Every fall I start craving this cozy salad. There is nothing like a Warm Wilted Brussels Sprouts Salad with maple dressing to cozy up to on a chilly day or cold winter night. The simple salad recipe is great as a side dish or a light lunch.
Why this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe is Amazing: A quick sautee in the pan not only softens the savory brussels sprouts but also adds flavor. As they wilt they become nuttier, sweeter, and caramelized compared to when they raw, more bitter, & crisp.
This recipe is a quick & easy version of a favorite salad at a local artisan pizza restaurant near our home. Theirs has toasted pine nuts and caramelized onions too, which you can add as well.
This version makes use of leftover bacon and hard boiled eggs, which sometimes I have after weekend breakfast. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients for Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
This side dish is only 6 simple ingredients plus salt & pepper. It is an inexpensive salad that has gourmet restaurant flavor.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Brussels Sprouts - fresh raw, thinly sliced/shaved
- Cooked Bacon - leftovers or cook a few strips fresh & dice
- Hard Boiled Egg - cut into small chunks
- Maple Syrup - to sweeten & emulsify the vinaigrette
- Olive Oil - for wilting the vegetables in the pan plus the base for the homemade dressing
- Red Wine Vinegar - the tangy acid in the dressing to balance the bitter greens & the salty bacon
- Salt & Pepper - to season the salad
See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Make Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
This is a stovetop warm salad recipe. If you love green salads without the same ole regular lettuces, making one with shaved Brussels sprouts is for you.
Begin by dicing and shaved/slicing the ingredients. The prep takes about 5-10 minutes, or buy pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at the store to save time.
For the sprouts, I wash, dry, & slice them in half plus cut out the core. The outside leaves fall off and I leave them hole and thinly slice the rest. A food processor can do this quickly if you have one.
No leftover bacon, make a few slices with this toaster oven bacon recipe.
Dice both the cooked bacon and the peeled hard-boiled egg. I like them in a medium dice so they are easy to eat but not too small they aren't chunky.
In a large skillet heat up olive oil over medium-low heat. Once warm, add the prepared Brussels sprouts. Stir and heat for 3 minutes. You want the vegetable to become soft & tender without turning brown or overcooking.
Add the diced bacon to the pan. Stir and cook together for 2 minutes. This helps warm it back up and add more bacon flavor throughout the dish. This is ideal for when you have cold leftover bacon versus fresh cooked.
Note: you can also leave the bacon out and top the salad with the cold/room temperature bacon.
Remove the bacon and Brussels sprouts the pan and add to individual bowls or one large serving platter. Top with the diced hard boiled egg.
In a small bowl add the dressing ingredients including a pinch of salt and pepper.
note: here I divided it into two bowls to enjoy for lunch with my husband.
Serving & Storing
Whisk the maple vinaigrette and drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately while warm and freshly dressed. Season with salt & pepper if desired.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat in a hot skillet until warm.
What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts Salad : this side is great to serve when Brussels sprouts are in season; October - December. Which makes them great for your holiday dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas along with Deep-Fried Turkey or Spiral Ham.
This is a great lunchtime salad to serve with CrockPot Potato Leek Soup or a Mortadella Sandwich. It is a quick side that goes with any meat dish such as Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders, Creamy Dijon Pork Chops or Grilled Tri-Tip Steak.
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Here's my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, fun stories, recipe history, and more.
- #1 Tip - cut the Brussels sprouts into similar sized slices so they cook evenly.
- Don't skip the maple syrup! The first few times I made this the dressing was just oil & vinegar. But wanting the cozy fall vibe had me grab real maple syrup to whisk in and that one change made this to die for.
- Use leftover bacon from the fridge, reheat it by adding to the pan before dressing.
- Using fresh cooked crispy bacon, crumble or chop at add to the salad once plated just before dressing.
- Bacon can be pork, turkey, or vegan bacon.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegan bacon & omit the hard boiled egg.
- This is a lovely first course for your Thanksgiving dinner served with any of my Turkey Recipes.
- This is a great base for an even more filling lunch for two by adding leftover chicken, shredded or crumble cheese, & your favorite toasted nuts.
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Warm Wilted Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Brussels Sprouts shaved, shredded, sliced etc
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large hard boiled egg diced
- 4 strips cooked bacon diced
Maple Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the brussels sprouts. Wash, dry & remove the stem/core from each. Thinly slice or shred in a food processor. Make sure to keep the slices similar in size so they cook evenly.8 ounces Brussels Sprouts
- Cook the bacon if needed (not using leftovers). Dice the hard boiled egg and the bacon.
- In a large skillet heat the oil on medium-low heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, stir to coat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cook over medium-low heat until they are tender and wilted - about 3-4 minutes. They should not be turning brown except for on a few edges.
- To the pan add the diced leftover bacon, stir to combine. Continue heating everything so the bacon has a chance to warm up for 2 minutes.4 strips cooked bacon
- Once the Brussels sprouts are wilted and the bacon warm, turn off the heat. Spoon the mixture into individual bowls or to a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the diced egg.
- In a small bowl whisk together the maple dressing ingredients. Add a pinch of salt and pepper - whisk again. Drizzle over the salad & toss to coat.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, salt & pepper
- Serve immediately while warm & freshly dressed. Season to taste if needed.
Notes
- Best enjoyed fresh.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
- Reheat in a warm skillet for 3-5 minutes until heated through. Additional drizzle of olive oil may be needed.
Nutrition
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