Who needs a salad after all that food Thursday?? (👋 Hi, me!) Today I whipped up this super simple Warm Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad to fill the vegetable void I was feeling. Brussels sprouts are usually pretty expensive in my area, so I don’t get to make them often, but when I saw a bag of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at Trader Joes, I couldn’t resist. Buying pre-shredded makes preparation incredibly simple, and I balanced the cost out with a small amount of homemade dressing and pears, which are very inexpensive this time of year.
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Can I Use Whole Brussels Sprouts?
Yes, absolutely. If you can’t buy them pre-shredded, or buying whole fresh Brussels sprouts are a lot less expensive, you can still make this salad. I suggest (carefully) using a mandoline, or a food processor to shred your Brussels sprouts.
Dress Up Your Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad
And as per my usual style, I kept this salad very simple to keep costs low. If you have a few extra pennies and want to dress it up a bit more, you can add something like crumbled blue cheese or feta, walnuts, or even some bacon bits (you could cook the bacon first and then use the bacon grease to sauté the shredded Brussels sprouts).
Serving Sizes
This recipe makes four small side salad-sized servings, but don’t let that fool you. Those hearty Brussels sprouts are extremely filling!
Warm Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Servings 4Ingredients
DIJON VINAIGRETTE
- 1 small clove garlic ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.03)
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.04)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp sugar ($0.01)
- Freshly cracked pepper ( $0.03)
SALAD
- 10 oz shredded Brussels sprouts ($2.79)
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil ( $0.06)
- 1 D’anjou pear ($0.69)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries ( $0.60)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
Instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, mince the garlic and add it to a small bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt, sugar, and freshly cracked pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until the dressing becomes light and almost creamy in appearance. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.
- Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and add very hot water. Let the cranberries soak for about five minutes, or until they soften slightly. Drain the cranberries and set them aside. Slice the pear into thin strips.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and tilt the pan until it is covered. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and sauté them until they begin to soften, but are still bright green (about 5 minutes). Remove them from the heat and season with salt and pepper. They will continue to soften from the residual heat in the skillet.
- Add the pear slices and cranberries to the wilted Brussels sprouts. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add more dressing as needed. Finish with a final pinch of freshly cracked pepper.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Warm Brussels Sprout Salad 0 Step by Step Photos
Make the Dijon Vinaigrette first so that the flavors have time to blend. Mince one very small clove of garlic and add it to a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, and some freshly cracked pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until it takes on a creamy yellow appearance. The Dijon mustard acts as an emulsifier and keeps the dressing cohesive instead of allowing it to separate. Set the dressing aside.
Add 1/3 cup dried cranberries to a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for about five minutes to soften, then drain them and set aside.
Slice one D’anjou pear into thin strips.
These are the shredded Brussels sprouts that I used. I actually bought two bags thinking that each bag was kind of small, but they’re deceiving. After emptying one bag into the skillet I knew one would be enough. Not only are they bulkier than they appear in the bag, but because they are so hearty, they are quite filling. You’ll only need one 10oz. bag of shredded Brussels sprouts for this recipe.
Heat a large skillet over medium flame, then add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Tilt the skillet to coat the bottom, then add the shaved Brussels sprouts. Sauté the Brussels sprouts until they begin to soften, but are still bright green (about 5 minutes), then turn the heat off. You want them to still have a bit of texture, so don’t over cook them. They’ll continue to cook a little from the residual heat in the skillet as you add the rest of the ingredients. Season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper.
Add the sliced pear and the cranberries.
Add some of the Dijon Vinaigrette, then toss everything to coat. Add more dressing as needed. I liked this salad with a lot of dressing. It helps balance the sweetness of the pears and cranberries.
Finally, season the salad with a bit more freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Who said salads aren’t for winter? This Warm Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad says otherwise.
Love winter salads? Try this Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad, Parsley Salad with Almonds and Apricots, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, or Sweet Crunch Winter Salad.
Seriously, this was one of the best bites of food I’ve ever put into my mouth. So warm and aromatic and such a great balance of sweet and savory. This is going into my list of staple recipes.
I just made this, it is amazingly good!
This was so delicious! I added gorgonzola- not a particularly budget friendly addition, but delicious. This, with some ham, was just as good the next day served cold for lunch!
I bought whole Brussels sprouts and then shredded them in my food processor with the shred blade. So easy. I made two large dinner salads.
Wow! This was so easy and so good! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it. I used fresh cranberries that I pulled out of my homemade cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving. I figured it would be healthier than dried cranberries. The bright red with the green would be great for Christmas dinner. Thanks for the recipe!