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 salad tastes like a healthful, crunchy Caesar. Be prepared to love it, even if you’re not a kale or Brussels sprouts person. My husband, an ardent Brussels sprouts avoider, devoured it without even realizing there were Brussels sprouts in there (at least until I let my 10-year-old daughter in on it, who giggled every time he took a bite). Make it 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
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
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- 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.
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Healthy, delicious and so fresh! Another winner!
We make this semi-regularly and everyone loves it. My 8 year old son tonight: “it’s obviously the best salad in the world.”
LOL — that’s so cute – glad the whole family likes it!
This salad is so fantastic. We eat it all the time. I tried it tonight with a pink lady apple chopped up and mixed inside and it added a great flavour to the already delicious salad. You can’t go wrong!
There are some salads I like better the next day and for me, this is one of them. If you can make it the day before it really does wonders. Such a wonderful recipe! Thank you!!
This salad lacked flavor. Followed to a T but was just eh. I made it again because I had tons of kale and Brussels sprouts leftover, but added bacon and pecans. It turned it up a notch but still not great.
Very healthy salad, but very tasty and good. My wife is not a big fan of brussel sprouts and kale, but she would eat this. It’s refreshing and can serve as a meal. I typically use pine nuts instead as I like its nutty/buttery taste of pine nuts. This salad is a great base salad, meaning you can do some adjustments by adding rotisserie chicken, salmon, shrimp, or any protein. Good stuff!
Love this salad! I initially made it as a side for Thanksgiving (something healthy on the table!) and added some pomegranate seeds for color. I have since made it as written several times – healthy, filling and delicious! As the greens are so hearty, it keeps for days and tastes better the longer it sits.
A Go-To salad so popular, my boyfriend’s mother requests it regularly. I make this for an easy weeknight meal with Grilled/Baked Chicken or Shrimp. Instead of baking the walnuts in the oven (when I forget to preheat), I add them on the stove in a heavy pan until fragrant (as directed) or a little toasty (when distracted).
This is one of my favourite salads. I’ve made it for friends who proudly proclaim hating kale and they later ask me for the recipe!
The salad keeps very well and I have enjoyed it two or three days after making it, despite it being dressed.
The walnuts offer a great flavour to the greens. I’ve also tried it with toasted pumpkin seeds and it’s also wonderful. So, you don’t need to shy away if you are allergic to walnuts!
Crunchy, tasty and different to present or bring at pot luck! We do it often now at home on Sundays with chicken or fish.
I have made this so many times and for many different people. Everyone wants the recipe after they have it. It takes a bit of effort, but is totally worth it!
My family loves this recipe…we make it weekly! The leftovers are great for lunch the next day with avocado. We typically use Pecorino instead of Parmesan for extra flavor!
Made this last night for our vegan friends and served it with salmon ! It was a huge hit! I’ve made it before and rated it an A plus!!!
Wonderful crunchy salad! We have made this several times. I am typically not a fan of brussels sprouts, but in this salad, I am a convert! I do sometimes add a bit of sweetness (honey, chopped dried cherries, or finely chopped or shredded apple). I really appreciate the time and detail you go into with your recipes. I love reading through them as tutorials. I always feel like I learn something new! I really appreciate having your website as a cooking/baking guide…
Thank you so much!
My family loves this recipe. I use 3/4 of the olive oil called for (6 tbsp), and I add a cup of dried cranberries.
This salad is delicious!! Will definitely make it again!
Planning to make for a dinner this weekend. Can I use the pre-chopped kale and/or brussel sprouts available in bags? Alternatively, would it be possible to slice the brussel sprouts using my food processor slicing blade? Always looking for time – savers, but don’t want to sacrifice quality. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recipes. This is definitely my “go to” recipe blog and I also own your fabulous cookbook.😀🌻
Glad you like the recipes! And yes, either of the short-cuts you asked about will work. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Delicious!!!
Loved the Dijon dressing on this kale and Brussels sprouts salad… used ‘shaved Parmesan’ and the presentation was equally lovely as was the taste especially with the toasted walnuts!
I love this salad!!. I have made it a few times already, I do switch up what salad greens I use. I used curly kale and tuscan kale today. And i do add a little honey to my dressing because I like a little sweetness to it. But like others have said the longer it sits the better it tastes. I pair mine with the simply grilled lemon herb chicken that I make in my grill pan and my husband loves it. I’m so happy I found this website.
This is better the longer it sits, especially if you use curly kale. I agree with some other reviewers that it wanted a bit of sweetness, so added a hefty handful of dried cranberries as well as a tiny amount of sugar and some raspberry balsamic to the dressing . Not being sure if I’d like this (and fairly sure my significant other would not!), I made a half recipe and found that it needed more dressing after sitting a while, so made an additional half amount (omitting the shallot and garlic) . Much better!
This was very good, I did feel like it needed a touch of sweetness so I added some dried cherries and cranberries, next time I might try green apple slices.
Awesome way to get superfoods into your diet! Taste is wonderful. Crunchiness of the toasted walnuts against all the other ingredients brings out an entirely amazing level of taste. Great for keto. I have found that the ingredients are a bit lower in net carbs than you have calculated so “YAY!” for us keto lifestylers. Leftovers are wonderful. Brighten them with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. Loved that I could prepare it well in advance and it was even better the next day.
Yum yum yum! Made this last night, along with a light romaine salad, as sides for an Italian birthday dinner. Lovely complement to the dinner, and nice that it could (must!) be made in advance. The prep sounds time consuming, but is actually quite easy. I added one cut up Roma tomato for color. THANK YOU!
I’ve made this wonderful salad several times, springing it on unsuspecting guests. Each time, I get a genuine “YUM!” and a request for the recipe. This time, I had a lonely pomegranate to use before it went bad. So I put a healthy dose of arils on top as a garnish. What an amazing addition! Thanks for all your fabulous recipes. You’re my go-to when it comes to amazing meals.
Love love love this salad! Always looking for vegetarian meals that hit the mark and this one is a huge winner. My only modifications are I add dried cranberries and I often have Manchego cheese on hand and use it instead of Parmesan, which works wonderfully with the flavors. I just hit this recipe up again as I’m preparing for Thanksgiving. Love offering healthy alternatives. Your recipes are fantastic.
I always love your recipes and was excited to try this. I substituted pine nuts for the walnuts and added cranberries and it was absolutely amazing! Really – my boyfriend and I can’t wait to have it again. Thanks, Jen, for this simple but wonderful creation!!
This salad is delicious! I had to try it because it looked so good – and I’m not a fan of brussel sprouts or kale.
Jenn- this salad is a no brainer on my Thanksgiving table Every year as it’s healthy and the bright lemon flavor cuts through the other creamy, fatty side dishes. I have someone with a nut allergy coming this year- is there something else I could sub for the walnuts for crunch? Maybe sunflower seeds? Suggestions welcome- thanks!
Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds would both work well (and glad you like the salad)!
Fantastic salad-everyone loved it. I substituted candied walnuts which Balanced the tartness a bit. Love your recipes- thank you!
Delicious and easy to make. I added dried cranberries like others suggested and also subbed mayo and worchester sauce for the dijon mustard.
Hi Jenn, First of all I want to say Thank You for the best cookbook EVER.. I love it!! You are a brilliant chef.. I’m so grateful for the time and dedication you put in to sharing your fabulous recipes. I have made several of your recipes and all have turned out amazing.. This salad was absolutely delicious the only item I added was pomegranate seeds before serving. Looked and tasted so good .. Will definitely be added to my favorites list, which by the way is all your recipes I’ve made so far.. lol
Please keep sharing and Thank You again.
You’re so welcome, Carole (and your sweet words made my day)!! 💓
Delicious salad! Our vegetarian daughter loved it. My husband who dislikes kale loved it. It was surprisingly very tasty and perfect! I made it exactly as written. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Angry about paper it takes to print recipe.
Hi Gert, Are you printing just the recipe or are you getting all the comments that readers have made as well? If you’re getting the comments as well, I’m assuming that you must be using the drop-down “Print” function on your computer. Instead of doing that, when you’re viewing the full recipe, look in the upper righthand corner of that box – you’ll see an icon there that looks like a printer. Select that and it will print only the recipe and not all the other materials. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
I love how helpful your responses are. I also appreciate that you take the time to get back to all these commenters and with such patience and kindness. Your website has really improved the food we eat at my house and I have finally found the be-all end-all recipes for some things that I had been trying a different recipe for each time I make them (over decades of cooking a lot). I will never use another brownie recipe, key lime pie recipe, grilled chicken breast recipe, Caesar salad dressing, and the list goes on! I bought your cookbook and have been enjoying that as well. Thanks SO much, Jenn.
You’re so welcome!! 💗
You just need to click on the box at the top that says “Jump to Recipe” and you will have the recipe listed concisely without all of the pictures and text. You can print from that box usually onto one page.
This salad was AMAZINGLY GOOD! I made a big batch and took it to a jazz festival as part of an alfresco meal. SO TASTY. To the person who said the olive oil flavor came through too strong: I actually made the dressing first, and I thought so too, initially. But after it sat for a while, during which time I chopped the kale and the brussels sprouts, by the time all that was done, I tasted the dressing again and the flavor was exactly as it should be. FYI, I also ran my sprouts through a mandoline.
This became my go-to salad last summer and I just remade it for a party – in remains a hit! I mandolin the brussels sprouts and try to put the dressing on at least a few hours in advance. Always a hit!
Can you use another type of nut besides walnuts? I have made this salad numerous times and love as is but have a guest coming who doesn’t like walnuts.
Sure, Cheryl – I think toasted pine nuts would be good here.
My family (who refuse to eat brussels sprouts OR kale) absolutely love this salad, and so do I. I always follow the recipe exactly as written, because I think it’s simply perfect. The recipe makes a generous amount of salad, so I usually have leftovers, and they get even better over time. Chopping/slicing the kale and sprouts takes a bit of time, but overall, this is a super-fast and super-easy (and super-delicious and healthy) recipe. Five stars for sure.
My family loves this salad. I make it every fall as part of out Thanksgiving Dinner and even people who are self-proclaimed “Kale Haters” love this salad and come back for seconds. It keeps well, but we usually don’t have any left over for the next day.
This salad was superb! I am not a huge kale fan, but this was addictive. I followed the recipe as written (not a single change) and it was fantastic. My husband kept coming by and sneaking big spoonfuls while I was making the other courses for dinner that night. I served it with your “Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs” (as suggested) and zucchini crisps. It was the perfect meal. I’m making the salad again this morning so I can have it for lunch today. Loved it!!!!
This salad is so yummy! I love the healthy ingredients, and I now have a new salad to add to my go-to favorites! Thanks for yet another tasty, fabulous recipe!
If this salad was a man, I would marry it. And I have commitment issues.
Have made it several times. I use toasted pine nuts in lieu of walnuts (bc I don’t like them). I also jazz things up a bit on occasion by adding some sour dried cherries, chopped boiled eggs, and shrimp (marinated in the dressing and then broiled a few minutes per side on a cookie sheet). GOALS! Thanks for posting this recipe. 🙂
You dont cook the brussel sprouts?
Hi Ellen, it’s not necessary for this recipe but if you prefer to partially cook them, that would be fine. 🙂
I am over the moon to have found a recipe with Kale that I adore! It is not often I repeat a recipe in a week, but made it on Wednesday and will make again on Saturday. We really struggle to incorporate leafy greens into our diet, so this amazing to have in the refrigerator for a healthy side dish.
Would this taste good without the cheese? Add apple? I want to serve it with mac&cheese.
Hi Janet, I think the cheese creates a nice balance of flavors here, but you could omit it and once you taste the salad, add it to taste if needed. This salad doesn’t actually call for apples–are you confusing it with a different salad?
Have made this several times and delicious every time. Added sunflower seeds one time, dried cranberries and walnuts another time. My book club group all loved it too!
Love this recipe! Added some dried cranberries for color and sweetness. So hearty and keeps brilliantly for days!
This is one of our favorite salads to make with a steak or heavy meat. It is so refreshing and satisfying!
Would adding bacon work with this recipe? Excited to try it.
Sylvia
Yes definitely!
This recipe is so simple, but the flavor is so complex. I’ve made this for several gatherings and everyone goes nuts over it!!
This is one of my all time favorite salads. Love that it is packed with so many healthy and yummy ingredients. Love the toasted nuts. Adds crunch and flavor! I serve this with roasted chicken! Love!