Dairy Free Gluten & Grain Free Paleo Specific Carbohydrate Diet Vegan Whole30

Asian Brussels Sprout Salad

This Asian Brussels Sprout Salad is so tasty and a real crowd pleaser! It’s loaded with shredded brussels sprouts, crunchy veggies, nuts, herbs and a creamy almond butter, ginger and sesame dressing that is ridiculously good! This salad takes just 30 minutes to prepare and can be made well in advance. This brussels sprout slaw is Paleo, Whole30, Vegan, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.

WHY YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

It’s insanely delicious! This will quickly become your favourite winter salad, it’s crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet and so so tasty! The dressing is packed with ginger, garlic and sesame and is what takes this recipe from an average salad to an “I can’t stop eating this” salad.
It’s a great make ahead salad to keep in the fridge and enjoy over a few days. You can eat it as a light lunch, or add in protein such as shredded chicken or shrimp and serve it as a filling dinner.
It’s a great way to sneak brussels sprouts into your diet: although brussels sprouts are the base of this salad, they are overshadowed by the crunchy veggies, nuts and delicious dressing. This makes this a great salad to serve kids or anyone who isn’t a fan of the cruciferous, they will likely assume it’s just cabbage!
It’s Paleo, Whole30, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.

HOW TO SHAVE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Using a knife: Start by removing the tough outer leaves and trim the thick stem. Cut each brussels sprout in half lengthwise and then thinly slice each half at an angle, the thinner the better. This is the most labour intensive method but doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just a sharp knife and a cutting board.
Using a mandoline: I find that this creates the thinnest slices. Using a glove or fork, rub each brussels sprout back and forth over the blade until it is shaved down to the stem.
Using a food processor: This method requires the least amount of effort. Place a shredding or grating disc into your food processor and pulse the brussels sprouts until they are finely shredded.

INGREDIENT SWAPS AND WAYS TO MODIFY THIS SALAD

Switch up the nut butter: You can use cashew butter or almond butter in the dressing, or peanut butter if you aren’t on a legume free diet. If you have a nut allergy you can use tahini in the dressing in place of nut butter.
Add protein: Want to make it a more filling meal? Add in shredded cooked chicken or shrimp.
Don’t have enough brussels sprouts? You can supplement the shaved brussels sprouts with shredded cabbage or kale.
Add more veggies: Thin strips of cucumber, shredded kale, broccoli slaw or radishes would all be a great addition to this salad.
Swap the toasted nuts: I like using salted roasted cashews, but peanuts or almonds would also be delicious. For a nut free option use sunflower seeds instead. I only had raw cashews on hand, so I simply tossed them in a touch of oil and salt and then cooked them in a pan on medium high heat for 5 minutes until they were golden in colour and crunchy.
Switch up the sweetener: I added 2 medjool dates to the dressing for a nice touch of sweetness and to make the dressing Whole30. If you aren’t doing a Whole30 you can add honey, maple syrup or any other sweetener of choice.

WHAT’S IN THE CREAMY ASIAN DRESSING

Almond, Cashew or Peanut Butter: Be sure to use a natural nut butter that doesn’t have any added sugar, and give it a good stir before measuring it out so that the oils are well mixed.
Lime Juice: This adds a nice acidity to the dressing. Depending on what you have on hand, you can replace the lime juice with all apple cider vinegar or vice versa.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar helps to cut through the richness of the nut butter. Either apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar would both work well in this dressing.
Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a soy and gluten free alternative to soy sauce. If you don’t have allergies or food sensitivities you can use tamari or soy sauce in its place.
Dates: If doing a Whole30 use Medjool dates (don’t forget to remove the pits before blending!). As mentioned above the dates can be swapped for honey or maple syrup, or omitted altogether if you are trying to cut back on sugar.
Sesame Oil: I absolutely love the taste of sesame oil and the rich flavour it adds to a dressing. If you don’t have sesame oil you can use olive oil in its place, it is simply used to thin out the thick dressing.
Ginger: In my opinion, no matter the recipe, the more ginger the better. I recommend adding an approximately 2 inch sized piece of ginger root, but you can add more or less depending on your preference.
Garlic: I prefer garlic cloves but 1 tsp of minced jarred garlic or garlic paste works too.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS SALAD IN ADVANCE?

You can shred the brussels sprouts, cut the carrots and bell pepper and make the dressing up to 2 days in advance. You can combine all of the veggies, nuts and cilantro in a bowl the morning of and simply toss in the dressing right before serving.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS

Any leftovers will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Leftover salad may dry out in the fridge so you can add a splash of sesame oil or coconut aminos and toss before eating.

Here are a few more brussels sprout recipes that you might enjoy:

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!