Skillet Tossed Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Maple Dressing

I love Brussels sprouts. LOVE them. 

Maybe you can tell since this is my second recipe in just a couple weeks. But sometimes there is a problem. 

I love them so much that I forget that other people don’t. I have some news if you fall into that category. 

You may actually like this salad.

Why do I think that?

We had some friends over for dinner a couple weeks ago. We kept it super simple. Grilled meat, roasted potatoes, and a salad. I settled on an easy Brussels sprouts salad. 

Then I had one of those – OH NO! – moments when our visitor mentioned the one vegetable she doesn’t really like are Brussels sprouts. 

Two hours later – there was raving about this salad all around the table. Yep, even from the self-proclaimed disliker. 

So I’m not sure if it is shredding, the dressing, the smoked almonds…I really don’t know. But it got such a warm embrace that I made it again for our Thanksgiving with friends over the weekend. 

I considered leaving the sprouts fresh. You know me, I eat them prepared any and every way. But at the last minute I decided to toss them in the skillet, just for about a minute to slightly wilt the leaves.

This changes the flavor ever so slightly. They are milder as well as being more tender. 

It’s still served chilled or at room temp and it holds up well because the shreds are only slightly cooked. There is still quite a bit of crunch. 

You can substitute any of your favorite nuts, but I’m going to give my full support to smoked almonds. I love them and have used them on the blog a lot in My Favorite Winter Salad and in Smoked Almond Matcha Tea Cookies. They work so well with the sprouts and dressing of this recipe so grab some if you can. 

What you’ll need:

Dressing
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 2 oranges
1 garlic clove, grated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
Pinch ground black pepper

Salad
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped smoked almonds
Fine sea salt to taste
Whole smoked almonds for garnish

How to make it:

To make the dressing, whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. A wok works really well. Add the Brussels sprouts and use tongs to toss them and coat them in oil. Cook for 1 minute. Until they brighten slightly and begin to wilt. Transfer to a large bowl. 

Add the cranberries and almonds. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Top with a few whole almonds for garnish before serving. 

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