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
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/340 g) 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
- Toast the nuts: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) 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
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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Great fresh salad. The dressing has just the right amount of tang. Thank you Jenn for your consistent high quality recipes. I can’t wait for your cookbook!
I have made this twice now. It was a hit both times. It does take a while to chop everything up, but it is so worth it. The only change I made t the recipe was to put the dressing ingredients in a tall mixing cup that came with my stick blender and buzz the dickens out of it. That makes a nice emulsion that is easier to pour over everything and no chunks. Great for potlucks!
My husband and daughter love this salad. I typically serve it along side grilled pork tenderloin or with hamburgers. Any leftovers I toss with cubed grilled chicken for an instant one container lunch. I don’t make any substitutions with one exception. Sometimes, if I don’t have any kale on hand, I use all Brussel sprouts.
This salad is the best. So fresh and delicious. Even my picky eaters love it. I serve it at parties since it makes a lot and goes with whatever we are grilling.
We have made this recipe over and over again. It is by far my husband’s favorite salad. We have been using high quality lemon flavored olive oil and vinegar to enhance the lemon dressing. Also recommend adding dried cranberries for tartness.
This is my new favorite dressing! so easy to whip up last minute. Me and my family are major lemon lovers so I always add extra lemon! The walnuts are the perfect compliment to the salad!
This is one of my all-time favorite salads and I think the recipe is perfect as written! It makes a large amount but keeps for days, and my family loves it so much that it’s gone before I know it. Thank you so much Jenn!!
i really wanted to like this recipe. I do not like kale and brussel sprouts to me are meh. First off the dressing can not be eaten by itself-it does not taste good. I felt the olive oil flavor came through too strong. I let it marinate in the fridge for 30 min but the flavor of the kale was still too strong. I have it sitting in the fridge over night hopefully it tastes better. I only tried it b/c the recipe said kale and brussel sprout haters would love it but so far i have to say its the first recipe i have tried that i dont think I will be coming back to.
Is there something you think I did wrong? Anything I can do to improve the taste (or tone down the kale flavor). Would hate to toss a whole bowl of greens…
Hi Asra, Sorry you didn’t enjoy this! If you followed the recipe exactly, I don’t think you did anything wrong – it could just be that you have a stronger than average dislike of kale. You could try adding a bit of sugar or honey to the dressing to lessen any potential bitterness. Hope that helps make it a bit more appealing!
The Brussels sprouts are not cooked?
Hi Sherie, it’s not necessary for the recipe. If you prefer to partially cook them, though, that would be fine.
Outstanding recipe! I roasted the brussels sprouts first just because I love roasted brussels sprouts, and the results were great. Thanks, Jenn!