Brussels Sprout Slaw is a cool and refreshing, no-mayo dressing alternative to common coleslaw. Sweet Daddy D’s Brussels Sprout Slaw uses a light oil and lemon dressing, sweetened with honey and mixed into tender, shredded Brussels Sprouts, red onions and fresh apples. A sweet and savory alternative that will get everyone’s attention. Â
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[Publishers Note: This is an update of the article I wrote originally in January 2018. Always seeking to provide better information for my readers, I've updated and added some information and reformatted photographs for better web viewing. Let me know what you think.]
Brussels Sprouts?
Using Brussels Sprouts in place of cabbage sets this recipe apart immediately. The no-mayo dressing is a game-changer. Unfortunately, for many people, Brussels Sprouts are simply on the "I don’t like it" list, mostly without ever giving them a chance. But, while cilantro may be the culinary serial killer, Brussels Sprouts are more like the ugly cousin from Veggieville. I'm certain many naysayers would be surprised how approachable Brussels Sprouts are. If you need an excuse to try some Brussels Sprouts, just check out their nutritional value-you'll find they're high in nutrients, fiber and Vitamins K and C, as well as rich in antioxidants. Besides a nutritional punch, their culinary flexibility may be just the thing you need to impress that snooty foodie who thinks you can't cook anything at all. Who needs that angst? So put your crazed predisposition aside and open your mind to what will likely become your gateway to a wild world of "how many ways can I use brussels sprouts"??
Here is What You Need
For the Slaw
- Fresh Brussels Sprouts
- Red Onion
- Golden Delicious Apple (or your favorite variety)
- Optional Ingredients-Crumbled Blue Cheese and Cilantro
Slaw Ingredients!
For the Dressing
- Lemon Juice
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Lemon Zest
- Celery seed
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Equipment
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Here Is What You Do
First...you have a beer.  Chances are you’re preparing some other food, so you probably shouldn’t get a separate beer just for the side dish, but that’s your call. While you are sipping your beer, read the recipe all the way through so you know what you need and what you’re going to do with each ingredient. There is no cooking involved, so preparing the ingredients is as challenging as it gets. We’ll start with the dressing, then prepare the slaw.Â
Mix the dressing
Zest half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon) into a small prep bowl. A Microplane is perfect for zesting and many other tasks. Squeeze that lemon juice into another small prep bowl. Mix the olive oil and honey in a small bowl, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, celery seed along with kosher salt and ground pepper. Whisk or stir together thoroughly. Place some plastic wrap over the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until needed, but at least 30 minutes. You can easily double the dressing recipe if you like a lot of dressing on your slaw. Just pour on what you like and the rest will keep in the fridge for days (see Hints and Tips below).Â
Prepare the Slaw ingredients
Set your mandoline up for slicing at the thinnest setting. Clean off the loose outer leaves and any other discolored leaves of the Brussels sprouts. No need to cut off the hard, core end because you'll be slicing from the top to the bottom, be sure to stop before you get to the tough stem end. This should be but 4 cups of shredded Brussels sprouts. Peel and core the apple, then slice on the mandoline. Repeat the same process with the red onion. This should yield about 1 cup of each of the apple and red onion. Chop them into smaller pieces after you’ve run them through the mandoline-you want all the pieces of Brussels, apples and onions about the same size, if possible. Alternatively, you can use a butcher knife or the shredder blade of a food processor to chop all the ingredients very fine.
Toss the Slaw
Combine the chopped Brussels, apple and onion together in a large glass bowl and toss together very well. Take the dressing out of the fridge and stir it up. Pour a little on the Slaw and toss all together, adding as much as you need to coat to your liking. For an extra special kick, toss in some chunks of blue cheese and chopped cilantro just before serving. You've made an out of the ordinary Slaw.Â
That’s it, all there is to it.
Hints and Tips
The recipe is perfect for using a mandoline to prep the Brussels sprouts, apple and onion, but please be extra careful and observe all the safety precautions. I use one often, but those things do scare me. If you don’t have a mandoline, no problem-use a sharp chef’s knife to slice everything as thin as possible, then finish with a rough chop or use the food processor with a shredder blade.Â
Here's a tip-dress just as much slaw as you think you will eat in one sitting, then refrigerate the remaining dry slaw in a zip lock bag and the dressing separately in an airtight jar. When you're ready for more, toss them together and it'll be like freshly made! The dry slaw will be fine for up to 3 days and the dressing will last in the fridge for about a week. The fresh lemon juice and honey will have a shorter storage life, so make sure to keep the dressing in an airtight container to maximize its quality. You may be successful in freezing the leftover dressing, although I have never tried it. Honey will not completely freeze at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, so that may affect how the dressing does.
Leftovers? If you have some leftover slaw, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days-the dressing will keep the Brussels and apples fresh longer. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap. When you are ready to enjoy some more Brussels Sprout Slaw, just give it a good toss and you're ready to enjoy it.
If you're looking for a new way to enjoy the leftovers, try adding some Brussels Sprout Slaw to tacos, or as a relish for hot dogs, hamburgers or even ham and pork sandwiches. It would also be fantastic on that pulled-pork sandwich, which makes it a great side dish to bring to the BBQ!
This dressing is excellent in a traditional cabbage and carrot coleslaw or any salad greens of your choice. Here's the recipe for this Dressing by itself:
Looking for some other salad choices? Here's some great ones from Sweet Daddy D:
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Yeah You Right!
Recipe
Brussels Sprout Slaw
Here's What You Need
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- Zest of ½ Lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
For the Slaw
- 1 pounds fresh brussels sprouts
- 1 golden delicious apple
- ½ medium red onion
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles optional
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped-optional
Here's What You Do
Make the Dressing
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to meld all the flavors.
Make the Slaw
- Clean off the outer loose leaves of the brussels sprouts. Peel and core the apple and take the skin off of the red onion
- Using a mandoline set on its thinnest setting, slice the brussels sprouts into a bowl. Sort through the sliced brussels sprouts and remove any hard pieces of the core that got through. This should make about 4 cups of Brussels sprouts. (See Notes)
- Repeat the slicing process with the onion and apple. Chop the sliced apple and onion so that they are relatively the same size as the Brussels sprouts. This should make about 1 cup of apple and 1 cup of onion.
- Combine the brussels sprouts, onion and apple together in a bowl.
- Mix in the dressing a little at a time and toss well until its coated to your liking.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- If using the blue cheese and/or cilantro, sprinkle on before serving and toss well to incorporate.
Katiebug
Great! Brussel sprouts mmm!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Katiebug. Glad you enjoyed them!