November 12, 2020
Appetizers

Shredded Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Vegetable Salad

Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight healthy fall salad or a keto low carb Thanksgiving salad recipe that’s worthy of your holiday table, this shredded brussel sprout inspired side dish is a huge crowd pleaser for any occasion.

I find this salad to not only look like a beautiful work of art (I mean, these colors are giving me serious heart eyes), but the flavors and textures make this so much more than a salad. Salad isn’t even a good name for this recipe but it’s about as close as I can get to making an accurate description I suppose.

I recently made these grilled crispy maple pecan BBQ chicken thighs and needed an easy autumnal side to pair with it that would hold up for a few days in the fridge. Less prep during the week means a quicker go-to lunch I can eat throughout the week or even make ahead of a holiday. Time is of the essence in both instances and I love how this comes together so easily, yet looks absolutely stunning.

Roasted-fall-veggie-salad-with-maple-pecan-chicken-thighs

What amplifies this recipe are the seasonal roasted vegetables, the crunchy and salty toasted pecans, the natural sweetness in the butternut squash, and the creamy goat cheese I sprinkled on the top.

Grab all the details, tips, and techniques for perfectly roasting your veggies shaving brussel sprouts to eat raw, and creating the perfect low-carb keto and gluten-free vinaigrette. Let’s dive in!

Supplies Needed:

Baking Sheet
Knife & Cutting Board
Immersion Blender or Blender Bottle
Glass Jar or Bowl

How to make shredded brussels sprouts for the salad base?

This recipe has some coleslaw-like vibes to it in my opinion (think a cabbage base swapped out for shaved brussel sprouts for instance). In fact, brussel sprouts are in the same vegetable family as cabbage and has a similar waxy texture too.

While I would not want to bite into a whole brussel sprout in it’s raw state, shredding them and using them raw in a salad really does work!

So, how do I shred the sprouts to make up the lettuce like base for this dish? You have a few options with the goal in mind to thinly slice them with whichever processing method you choose. Here are some example methods:

Chef’s Knife: Use a sharp knife to thinly slice into each cabbage discarding the hard base at the bottom of each sprout. I like to cut mine around 1/8th of an inch thin if possible so they are tender when biting into them. This is my go-to method because it is fast for me and I like the control, but can be time consuming.

Food Processor: If you want a faster method, try shredding them in a food processor with the proper blade attachment and pulse until you get the desired effect!

Mandoline: If you have a steady hand and don’t want to slice with a knife, try this method. Shave them using a mandoline on a steady, flat surface. Do so with care!

Wile you can also use a different type of lettuce for the base, I prefer the brussel sprouts. Not only do they go well with the other flavors in this salad, but they are higher in fiber, a good source of vitamin C, and doesn’t get soggy like most other types of lettuce do when you pre-make a salad ahead of serving.

Seasonal Fall Vegetables:

For the remainder of this salad, I used a variety of season fall vegetables that I had on hand and loved how they went together. Here’s what I went with:

Butternut Squash: A popular squash you see in stores during the fall but some people following a low carb diet may initially shy away.

While the carb count for a whole cup may not fit you diet, this is spread out throughout the whole salad, greatly reducing the net carb count for each individual serving of this salad. Because the squash is the most dense vegetable in this recipe, so I suggest dicing them on the smaller side so it can roast evenly.

Seasonal vegetables, chopped up in a white bowl.

Chopped Red Onion: Adds flavor and color to the salad. These roast up nicely too!

Broccolini: A little bit of a switch up from classic broccoli (which you can sub with), remove the stalks and dice it into pieces to use as needed.

Salted Pecans: I love these for a good crunch, a hit of salt, and makes a good replacement for a crouton in a salad for instance

Season all your vegetables after they are prepped with a little salt and pepper, olive oil, and any other desired seasonings before roasting.

Tips for Roasting Vegetables:

Here are a few tricks for getting the perfect roasted vegetable.

Roast at a high enough temperature that the vegetables can brown and not steam.
Use a large enough baking sheet for the ratio of vegetables you have on the pan (room on the pan also prevents steaming).
Preheat your pan at the same time you preheat your oven. When you add the vegetables, you’ll immediately here that sizzle and jumpstart the cooking process.
Cut your denser vegetables smaller, and your more tender vegetables in larger pieces to create even cooking.

The roasted vegetables, cooked, on a baking sheet.

Dressing options for a sugar-free vinaigrette:

I love a good, tangy mustard base dressing for this salad. I’ve been actually using my Keto Spicy Mustard BBQ sauce recipe with the addition of a little extra oil and vinegar that perfectly compliments the salad.

Enjoy this salad this fall or for the holidays. Pair it with other popular sides like my keto cornbread stuffing or the best low carb green bean casserole too!