Kale & Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple & Cranberries

Every holiday table needs a good salad to balance out all of the richness, and this one really hits the spot. It’s crunchy, vibrant and festive all at once. The recipe makes enough to serve as a side for at least 6-8 people, but if you don’t eat it all, it will still hold quite well for a few days (you might just want to reserve a part of the apples and pecans for leftovers, as they will soften slightly once combined with the dressing).

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Kale & Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple & Cranberries

Serves 6-8 as a side

For the salad

• 7-8 large kale leaves (I used a mix of black lacinato and green curly kale)

• 400 g. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded (about 3 cups shredded)

• 1 crisp apple

• 1/4 small red onion

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

• 1/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp hazelnut oil (or more olive oil)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp pure maple syrup

• Zest of one lemon

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 small garlic clove, pressed

• 1/4 tsp sea salt (+ more as needed)

• Black pepper

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METHOD

1. Wash the kale and Brussels sprouts well. Remove the stems from the kale leaves and discard. Chop the leaves in bite-size pieces and transfer to a large salad bowl. Use a mandolin (or sharp knife) to shave the Brussels sprouts very thinly. Discard the tough ends and center if you can, keeping only the soft parts. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts to the bowl.

2. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar: olive oil, hazelnut oil (if using), apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

3. Slice the red onion thinly. Finely chop a part of the thinly sliced onion to get one tablespoon of fine dice. Place the tablespoon of finely diced onion in the jar with the dressing and whisk well, reserving the rest for the salad.

4. Pour about half of the dressing on the salad and use your hands to massage the kale and Brussels sprouts slightly. Season with more salt and black pepper, until the salad is well seasoned.

5. Just before serving, slice the apple thinly (or cut into matchsticks) and add to the bowl. Add the remaining sliced red onion, dried cranberries, chopped mint and toasted pecans. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top, and serve.