Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts, Parmesan & Lemon-Mustard Dressing
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Be prepared to love this salad of crisp greens, walnuts and lemony Dijon dressing. It tastes like a healthful, crunchy Caesar.
Made with crisp power greens, toasted walnuts, chunks of Parmesan and a lemony Dijon dressing—this kale Brussels sprouts salad tastes like a healthful, crunchy Caesar. Trust me, you’ll love it—even if you’re not a “greens” person. My husband, who usually avoids Brussels sprouts, devoured it without even realizing they were in there (until my 10-year-old daughter spilled the beans, giggling with every bite he took). It’s perfect for weekday lunches or as a side to cedar planked salmon, grilled flank steak, or grilled chicken. Bonus: it keeps well and can be made ahead of time!
What You’ll Need To Make Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by toasting the walnuts in a 350°F oven for 5-8 minutes, or until fragrant.
Meanwhile, slice the Brussels sprouts. You can do this by hand or using the slicing blade of the food processor.
Remove the kale leaves from the tough center ribs.
Then thinly slice.
Make the dressing by whisking together the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the greens and toss.
Add the toasted walnuts and Parmgiano-Reggiano.
Toss to combine, then let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours to allow the flavors to meld and the vegetables to soften. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with more walnuts and cheese.
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Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts, Parmesan & Lemon-Mustard Dressing
Be prepared to love this salad of crisp greens, walnuts and lemony Dijon dressing. It tastes like a healthful, crunchy Caesar.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped, plus more for serving
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded (about 5 gently packed cups after shredding)
- 1 large bunch (about 12 oz) Tuscan or curly kale, thick center ribs removed, thinly sliced (about 5 gently packed cups after slicing)
- 1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from one large shallot
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean-up. Bake the walnuts for 5 to 8 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them; they burn quickly.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, mustard, shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the salad: Combine the Brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl, and pour the dressing over top. Toss to combine. Add the most of the walnuts and cheese and toss again. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours in the fridge) to allow the flavors to meld and the vegetables to soften. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle more walnuts and cheese over top, if you like. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 256
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 10g
- Sodium: 432mg
- Cholesterol: 10mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I have made this so many times and for many different people. Everyone wants the recipe after they have it. It takes a bit of effort, but is totally worth it!
My family loves this recipe…we make it weekly! The leftovers are great for lunch the next day with avocado. We typically use Pecorino instead of Parmesan for extra flavor!
Made this last night for our vegan friends and served it with salmon ! It was a huge hit! I’ve made it before and rated it an A plus!!!
Wonderful crunchy salad! We have made this several times. I am typically not a fan of brussels sprouts, but in this salad, I am a convert! I do sometimes add a bit of sweetness (honey, chopped dried cherries, or finely chopped or shredded apple). I really appreciate the time and detail you go into with your recipes. I love reading through them as tutorials. I always feel like I learn something new! I really appreciate having your website as a cooking/baking guide…
Thank you so much!
My family loves this recipe. I use 3/4 of the olive oil called for (6 tbsp), and I add a cup of dried cranberries.
This salad is delicious!! Will definitely make it again!
Planning to make for a dinner this weekend. Can I use the pre-chopped kale and/or brussel sprouts available in bags? Alternatively, would it be possible to slice the brussel sprouts using my food processor slicing blade? Always looking for time – savers, but don’t want to sacrifice quality. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recipes. This is definitely my “go to” recipe blog and I also own your fabulous cookbook.😀🌻
Glad you like the recipes! And yes, either of the short-cuts you asked about will work. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Delicious!!!
Loved the Dijon dressing on this kale and Brussels sprouts salad… used ‘shaved Parmesan’ and the presentation was equally lovely as was the taste especially with the toasted walnuts!
I love this salad!!. I have made it a few times already, I do switch up what salad greens I use. I used curly kale and tuscan kale today. And i do add a little honey to my dressing because I like a little sweetness to it. But like others have said the longer it sits the better it tastes. I pair mine with the simply grilled lemon herb chicken that I make in my grill pan and my husband loves it. I’m so happy I found this website.
This is better the longer it sits, especially if you use curly kale. I agree with some other reviewers that it wanted a bit of sweetness, so added a hefty handful of dried cranberries as well as a tiny amount of sugar and some raspberry balsamic to the dressing . Not being sure if I’d like this (and fairly sure my significant other would not!), I made a half recipe and found that it needed more dressing after sitting a while, so made an additional half amount (omitting the shallot and garlic) . Much better!