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Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and crisp apples pair with hearty kale and sweet dried cherries for a satisfying, crowd-pleasing salad! This is a delightful combination of textures, with a tangy, oil-free Maple Cider dressing. The perfect recipe for Fall and Winter.

Serve with Butternut Squash Bisque, Mushroom Lentil Loaves, or Farro Vegetable Soup for a satisfying Fall-inspired dinner.

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How to Make an Oil-Free Dressing

While olive oil is the first go-to ingredient many people reach for when making a salad dressing, there are many other healthier, oil-free options.

• Nut Butter — start with a smooth nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter and thin it out with water, rice vinegar, or tamari. This is a great option for Asian salads like Cold Peanut Noodle Salad, Plant-Based Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad,
• Pureed Cashews or Walnuts — cashews are the king of nuts when it comes to creamy dressings. Soaking them overnight helps soften them, and their nutral flavor offers lots of opportunity for different variations. Try this method in Delicata Squash Salad with Creamy Apple Cider Dressing, Lacinato Kale Waldorf Salad, PF Chang-ed Raw Walnut Asian Lettuce Wraps, Rainbow Carrot Walnut Arugula Salad,

Tricks to Using Kale in Salad

Kale is one of those super greens linked to a myriad of nutritious benefits. It’s high in fiber and antioxidants, low in calories, and has shown to help reduce cancer, inflammation, and heart disease. However, eating raw kale can sometimes make you feel like a rabbit. Its tough, fibrous leaves can require a lot of chewing if not properly handled.

Here are some of my cooking tips on how to use raw kale in salad:

• Thinly Shred – Thinly shred or chop raw kale into small pieces. This will help break down the fibers (so that your teeth don’t have to do all the work). You can tear it with your hands. However, you’ll want to ensure you tear it into very small pieces.
• Massage Kale – Once you combine the kale with your salad dressing, use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale. The dressing will often include an acid (like lemon juice or cider vinegar) that helps to break down the fibers in kale
• Let it Sit – Let the kale sit with the dressing for 10 minutes (or up to a day) to let the leaves soften. Again, the acid in the dressing will help break down the fibers in the kale
• Use Baby Kale – If all else fails, swap out that big, leafy kale for baby kale or other baby greens. Just like with humans, “baby” vegetables tend to be sweeter and more tender. I use this trick often when preparing salads for kids or kale-skeptical adults.
• Apply to Brussels – These same tricks apply to using raw Brussels Sprouts in a salad. You want them thinly shredded, massaged into the dressing, and allow to sit for a bit.

One advantage to using kale in salads is that it holds up well. You can make a salad on Monday, and the leaves will still have texture on Wednesday. Those strong fibers make it an ideal addition to hearty winter salads.

If you like this recipe, you should check out some of my other kale salads: Lacinato Kale Waldorf Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Raisins and 4-Ingredient Kale Avocado Salad.

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Watch this Video to Learn More about Different Varieties of Kale:

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Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:

Apple Varieties: Choose any sweet, crisp apples for this salad. Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Envy, Ambrosia, Fuji, and Gala are some of my favorites.

Prevent Browning Apples: If making this ahead of time for a party, you’ll want to give your apples a lemon bath. To do this, combine 2 teaspoons of lemon with 2 cup of water. Place the diced apple in the lemon water for 5 minutes. Drain and use in salad.

Shredded Brussels Options: For shredding Brussels, you have a couple of options: 1) Shred whole Brussels using the slicing blade of your food processor, or 2) Buy pre-shredded Brussels (found in the produce section near pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower florets)

Kale Varieties: Kale comes in lots of varieties, including green curly, dark Tuscan, and purple. Even the dark Tuscan kale has similar varieties like Dino and Nero. The original Italian version of this recipe calls for dark Tuscan kale, but you can use whatever variety you like.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: Raw apple cider vinegar adds a zingy pop of flavor to salad dressings and slaws.  Research has shown that it might have some real health benefits, such as helping reduce blood sugar levels and aiding weight loss. However, too much can cause enamel erosion and tooth decay.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Kale Apple Salad with Oil-Free Cider Dressing

You’ll Love this Recipe for Shaved Brussels Sprouts Kale Apple Salad with Oil-Free Cider Dressing! It’s:

• Perfect for Fall and Winter
• Fancy Enough for a Dinner Party
• Great for Holiday Get Togethers (like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah)
• Full of Intersesting Textures
• Oil-Free, Plant-Based
• Gluten-Free Vegan
• Ready in under 20 Minutes

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Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 100
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1 g	1 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	1 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 223 mg	9 %
Potassium 307 mg	9 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	16 %
Sugars 14 g
Protein 2 g	4 %
Vitamin A	124 %
Vitamin C	74 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	6 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

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