Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts, Parmesan & Lemon-Mustard Dressing
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Excellent salad! A friend told us he “hated Brussels sprouts”….but loved it!
Delicious and easy recipe, thanks !
I will make it again for sure ! First time I ate raw Brussels sprouts.
Easy way to have the vitamins without the strong taste (for those who don’t like it).
I added the nuts and parmesan at the last moment.
Such a delightful salad. I took it to a family dinner. Because we were having cheese with our appetizers, I did not include the parmesan in the the salad, but I added thinly sliced fennel…No matter what I add to this salad, it is amazing. Thank you and many blessings for the holidays and in 2024. Cheers to delicious meals!!
Wonderful flavor. Excellent salad! Made a 3/4 recipe and two of us ate almost the whole thing! Since I cannot do dairy, I substituted 1/2c Follow Your Heart Veggie Parmesan (ground) plus 1/2c nutritional yeast for the Parmesan. It worked great!
Definitely one of my favorite salads! everytime I serve it, there are “Yums” all around!
Such an incredible recipe. I’ve made it for bridal showers, family functions and just cut the recipe in half tonight to make it for my husband and I. I’ve substituted green onion through a garlic press when I didn’t have a shallot and the recipe is perfect every time. Thanks Jen, another winner, and a staple in our household.
I never comment on recipes, but this one is SO good, that I just have to comment. It is so delicious! I make this with a salmon recipe which has many of the same ingredients (lemon, Dijon, garlic), so it’s an easy meal that my entire family enjoys. While I love kale, others in our house are not always fans of kale, but they ALL enjoy this salad.
This salad is amazing!! I recently discovered Lacinato Kale, and I’m so glad I did! I had some leftover from dinner and added chickpeas for a fantastic lunch!
I love all of your recipes but my daughter doesn’t like mustard. Any suggestions on how to make the dressing without this core ingredient?
I think you can get away with just omitting the mustard – it will still taste good. 🙂
I make this with a really good burgundy mustard and you really can’t tell that it contains mustard. Maybe try and see.
Jenn, if I am using precut kale, how much do I use
Hi Carol, I’d guesstimate you’ll need about 12 ounces.