From the roundup: 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table
This shaved Brussels sprout salad has saved me more than once on Thanksgiving morning, mostly because it needs zero oven time and can sit dressed on the counter for up to three hours without going limp. The sprouts are raw, shaved thin, and tossed with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, and shaved Pecorino Romano. It takes about 20 minutes of actual work, and most of that is shaving the sprouts.
The one step that makes the whole thing work is the salt massage. Sprinkle salt over the shaved sprouts and scrunch them with your hands for a full minute before you add the dressing. I skipped it the first time I made this and the salad tasted sharp and a little tough. One minute of massaging takes away that raw bitterness and makes the texture noticeably more pleasant. Do not skip it.
I also keep a close eye on the pine nuts. They toast in a dry skillet in 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat, but I have burned a full batch by walking away for 30 seconds too long. Pull them off the heat as soon as they turn golden and pour them onto a plate right away so the residual pan heat does not keep cooking them.
Why you will love this
- No oven space required, which matters a lot when every rack is taken on Thanksgiving
- The dressed salad holds at room temperature for up to 3 hours, so you can toss it together before guests arrive
- A one-minute salt massage softens the raw sprouts just enough to make them easy and pleasant to eat
- The lemon-Dijon vinaigrette cuts through the richer, heavier dishes on the table without feeling out of place
- It comes together in about 20 minutes with no cooking beyond toasting the pine nuts
Tips for success
- Use a mandoline set to 1/8-inch or the slicing attachment on a food processor. Knife-cut sprouts tend to be uneven and chunky, and the texture of the finished salad suffers for it.
- Do not rush the salt massage. Work the shaved sprouts with your hands for a full minute. They will darken slightly and that sharp raw edge will mellow out before you add the dressing.
- Toast pine nuts in a cold, dry skillet and stir them the whole time. They go from pale to burnt in under a minute once they get going, so stay at the stove.
- Dress the salad within 2 to 3 hours of serving, not the night before. The vinaigrette softens the sprouts gradually, which is fine up to a point, but overnight the texture goes from pleasantly tender to a little soggy.
What to serve alongside it
- It works well next to roast turkey or a glazed ham because the lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness.
- On a non-holiday night, I have served it alongside a simple roast chicken and it holds its own as the only vegetable on the table.
- Leftovers the next day are good tucked into a grain bowl with farro or brown rice. The sprouts are softer by then but the flavor is still bright.
Substitutions
Pecorino Romano can be swapped for Parmesan or aged Manchego if that is what you have on hand. For the pine nuts, toasted walnuts or sliced almonds work well, and sunflower seeds keep it nut-free without changing the texture much. Tart dried cherries or golden raisins can stand in for the cranberries if someone at the table does not like them. Fresh cranberries do not work here since they are too wet and sour raw.
If you want a slightly sweeter dressing, add a small drizzle of honey to the vinaigrette before you emulsify it. Start with half a teaspoon and taste as you go.
Make-ahead and storage
You can shave the Brussels sprouts and mix the vinaigrette up to 24 hours ahead. Store them separately in the refrigerator and keep the cranberries and pine nuts out at room temperature. Toss everything together, cheese included, within 2 to 3 hours of serving. The dressed salad holds well at room temperature during that window, which makes it practical for a buffet.
Leftover salad keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The sprouts will soften further as they sit in the dressing, so the texture on day two is more tender than crunchy. It is still good, just different. Do not freeze this salad.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Pecorino
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Toast the pine nuts first. Add them to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and stir them frequently for 3 to 4 minutes until they are golden and fragrant. Watch them closely because they go from golden to burnt fast. Pour them onto a small plate and set aside.
- Shave the Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem end off each sprout and remove any tired outer leaves. Run them through a mandoline set to about 1/8-inch thickness, or use the slicing attachment on a food processor. You want thin, wispy shreds rather than chunky pieces. Place all the shaved sprouts in a large mixing bowl.
- Massage the sprouts. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt over the shaved sprouts and use your hands to massage and scrunch them for about 1 minute. They will darken slightly and soften just a little, which takes away any harsh raw bitterness. This step makes a real difference in how pleasant the salad is to eat.
- Make the lemon-Dijon vinaigrette. In a small bowl or a jar with a lid, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, fine salt, and black pepper. Whisk them together, then slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking steadily, or seal the jar and shake until the dressing is emulsified and looks slightly creamy. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as needed.
- Assemble the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the massaged Brussels sprouts and toss well to coat every strand. Add the dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts and toss again. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt or a squeeze of lemon if it needs brightness.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the Pecorino Romano directly over the top in long, thin ribbons. Add a few cranks of fresh black pepper and serve right away, or let it sit at room temperature for up to 3 hours before serving.
Notes
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