoy this simple recipe with dinner, pack it for lunch tomorrow, and make it for the holidays!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
I’ve been wishing for crisp fall days and getting 80-degree weather instead. So, my boots are waiting patiently in my closet, and I’m enjoying this hearty fall salad instead of soup. All in due time!
This large salad is made with baby arugula, shredded Brussels sprouts, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted pecans. I tossed all of that with my healthier honey-mustard dressing, which I like to call sunshine salad dressing. The end result is tangy and irresistible, crisp and refreshing, and quite filling.
I know that we haven’t crossed the Halloween threshold yet, but—this salad would be a great contender for your holiday table. Make it for dinner tonight, pack it for weekday lunches, and serve it up on the holidays! I’ve included preparation tips below, including some ways to make this salad in a hurry.
This recipe was inspired by two of my favorite local salads featuring Brussels sprouts and arugula, made by Parkway and The Mixx. Now I can enjoy something similar at home whenever the craving strikes.
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager for your feedback.
Salad Preparation Tips
How to shred your sprouts
You can slice the Brussels sprouts by hand (carefully), or with the slicing blade of your food processor. Either way, you’ll first want to remove the nubby ends and any discolored leaves.
If you’re shredding them by hand, start with the now-flat end against the cutting board and start making thin slices on one side. Once you get closer to the middle, turn the sprout so the larger flat side is down, and continue slicing. Chop them up a bit afterward for good measure.
In a hurry?
You might be able to find pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at the store (you’ll need 1 pound, which is 16 ounces). You can prepare the salad and dressing in advance and toss them together when it’s time to serve.
Toast your nuts
Freshly toasted pecans make a world of difference. They offer irresistible fresh, savory, toasted, crunchy notes to your salad. If you buy pre-roasted nuts, you run the risk of coming home with rancid nuts. Tragic!
Make the dressing
You can make the sunshine salad dressing in advance. Or don’t—it’s quite simple to whisk together. You’ll have about 1/2 cup extra dressing, but I don’t think you’ll have any trouble using it up! You’ll find a bunch of uses for it on the recipe post.
If you’re planning to have leftovers
Store the salad and dressing separately, and then toss individual servings before serving. Otherwise, the dressing will wilt the arugula over time.
Craving more Brussels sprouts and hearty fall salads? Here are a few favorites:
- Sunshine Slaw with Quinoa
- Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
- Favorite Broccoli Salad
- Arugula, Dried Cherry and Wild Rice Salad with a Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
This shredded Brussels sprout and arugula salad is crisp, refreshing and filling. Enjoy this simple recipe for dinner, pack it for lunch tomorrow, make it for the holidays! Recipe yields 4 large portions or 6 to 8 side salads.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 5 to 6 ounces baby arugula
- 1 ¼ cups pecan halves or pieces
- ½ cup dried cherries or cranberries, chopped
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ⅔ batch sunshine salad dressing
Instructions
- To prepare the Brussels sprouts, first cut off the nubby ends and discard any discolored outer leaves. Then, carefully shred the sprouts with a sharp knife by hand, then roughly chop them for good measure. Or shred them in your food processor using the slicing disk. Place the arugula and shredded Brussels in a large serving bowl, and set it aside.
- Toast the pecans in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they’re fragrant and starting to toast on the edges, about 4 to 6 minutes. If using pecan halves, transfer them to a cutting board and chop before adding them to the bowl.
- Add the chopped cherries and goat cheese to the bowl. If you’ll be serving the salad promptly, drizzle about two-thirds of it over the salad. Toss gently to combine. You might want to add a little more, but I’ll leave that up to you.
- Once dressed, this salad will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about two days. For more longevity, store the salad dressing separately and toss individual salads with dressing just before serving (the salad will keep for about 5 days that way).
Notes
Recipe inspired by salads offered at The Mixx and Parkway in Kansas City.
Make it dairy free/vegan: I haven’t tried this, but I believe this salad would be awesome with my creamy tahini dressing. Skip the goat cheese.
Make it nut free: Replace the pecans with toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
So good! Hubby loved it too, and said “wow what a sneaky way to sneak in some brussel sprouts” when he asked what’s in the salad! Using the food processor make them perfectly shredded! I didn’t dress it and had it again for lunch today. So good and so filling. I did 3.5 tablespoons of honey and will prob do a little less next time because I like less sweet. Will be making this often. Thanks!
That’s too funny! I’m glad he enjoyed this as well, Lins.
I’m not really sure why you call this a Fall salad. Nowadays all these ingredients are available year round. I’m having it tonight to accompany a lovely pollock with lime and garlic. It’s late June.
I took this to a dinner party and everyone loved it! I will definitely make it again because it is not your run of the mill salad, and the dressing is fantastic.
That’s great to hear, Karen! I appreciate your review.
I love this salad and this dressing so much. It’s become a staple in my house.
Here’s a riff on this salad that we enjoyed: shaved brussels sprouts, arugula, roasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted cubed golden beets. Used Kate’s yummy dressing (but made with less mustard & honey so it was more lemony).