Looking for a tasty, outside the box no-lettuce salad? This Mediterranean-style brussels sprouts salad recipe will not disappoint. This salad combines hearty, perfectly caramelized brussels sprouts with baby greens like spinach and arugula; shallots; and a sprinkle of salty feta. We add a festive twist with cranberries and toasted almonds. And, you’ll love the honey lemon vinaigrette! Gluten free. If you need to, omit the feta for vegan option.
With the recent Romaine lettuce recall over in our part of the world, we’ve been on a no-lettuce salad kick. It wasn’t that difficult really. I mean, my family can eat balela (chickpea salad) everyday. And when all else fails, this super simple tomato salad does the trick.
But since I had a couple pounds of brussel sprouts begging to be used, so…brussels sprouts salad it is!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
This brussels sprouts salad begins with the very simple but important step of roasting the brussels sprouts. I’m not opposed to salads that use raw brussels sprouts, but I much prefer, and often crave, salted brussels sprouts that have been roasted to caramelized perfection.
The draw with this brussels sprouts salad is in the variety of textures and flavors. I treat them just like my roasted carrots with sumac: tender on the inside and perfectly charred on the outside with a little Mediterranean-style twist. To add a bit more interest, and maybe even a slightly festive twist, we throw in toasted almonds (or walnuts) and dried cranberries.
The honey lemon vinaigrette–with just a hint of zingy Dijon mustard–pulls the salad together and gives it a bright Mediterranean twist. I like to finish with a generous sprinkle of creamy feta, which pairs so well with the charred brussels sprouts. If you don’t like feta, you can use a bit of goat cheese.
You can also omit cheese all together in favor of a vegan brussels sprouts salad.
How to Roast Brussels Sprouts Perfectly
There are a few simple steps I follow to get perfectly roasted brussels sprouts. After all, they’re the star of this salad, so it’s important to get them right. Here are my tips:
1. Be sure to coat brussels sprouts are coated well with extra virgin olive oil and salt. To do that, don’t just throw them on the baking sheet and drizzle the oil etc. Instead, place the brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl first, toss with excellent EVOO and a generous pinch of salt (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO and kosher salt.) Give them a good toss to make sure the brussels are well coated, then pour and spread them well on a large baking sheet.
2. When you arrange the brussles sprouts on your pan, try to laying them cut-side down to give as much of the surface a chance to caramelize.
3. Once they’re in the oven, do not disturb the brussels sprouts too much. Check them half-way through roasting, and if the one side looks good, then give them a quick stir so the other side a chance to get some color.
More Recipes to Try:
Olive Oil Fried Brussels Sprouts with Polenta
Mediterranean Blackened Salmon with Pomegranate Salsa
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Mediterranean-Style Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 or more 1x
Description
This salad combines hearty, perfectly caramelized brussels sprouts with baby greens like spinach and baby arugula, shallots, and salty feta. We add a festive twist with cranberries and toasted almonds. And, you’ll love the honey lemon vinaigrette! Be sure to check out the notes for more tips.
Ingredients
For Salad
- 2 lb/907 g brussels sprouts, well-cleaned, trimmed, and halved
- Salt
- Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz/170 g baby spinach
- 4 oz/113 g baby arugula
- 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
- Big handful dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup/69 g blanched almonds or walnut halves, toasted
- Crumbled feta cheese, to your liking
For Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup/ 59 ml Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup/ 59 ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp quality honey
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. Toss to combine. Spread brussels sprouts on a large baking sheet. Roast in heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (check half-way through and give the brussels sprouts a quick stir so the other side has a chance to get some color.)
- While brussles sprouts are roasting, add the spinach, arugula, shallots, cranberries and almonds to large mixing bowl. Once ready, add the roasted brussels sprouts in.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour the vinaigrette on the salad (start with less if you’re not sure you need it all.) Toss to combine. Then add in crumbled feta and give it another gentle toss.
- Transfer the salad to a large serving platter. Add another sprinkle of feta, almonds or cranberries if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro-Tip for Roasting Brussels Sprouts: When you arrange the brussles sprouts on your pan before baking, try to laying them cut-side down to give as much of the surface a chance to caramelize. Do not disturb them too much once they’re roasting. Check brussels sprouts half-way through roasting, and if the one side looks good, then give them a quick stir to give the other side a chance to get some color.
- Recommended for this Recipe: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Greek Koroneiki olives.) SAVE! Try our Greek EVOO Bundle.
- Visit The Mediterranean Dish store to see our spices, oils and more!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
My new favorite brussels sprouts recipe!
Delish! I made this and with the tortellini soup when family came to visit and what a treat! We like it so much, we’re having it on Thanksgiving!
Wonderful! Thanks, Kris!
This was outstanding! I can’t wait to bring it as a side dish to a friends house.
Thanks, Sonja!
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe!
Thank you so much.
Can this be made ahead? Sans the dressing? I’d love it for thanksgiving but try to do as much as possible beforehand. Tx!
Hi, Gay. The cold parts for sure can be made ahead (and yes, keep the dressing separate until right before serving). We typically eat this while the brussels sprouts are warm, so that requires them to be roasted right before you wish to serve them. They may be okay made ahead and served cold with the salad… or reheated a bit in the oven first. That’s just not something I’ve tried before myself.
This is bloody delicious. We both love roasted Brussell sprouts, and this salad plays on that strength.
I made it to go with a very nice stuffed eggplant, but it was so good I had several serves of salad and didn’t touch the eggplant.
It boxes well above its weight and even my husband said he’d happily eat it as a main.
I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed the recipe, Kym! Thanks so much!
LOVED this! Didn’t have dried cranberries so substituted pomegranate seeds. This is a keeper!
Thanks, Margie!