Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple and Manchego

Falling for Sprouts

This shaved brussels sprouts salad with honeycrisp apple, manchego, and almond is my newest salad obsession. It’s inspired by a brussels sprout salad at one of my favorite tapas restaurants in Chicago that I’ve been missing since moving away. I added a few extra flavors that I was craving, like some autumnal honeycrisp apples and thyme, and voila! A perfect salad for cold weather get-togethers, Thanksgivings, or your weekend lunch. 

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

To make this brussels sprouts salad with vinaigrette, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts
• Honeycrisp apple
• Shaved almonds
• Manchego cheese
• Olive oil (I love Graza’s Drizzle oil)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Dried thyme
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper

For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Equipment

In order to make this shaved brussels sprouts salad recipe, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Large cutting board and a sharp knife
• Large mixing bowl or salad bowl
• Tongs or salad spoons
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cheese grater

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe Tips

When you make this shaved brussels sprouts salad with the thyme vinaigrette, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out great!

• Patience is the key when shaving the brussels sprouts! Slicing each sprout can feel like a daunting task, but you’ll be surprised how quickly it can go if you allow yourself to take the time to practice your knife skills with each piece. There’s a saying in professional kitchens that slow is smooth and smooth is fast, essentially saying don’t rush the process and you’ll be done with a perfect product in no time!
• Speaking of working slow and smooth, I want to stress safe knife practices with this recipe! The majority of the “cooking” with this one is done at the cutting board. Keep your fingers tucked under, be sure to only handle one piece of produce at a time to avoid the knife slipping, and do your best to keep the tip of the knife in contact with the cutting board to reduce the chance of nicking your fingers.
• If the honeycrisp apples are sold out, you’re allowed to shed a small tear, but don’t panic! Look for another apple that’s sweet and crunchy like a Fuji or Gala apple. Both of these are great substitutes and will give a similar sweetness to balance out this salad.
• When measuring out salad dressings, I love to measure and mix all in one large measuring glass. It saves time on dishes and the spout on the top of a liquid measuring cup makes it so easy to pour the vinaigrette over the salad once I’m ready!

Recipe Details

Start with the Vinaigrette

Before starting on the produce, we’ll get the vinaigrette ready! Mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and lemon juice until they come together into one liquid and no streaks of olive oil remain. This is called “emulsifying” the vinaigrette, which uses the proteins in the mustard to mix the oil and watery components together.

Season the dressing with dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir the aromatics in and give it a taste. Adjust the salt and pepper tasting to your liking and set the dressing aside while prepping the salad ingredients.

Prep the Salad Ingredients

On to the actual salad ingredients! For the brussels sprouts, remove and discard the brown end of each piece where the sprout was connected to the stock. Slice each sprout into lengthwise and lay it cut side down. Thinly slice each piece crosswise, creating thin strips of the sprout leaves. Add the shaved brussels sprouts to a large mixing bowl or salad bowl. 

Chop the honeycrisp apple into small, bite sized pieces. Add the chopped apples and shaved almonds to the mixing bowl with the sprouts. 

Assemble and Enjoy

Pour the thyme vinaigrette over the salad and toss everything together to coat the ingredients in the dressing. Use a cheese grater to grate the manchego over the top of the salad, reserving some for a garnish if desired. Give the salad one more toss to mix in the cheese and then top with any remaining manchego and a couple cranks of black pepper. Serve this salad cold immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad is best on the day it’s prepared, but if there are any leftovers seal them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days.

This salad makes for a perfect starter or side for get-togethers when served family style. It would go great on the side of some Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Shallot or alongside a serving of Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries.

If you make this shaved brussels sprouts salad with apple, manchego, and almond, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating - I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!

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