This Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad is brimming with flavour. With crispy roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon complimented by sweet and crunchy pink lady apples and thinly sliced red onions, all dressed with a citrus salad dressing, this salad is sure to impress!
The citrus salad dressing made using pure maple syrup, fresh orange juice and lemon juice cuts through the rich flavour of the roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon so perfectly! The dressing was inspired by my Maple Dijon Dressing. This salad is salty, sweet, tangy and oh so delicious. If you're usually a Brussels Sprouts hater then I dare you to try this salad because I have a feeling it will make a lover out of you yet.
Some other salads that I think you'll love are my Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad and my Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad.
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What You'll Love About This Salad
There is so much to love about this delicious salad, where do I start? This is the perfect salad for dinner parties, get-togethers and just any old day really.
- Brussels sprouts seasoned with salt & pepper and roasted to crispy perfection.
- Crisp and sweet slices of pink lady apple.
- A healthy, homemade salad dressing.
- The perfect side dish for your holiday meals or Thanksgiving meal.
- Topped with crispy bacon.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Salad Ingredients
This roasted Brussels sprouts salad is made using easy-to-find, simple ingredients. To make this salad you will need:
- Brussels sprouts
- Extra virgin olive oil - Olive oil is my favourite oil to use in cooking as it has many health benefits. You can also use macadamia oil or avocado oil for cooking.
- Mixed lettuce leaves - can be swapped for baby spinach or kale.
- Pomegranate seeds - also known as pomegranate arils. Can be swapped for dried cranberries.
- Red onion - also known as Spanish onion or purple onion. I like to slice this very finely to give little pops of flavour throughout the salad.
- Pink lady apple - I prefer red apples for this recipe but you can use any variety of apple that you prefer. You can substitute for a crisp pear if desired.
- Sea salt - the recipe calls fall finely ground salt. If using sea salt flakes you may need to increase the amount you use.
- Cracked Black Pepper
Dressing Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil - can be substituted for flaxseed oil (linseed oil), avocado oil or macadamia oil.
- fresh orange juice - can be substituted for more lemon juice.
- fresh lemon juice - swap for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- dijon mustard
- whole grain mustard - also known as seeded mustard.
- pure maple syrup - swap for honey or agave syrup.
- fresh lemon thyme - swap for any other fresh herbs that you have on hand (parsley or regular thyme work well).
- sea salt - finely ground
Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad (with pictures)
Making this salad recipe is very easy and requires minimal equipment. Here's how.
Roast the Brussel Sprouts
Prepare the raw Brussels sprouts by removing the outer leaves, slicing in half lengthways and slicing off the core from the bottom. Tip them into a baking dish or sheet pan before drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Then toss them to evenly coat all of the Brussels sprouts. Spread the sprouts out so that they're in a single layer across the base of the baking dish. Place them into the oven to roast until crispy. I like to use the top shelf as they get more direct heat and become even crispier!
Tip: make sure you add all of the little leaves that fall off the sprouts into the pan as well as these roast up nice and crispy and add a beautiful texture to the salad.
Fry the Bacon
Bring a frypan to a medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the chopped bacon and fry until super crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
Tip: To remove excess oils and bacon fat from the bacon, pour the fried bacon out onto a paper towel lined plate. This will soak up all of the excess fat while you finish off the salad.
Make the Salad Dressing
Add the orange juice, lemon juice, dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, maple syrup, finely chopped lemon thyme and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually add the olive oil while you whisk until the dressing is emulsified (meaning that the juice and oil no longer seperate).
Tip: To make this even quicker, add all of the ingredients into a jar, place the lid on firmly and shake until the dressing is all combined.
Assemble the Salad
There are two ways to assemble this salad. The best way to assemble this salad so that it is beautifully presented is to layer the lettuce leaves, then roasted Brussels sprouts, finely sliced red onion, thinly sliced apples, crispy bacon and then pomegranate arils. Then drizzle with the citrus dressing right before serving.
Alternatively, you can add the lettuce leaves, Roasted Brussels sprouts, finely sliced red onion, thinly sliced apples, crispy bacon and pomegranate arils to a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine just before serving and serve in a salad bowl.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If preparing early for eating a later time, follow the below instructions.
- Don't slice the apple until you are ready to serve. If you do need to slice them earlier, toss them in lemon juice to prevent from browning.
- Keep the lettuce seperate until ready to serve.
- Add the dressing just before serving to prevent the leaves from going soggy.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Platter or salad bowl
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram Brussels sprouts sliced in half, core removed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt finely ground
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 300 grams bacon diced, rind removed
To serve
- 1 pink lady apple thinly sliced, drizzled in lemon juice to prevent from browning
- ½ Pomegranate arils
- 120 grams mixed lettuce leaves
- ¼ red onion finely sliced (lengthways)
Dressing
- 60 mL olive oil extra virgin
- 30 mL orange juice pulp strained off
- 30 mL lemon juice pulp strained off
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon seeded mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt finely ground
- 1 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius (392° F).
- Add the Brussels sprouts to a large baking dish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss to combine and then spread out evenly across the base of the dish. Place onto the top shelf of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Once crispy on the outside, remove from the oven and set aside.1 kilogram Brussels sprouts, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, Cracked black pepper
- Meanwhile, bring a large frypan to a medium heat and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced bacon and fry, stirring occasionally, until crispy and almost burnt (but definitely not burnt).300 grams bacon
- To make the dressing add the orange juice, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, seeded mustard, maple syrup, sea salt and lemon thyme leaves to a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing has emulsified, meaning that the oil and juices no longer separate.60 mL olive oil, 30 mL orange juice, 30 mL lemon juice, 1 teaspoon seeded mustard, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- To assemble, layer lettuce leaves at the bottom of a salad bowl or large, deep, platter. Top with apple slices, red onion, roasted Brussels sprouts, diced bacon and finally pomegranate arils. Drizzle with the citrus dressing just before serving.1 pink lady apple, ½ Pomegranate, ¼ red onion, 120 grams mixed lettuce leaves
Video
Notes
Tips
- Make sure to strain the orange and lemon juice into a bowl or container to remove the pulp, for a smoother dressing.
- Dress the salad right before serving to prevent the lettuce leaves from going soggy.
- To prevent the apples from going brown, drizzle with lemon juice and toss so that all of the surface of the apples have a layer of lemon juice.
Natalie
Quick question!?
Do you servce the brussel sprouts on the salad when hot? Or do you let them cool??? I am afraid if it is hot, it will wilt the lettuce... but if you serve the brussels cold, they might get soggy. What do you prefer??? Serving this salad tonight and I am excited about it! Thanks!
Sarah Bell
Hi Natalia, So you can do either - I served the salad with room temperature Brussels sprouts but they weren't as crispy as when just cooked. If you assemble the salad with hot Brussels sprouts it will soften the lettuce leaves a little, but I actually quite like that that for a warm salad. Another option is leaving the lettuce out all together if you want super hot and crispy Brussels sprouts. Enjoy!
Christine
Is it 1/2 cup of pomegranate arils? Thanks
Sarah Bell
Yes it is.