Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This mouthwatering Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors! You're going to love this delicious seasonal salad. It's loaded with fresh vegetables, juicy fruit, and toasted nuts, and it's so easy to make!

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Ginnie's Take

I don't know about you, but I love healthy, yet hearty salads. Especially at this time of year, when fall is almost here, but it still feels like summer. Kale salads are my favorite, and I'm always tweaking the ingredients, trying to find that perfect combination of flavors. And this Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad just might be it!

Why You'll Love This Salad

• Delicious Flavor - This scrumptious salad is bursting with the most crave-worthy sweet and savory flavors. There's juicy fruit, fresh vegetables, and warm, toasted nuts, plus an amazing (and easy to make) Maple Vinaigrette that is absolutely irresistible. 
• Easy to Make - Although it involves a little chopping, this salad is quite simple to make! It's easy enough for weeknight.
• Versatile - Enjoy this salad as a light meal or as a tasty side dish for any lunch or dinner. It would even make a great addition to your holiday table. I've served it for Thanksgiving, and it was a major hit!

Ingredients

This Brussels Sprout Kale Salad is easy to prepare, yet the flavors are so special. It was inspired by a salad I tried at an event a few years ago. I loved it so much that I recreated it as soon as I got home. Here's what you'll need to make it:

• Brussels Sprouts - You'll need some brussels sprouts, of course.
• Kale - If you can find it, I recommend using Lacinato Kale (sometimes called Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale), which has flat, dark green leaves for this recipe. Curly Kale will work great too though.
• Apples - Choose something crisp and juicy, like Fuji, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith.
• Grapes - Red grapes add another layer of sweetness.
• Nuts - Toasted pecan halves give the salad a wonderful nutty flavor.
• Dressing - This recipe features my easy-to-make, delicious Maple Syrup Vinaigrette! You'll use a combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, cayenne, salt, and pepper to make it.

How to Make Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Okay, let's talk about how to make this salad, because it couldn't be easier! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:

1. Toast the pecans. You'll toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, which brings out their flavor and makes them extra crunchy. Make sure to stir often, and watch the nuts closely so they don't burn.
2. Prepare the Maple Dressing.  Just whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl (or shake them in a mason jar), then season to taste.
3. Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim the ends and remove any browned leaves from the sprouts, and thinly slice them about ⅛-inch thick. Add the sprouts to a large bowl, then gently separating the leaves with your fingers as you do.
4. Slice the kale. Remove the kale leaves from the their stems, then slice the leaves about ¼- to ½-inch thick.
5. Massage Salad. Add the kale to the Brussels sprouts, then pour the dressing over the top. Stick your hands into the bowl and massage the dressing into the veggies for about two to three minutes. As you work the dressing into the greens, they will soften and decrease in volume, and they're become more pleasant to eat and easier digest. Tip: Make sure to wash your hands well after massaging the salad. You don't want to get any of that cayenne in your eyes!
6. Add the remaining ingredients. To finish the salad, add the chopped apples, halved grapes, and toasted pecans to the kale mixture. Then, give everything a good toss, then season to taste.

And that's all there is to it. Your easy Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad is ready to eat!

Variations

This recipe is easy to customize! Here are some ideas to try:

• Cracker Barrel Copycat - I didn't realize it when I created the salad, but a number of readers have mentioned that it's pretty similar to Cracker Barrel's Kale Salad. If you want to copycat that recipe, simply replace the apples and grapes with ½ cup dried cranberries.
• Fruit - Replace the apples with pears or other seasonal fruits (so you can make it year round!).
• Nuts - Instead of pecans, try walnuts, pistachios, or almonds.
• Dressing - Swap out the dressing for this Honey Lemon Vinaigrette or this Pumpkin Seed Salad Dressing.
• More Savory - If you're not a big fan of sweet-savory combos, you can take the flavors in a more savory direction by replacing the fruit with roasted sweet potatoes or pumpkin. This Roasted Delicata Squash would also work great!

Serving Suggestions

Serve this beautiful salad as a tasty side dish for all your fall, winter, or holiday dinners! It's delish paired with simple dinners, like this Pesto Ricotta Pasta or this Creamy Pumpkin Soup, as well as special occasion dishes, like this Vegetable Wellington or this Butternut Squash Lasagna. You can also pair it with some crusty bread (or try this Beer Bread) and serve it as a light main course. With it's unique sweet-savory flavors this is one salad that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Even my Brussels sprout hating husband loves it!

Storage

Because of the tender grapes, and the fact that apples are prone to browning once cut, this Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad is best consumed within a day or two of making it. If you have any leftovers store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Related Recipes

Looking for similar recipes? Try my Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad, Fall Harvest Salad or Kale and Apple Salad next! And check out these other kale salad ideas, too:

• This Massaged Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing is my favorite basic recipe!
• Warm up with this cozy Farro Kale Salad with Feta, tasty Kale Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or this delicious Winter Kale Salad!
• Clean out your fridge to make this fruit and veggie packed Superfood Salad with Citrus Dressing!
• This Mexican Kale Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette has a zesty flavor you'll love.
• Craving pasta? Then you have to try this amazing Kale Pasta Salad!
• For a fun twist on a classic, make this scrumptious Kale Caesar Salad.

Love Brussels sprouts? Make sure to check out my easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds, Roasted Veggie Kabobs, or any of my Brussels Sprouts recipes, too!

Print Recipe SaveSaved!

5 from 2 votes

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Treat yourself to this scrumptious Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad ... so simple to make and the perfect balance of sweet - savory flavors!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 side dish servings, or 4 main dish servings

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Ginnie

Ingredients

For Pecans:

• ½ cup pecan halves

For Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon, extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

For Salad:

• 1 pound (454) Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch kale, sliced (discard stems)
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 large apple, cored and chopped

Instructions

Toast Pecans:

• Place pecans in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. (Watch closely so they don't burn.)
• Transfer pecans to cutting board, then chop in half. Set aside.

Prepare Vinaigrette:

• Combine olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Prepare Salad:

• Place brussels sprouts in a large bowl, gently separating the leaves as you do so.
• Add kale to brussels sprouts, then pour vinaigrette over top. Using your hands, massage vinaigrette into kale mixture until veggies are softened and reduced in size (about 2 minutes).
• Mix grapes, apples, and pecans into salad. Toss until well mixed.
• Serve salad immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

To easily remove kale leaves from stems: grasp stem with one hand, then quickly pull your other hand down the stem, removing the leaf as you go.

Make sure to wash your hands well after massaging the salad. You don't want to risk getting the cayenne in your eyes.

Trying to replicate Cracker Barrel's Brussels Sprouts n' Kale Salad? Replace the apples and grapes with ½ cup dried cranberries (craisins).

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal

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