This fall-inspired Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw is tossed with dried cranberries, walnuts and a sweet and creamy poppy seed dressing. A fresh and crunchy salad that’s a wonderful complement to a savory fall meal.
Costco, of all places, is where I discovered my love for raw shaved brussels sprouts. It was the famous kale and brussels sprouts salad kit they sell in their freezing cold produce section that instantly won me over.
While this Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw is a big departure from the Costco kit salad, it was definitely my inspiration for this recipe.
This colorful coleslaw is pretty enough to be part of a Thanksgiving spread, or toss it together the next day to serve with all those leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Veggies: You’ll need to thinly sliced about half of a head of green cabbage. If you want to make things real easy, grab a large bag of coleslaw mix from the produce department and forgo the step of cutting up the cabbage. You’ll also need a red onion, shredded carrot, brussels sprouts, and a red bell pepper.
- For the rest: Dried cranberries (like Craisins) and chopped walnuts. Crumbled blue cheese is optional but I highly recommend it. love the flavor of blue cheese with these ingredients. It is a natural complement to walnuts and dried cranberries so why not sprinkle a little on top?
- For the poppy seed dressing: Mayonnaise, light or regular sour cream, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt and freshly ground black pepper. This is my favorite, sweet and creamy poppy seed dressing. I also use for my Apple Coleslaw and it’s perfection.
Prep Tips
How to Quickly Shave Brussels Sprouts: Rinse and drain the brussels sprouts and then slice off the woody stem ends. Run the brussels though the feed tube of a food processor fitted with the slicing blade and, voila! Shaved brussels sprouts. You can accomplish the same thing by thinly slicing them with a sharp knife but this is the way to go if you’ve got a food processor.
How to Thinly Shred Cabbage: Cut the cabbage in half and or quarters to make it more manageable, then slice out the core. Place one wedge of cabbage cut side down on the cutting board and cut thin slices crosswise. Repeat this process with the other wedges.
How to Make Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw
- In a large bowl, combine the shaved brussels with the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper,and onion.
- Whisk the poppy seed dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour the dressing over the salad.
- Toss the salad with tongs to distribute the dressing, then add the dried cranberries and walnuts.
- Lightly toss again, then transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with crumbled blue cheese, if desired.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Coleslaw is notorious for letting off liquid as it chills so I recommend making this salad just before serving so it will be at its crisp and crunchy best. That being said, leftovers will still be delicious, just not quite as picture perfect.
- Refrigerating Leftovers: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can get all of the slicing and dicing of the veggies done a day in advance. Just toss them together and store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad. I recommend storing the dressing, cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese in separate containers and toss everything together just before serving for the freshest result.
More Coleslaw Recipes You’ll Love
- Quick Coleslaw
- California Coleslaw
- Apple Coleslaw with Blue Cheese and Bacon
- 5 Minute Broccoli Kale Slaw
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Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw
Ingredients
For the Coleslaw
- ½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced (approximately 5 cups) *see notes below
- ½ pound brussels sprouts
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese, optional
For the Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream, light or regular
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Placed shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
- Rinse and drain brussels sprouts and slice off and discard woody ends. Run the brussels though the feed tube of a food processor fitted with the slicing blade. Alternately, thinly slice the brussels with a sharp knife
- Add the shaved brussels sprouts, shredded carrot, diced red bell pepper, and diced onion to the bowl with the cabbage. Toss well to combine and set aside.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the dressing with the salad until distributed throughout. Add the dried cranberries and walnuts and mix lightly. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter, sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Easy Salad Recipes
This post was originally published on November 19, 2014. It has been updated with new text and images.
Valerie,
I love this variation and using brussels! I think I may try it out this week. I love cranberries and blue cheese. Great holiday dish idea too. Hope your family has a good Thanksgiving Valerie! xo Kim
Thanks, Kim! Have a wonderful holiday 🙂
Valerie, this coleslaw looks so delicious and festive! I have never thought of a seasonal cranberry coleslaw, but it sounds amazing! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Oh Valerie, this sounds awesome! I LOVE brussels sprouts, cranberries, and blue cheese- I’ll definitely have to try this!
Thank you so much, Nora! I hope you have a wonderful holiday 🙂