Something magical happens to Brussels sprouts when you shred and roast them. The flavor mellows and develops a subtle nuttiness. Plus, shredding the sprouts means they cook up super fast, making this roasted Brussels sprout quinoa salad the perfect light weeknight meal. Or prep it on the weekend and enjoy it for lunch all week long.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Warm grain salads are the way to go in winter. When the temperature turns cold, our bodies start to crave warm, cooked, nourishing foods. And warm salads are the perfect option.
- Shredding and quickly roasting the Brussels sprouts at high heat brings out a deep, nutty flavor and makes the Brussels sprouts easier to digest.
- It’s perfect for meal prep. The ingredients hold up nicely in the fridge for 3-4 days and it’s delicious cold, at room temperature, or warm.
Making The Roasted Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad
This warm Brussels sprout quinoa salad is loaded with classic cold-weather flavors, including Brussels sprouts, apple, and cranberries. It’s a great way to enjoy nourishing seasonal produce.
The Ingredients
This delicious grain salad is made with…
- Apple
- Lemon
- Red quinoa
- Brussels sprouts
- Almonds
- Dried cranberries
- Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
I tend to want to add more to a lot of my salads and grain bowls. But sometimes less is more. There’s no long list of ingredients. No unique or involved or creative techniques. But that’s just because simple, seasonal ingredients, simply prepared, always creates the most delicious meals.
The Method
First, core and chop the apple into bite-sized pieces. Place the apple in a medium bowl with cold water and the juice from half a lemon. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. This keeps the apple from oxidizing and turning brown.
Rinse the quinoa and drain well. Place the quinoa in a medium pot with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. Check the quinoa for tenderness. If it’s not quite tender and the water has evaporated, add a couple teaspoons and let it cook, covered, for a few more minutes. If it is tender and there’s still water, you can either drain it or turn up the heat a bit and let the water cook off. Keep an eye on it, though, so you don’t accidentally burn the quinoa.
Remove any loose or damaged leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Then thinly slice each sprout, discarding the tough stem end. Place the shredded sprouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in a 425° oven. Roast for 15 minutes, until softened and the edges are beginning to turn golden.
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir often and keep an eye on them, as they can go from nothing to burned surprisingly fast. You want the almonds to be a nice golden brown, which should take 5-10 minutes. Err on the side of under-toasted.
When ready to assemble, drain the apples from the lemon water. Then combine the apples, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl. Add about ½ cup of Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and toss to combine.
Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Substitution & Tips
- Any apple works great in this recipe. I love a sweet Gala apple, so that’s what I used. But just use whatever apple you enjoy eating. You could also swap the apple out for pear, if preferred.
- I like to use red quinoa when making grain salads. It seems to hold its texture better than yellow quinoa. Plus, I like the added color. But you can absolutely use yellow quinoa or even tri-color quinoa in its place. Brown rice or farro would also be delicious substitutions.
- I love the almonds in this recipe but any nut or seed will work. Pine nuts would be particularly tasty. Whatever you use, toasting will enhance the flavor, so don’t skip this step.
- If you don’t have or don’t like dried cranberries, dried cherries are a great substitute. Other dried fruits would also work but the tartness of dried cranberries or cherries adds a nice layer of flavor to this dish.
- The strong flavor of Honey Dijon Vinaigrette pairs well the Brussels sprouts. But just about any vinaigrette would work. A balsamic vinaigrette would be particularly good, too.
- If you want to save some time and don’t feel like shredding the Brussels sprouts (and who could blame you), a 10- to 12-ounce bag of shaved Brussels sprouts can be swapped in perfectly.
Other Posts You May Like…
Roasted Fall Vegetable Grain Bowl
Easy Honey Dijon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Lemon Roasted Broccoli With Parmesan And Pine Nuts
The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Roasted Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large apple
- Juice from half a lemon
- ½ cup red quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup Honey Dijon Vinaigrette*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Core and chop the apple into bite-sized pieces. Place the apple in a medium bowl and cover with cold water and lemon juice. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. This keeps the apple from oxidizing and turning brown.
- Thoroughly rinse the quinoa and drain well. Place the quinoa in a medium pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. Check the quinoa for tenderness. If it’s not quite tender and the water has evaporated, add a couple teaspoons and let it cook, covered, for a few more minutes. If it is tender and there’s still water, you can either drain it or turn up the heat a bit and let the water cook off. Keep an eye on it, though, so you don’t accidentally burn the quinoa.
- Remove any loose or damaged leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Then thinly slice each sprout, discarding the tough stem end. Place the shredded sprouts on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes, until softened and the edges are beginning to turn golden.
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir often and keep an eye on them, as they can go from nothing to burned surprisingly fast. You want the almonds to be a nice golden brown, which should take 5-10 minutes. Err on the side of under-toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Drain the apples from the lemon water and place them in a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, roasted Brussels sprouts, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries to the bowl. Add about ½ cup of Honey Dijon Vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and adjust dressing and seasoning, as needed.
- Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
