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
- ½ cup/69 g blanched almonds or walnut halves, toasted
- Crumbled feta cheese, to your liking
For Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup/ 59 ml Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ 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
Simply delicious and it looks absolutely stunning and so fancy! I substituted feta for soft goat cheese and used fresh cranberries that I picked earlier this autumn instead of dried ones - it worked really well. Will certainly save and repeat!
Wonderful! Thank you so much!
Very unique and delicious flavor! I added to my recipe index because we will definitely be repeating this one! I served it with your greek style lemon-garlic cod and we LOVED both! I felt like we were dining at a fancy restaurant! Will be browsing this site for more ideas 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful meal, Renee! Thanks for sharing!!
Is this salad served hot or cold?
We serve it warm, but it works either way.
What kind of wine would you pair w this salad?
I'm not an expert, I like a white or rose
I've tried several recipes so far from this site. So far every one is a keeper.
I don't like cranberries so I omitted them from this recipe. One thing that would go really well with it are fresh strawberries. Next time I make it I'll have some on hand.
Now all we need is an actual cookbook so I don't have to print the recipes out any more. This site has beat all of the others hands down in the simplicity and taste.
Thank you so much, Robin! So glad you enjoyed this salad. And thanks for sharing your idea of using fresh strawberries! Sounds great!
Wow looking so testy love your recipe
Love the mix of ingredients here. Simple yet so tasty. With a simple dressing you can't go wrong!
I love your recipes but live in the UK and use metric measurements. Some of your recipes, like this salad, include metric equivalents but I would like to make the cranberry shortbreads and wondered if you could update that one with metric please
Thank you so much, Helen! We have so many recipes and I'm working to try an update each as time allows.
What a beautiful salad. Love all the ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Enjoy!
I love all the ingredients in this salad. I'd eat the whole bowl!
Such a great combination of flavors and textures. The perfect way to lighten up all those heavy holiday meals!
Wow, this Brussels sprouts salad looks so fabulous! I love the Mediterranean twist and can just imagine what it tastes like just by looking at your photos! I can't wait to make it!
I am in love with this salad. wow - a stunner. And so smart and I know it is going to be tasty! Thanks for sharing this inventive delicious dish.
I usually go for raw brussel sprout salad recipes so this will be a fun twist on how I prepare them usually!
I love all the fresh flavors in this! Great recipe!
what a gorgeous salad! I wouldn't have thought of this flavor combo, but now I want it!!!