With all of the most delicious flavors of fall, this sautéed Harvest Brussels Sprouts Salad with cranberries recipe is wonderful any time of year! It’s made with fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and served with tender cooked quinoa. It’s a lovely main dish or the perfect holiday side dish!
Table of Contents
Why We Love It
Brussel sprouts sometimes get a bad rep. But for the last decade, I’ve been making this Harvest Brussels Sprouts Salad and converting lifelong brussels sprouts haters into lovers!
If you’ve tried brussels sprouts before and don’t like them, it could be because it’s really easy to overcook them, and when you overcook brussels sprouts, they get mushy and bitter.
And to be frank, overcooked brussels sprouts get a little stinky, too.
But when brussels sprouts are properly cooked, they totally come alive! They’re best when lightly sautéed or roasted, cooked just enough to brighten the flavor and soften them a bit.
And when you pair greens with nutty, hearty quinoa, like I do when I make my quinoa & arugula salad, it becomes even more wonderful, delicious, and hearty.
This quinoa is totally, optional, though. And if you leave it off, the recipe is 100% Whole30 compliant.
You can serve this salad with simple salmon, turkey burger, roasted chicken, or lemon chicken.
Recipe Ingredients
The short ingredients list is one of the selling points of this salad! Here’s what you need:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Apples
- Garlic
- Nuts or Seeds: choose any combination of pecans, sunflower seeds, and/or almonds
- Ghee or Olive Oil
- Dried Cranberries: I use cranberries naturally sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar.
- Optional Ingredients: 6 pieces of cooked, crumbled Sugar-free Bacon; 1 tbsp Flax seeds.
Making the Recipe
The steps to making this Brussels sprouts salad with cranberries are very simple. Best of all, you can prepare most of the steps ahead of time, and then toss it together to cook just before you’re ready to serve it.
- First, shred the Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife or mandolin, removing the woody stems.
- In a large skillet, sauté the sprouts and garlic in the ghee, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and stir in the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Season to taste.
- Serve with quinoa (be sure it’s gluten free), any protein of choice, or all by itself, and enjoy!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Broccoli and Bacon Salad
- Curry Chicken Salad with Carrots
- Harvest Spinach Salad with Rosemary Grilled Chicken
- Zucchini Caprese Salad
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts & Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts Salad
- 2 cups shredded brussels sprouts
- 1 Tablespoon ghee
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup any combination of nuts or seeds suggestions: sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds or walnuts
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 apple diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Quinoa (optional)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Trim the stems from brussels sprouts and thinly slice with a knife or shred with a mandolin. Mince the garlic. *Time saving tip: Buy a bag of pre-shredded sprouts!
- In the a large skillet, heat the ghee or butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and the shredded brussels sprouts. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until they turn a a bright & dark shade of green. *Be careful not to overcook them – brussels sprouts get bitter if you do.Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in cranberries, nuts, and apple.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and divide in bowls. Serve with the quinoa or all by itself!
