Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon

There’s a warm brussels sprouts saute kit at Trader Joe’s that I fell in love with a couple of years back. Have you tried it? It’s honestly the PERFECT side dish for just about any meal, so I wanted to do my best to recreate something similar for you!

This particular warm brussels sprouts salad with made with slightly shredded or shaved brussels sprouts, parmesan cheese, a lovely lemony dressing, bacon, dried cranberries (or dried cherries), and toasted hazelnuts. It only takes about 30 minutes to make, and is perfect if you want to prep all ingredients ahead of time and then throw it together at night or right before you serve dinner for Thanksgiving! I hope you love it.

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Warm brussels sprouts salad ingredients

This easy, warm brussels sprouts salad with bacon is made with simple ingredients and packed with delicious flavors. The parmesan cheese gets slightly melted and amazing when you add it to the brussels and you’ll love the savory, nutty and tangy elements in every bite. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• For the dressing: you’ll need olive oil, lemon juice, pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt & pepper.
• Bacon: chopped crispy bacon adds a delicious savory flavor to the brussels sprouts salad.
• Hazelnuts: I love the toasty, nutty flavor that hazelnuts add to this salad. You can also use pecans or marcona almonds.
• Brussels sprouts: the star of this festive salad!
• Parmesan cheese: add a little extra salty, savory kick with shaved parmesan. Manchego would also be delicious in here.
• Optional: I love adding dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or dried blueberries for a little sweetness to balance out the savory flavors. Apple slices would also be fabulous!

How to make warm brussels sprouts salad with bacon

1. Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, then set the dressing aside.
2. Toast the hazelnuts. Place a large skillet over medium low heat. Add in hazelnuts and toast for 2-3 minutes until nice and golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon. Add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until crispy and golden brown. Once the bacon is done, blot it with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then it chop into bite sized pieces.
4. Cook the brussels sprouts. Add olive oil to the same large skillet and turn up the heat to medium high. Stir in brussels sprouts and saute for a few minutes until they start to become slightly golden brown and crispy.
5. Assemble the salad. Turn heat to low and add in the dressing, parmesan cheese and bacon; saute for a few more minutes so the cheese melts then serve immediately. Garnish with extra bacon, hazelnuts and shaved parmesan and serve!

Tips for making this warm brussels salad

• Taste & adjust your dressing. I suggest starting with just 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to balance the tanginess of the dressing but feel free to add a bit more if you like.
• Use your food processor for ease. Shred your brussels sprouts easily right in your food processor! Just pulse them a bit to get small & medium pieces.
• Don’t overcook your brussels sprouts. Once you add them to the pan cook them until they turn slightly golden brown. This will ensure that they don’t get too mushy.
• Toast your nuts carefully. Whether you’re using hazelnuts, pecans, or marcona almonds, toast them just until they start to become fragrant so that you don’t burn them. It’s best to do this over medium low heat.

Customize this warm brussels salad

• Make it a full meal by adding extra protein from chickpeas or chicken breast.
• Make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon, or make it vegan by omitting the bacon and parmesan cheese.
• Serve it cold by simply skipping step 4 and adding the dressing, parmesan cheese, cooked bacon and hazelnuts straight to your raw brussels sprouts! It would still be delicious.

How to store warm brussels sprouts salad

Store this warm brussels salad in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to enjoy the salad cold or reheat it in a skillet or in the microwave for a bit.

Make it ahead of time

While you can completely make and store this warm brussels sprouts salad ahead of time using the storing instructions above, I recommend simply making the dressing and chopping up your brussels sprouts & nuts to cook the day of. You could also precook and dice up your bacon if you’d like, and warm it up with the brussels sprouts the next day!

What to pair with this warm brussels sprouts salad

Check out all of my Thanksgiving recipes here, plus a few suggestions on what to pair with this warm brussels sprouts salad:

And remember, learn exactly how to host Thanksgiving here!

I hope you love this delicious warm brussels sprouts salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

This post was originally published on November 12th 2020, and republished on November 3rd, 2022.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats