Brussels sprouts have made their appearance again at my grocery store. I think I gasped and did a little fist-pump into the air when I spotted them a few weeks ago. The poor produce stockers at Whole Foods must think I’ve lost it.

When it comes to nutrition, Brussels sprouts—along with other members of the cruciferous vegetable family like kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Bok Choy—pack a ton of anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer power into a low-calorie package. If you have a limited amount of money to spend on fresh produce, choose cruciferous veggies whenever you can. They offer the biggest nutrient bang for your buck.

I bought two bags of Brussels sprouts last week and turned half of them into this salad. If you think a salad of raw Brussels sprouts sounds awful, I urge you to keep an open mind! Think of Brussels sprouts as nothing more than tiny cabbages. You can use them interchangeably with green cabbage in most recipes.

I didn’t slice my sprouts quite thin enough for this salad, so the resulting dish was a little chewy. But if you really shave them thinly (think food processor slicing disk or mandolin here to help you out), you’ll be just fine. Allowing the salad to stand at room temperature before serving helps to soften the fibrous crucifers, in turn making them easier to digest. Of course, if you’d rather use green or Napa cabbage here, you certainly could.

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Brussels Sprout & Cranberry Salad

Serves 4

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups), or 4 cups thinly sliced green  cabbage

½ cup thinly sliced onion

¼ cup dried cranberries, preferably fruit juice sweetened

¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dark maple syrup

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon (lightly packed) grated orange zest

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

 

In a large bowl, combine the sprouts (or cabbage), onion, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, and orange zest. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Allow the salad to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Stop by Slightly Indulgent Tuesday for more healthy recipe inspiration.