Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
This Brussels sprout coleslaw recipe is made with tangy honey-mustard dressing, toasted almonds and dried cherries (or cranberries). It's a great side dish!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
If you haven’t made this Brussels sprout slaw yet, you’ve been missing out! There’s a good chance you’ve missed this recipe, since it’s been hiding in the archives under some not-so-appetizing photos. I hope these are more enticing.
This slaw is irresistibly crisp and tangy, with a simple honey-mustard dressing. Freshly toasted almonds offer some savory crunch, and dried cherries (or cranberries) send it over the top.
This slaw stores well in the fridge for a few days, so it’s great to keep on hand for sandwiches, soups and quick meals.
It’s easy to make, too—especially if you have a food processor with a shredding attachment. Otherwise, you can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts by hand. Let’s get to it!
Recipe development notes from 2013 (the referenced restaurant has since closed):
I never ate coleslaw as a kid so it’s a novelty to me now. I always avoided the mysterious mayonnaise-laden salads at potlucks (what was hiding under there?). Looking back, I suspect that I missed out on a few wonderful slaws and a lot of terrible Jell-O salads. Oh well.
Coleslaw got my full attention on a warm night this summer. A few friends and I drove to Justus Drugstore, a family-owned, former-drugstore-turned-gourmet-restaurant in a quaint town outside of Kansas City. We sat on the patio, which has a more casual menu than the inside. Three swanky cocktails later, our food arrived.
My veggie burger came with a side of coleslaw. I took a bite and my taste buds did a little happy dance. That slaw was something else. It was crisp, fresh, tangy and sweet all at once. It teetered on the border of being too sweet or too tangy but never fell off the edge. It was perfect.
I’ve been obsessed with recreating the Justus coleslaw experience ever since. I called and asked the hostess to read the ingredients off the menu for me (house-made pear cider, vinegar pickled celery root, ginger and pickled carrot), but their slaw didn’t seem feasible for home cooks. I’ve since made bowls and bowls of vinegar-based cabbage coleslaw but none satisfied like the Justus slaw.
The other day, I noticed two of my real-life friends tweeting about a salad, so of course I had to know more about it. It was a Brussels sprout and arugula salad with honey mustard dressing at The Mixx, one of my favorite places in town. Being me, I had to try the salad immediately.
While I was happily chomping away on that giant Brussels salad, it occurred to me that shredded Brussels would make a great substitute for the finely shredded celery root in the Justus slaw. Then I thought that an emulsified mustard dressing would be nice and creamy, almost like mayonnaise. Ta da! This salad was born.
What to Serve with Brussels Sprout Slaw
This slaw is a great gluten-free salad or side dish. Brussels sprouts are generally best during the cooler months, so this recipe is perfect for fall/winter potlucks and holiday meals (such as Thanksgiving).
Here are some serving suggestions:
- Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Perfect Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Homemade Vegetarian Chili
Please let me know how your slaw turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Craving more sprouts? Here are a few more of my favorite Brussels sprout recipes:
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pecans
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
- Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing
- Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Balsamic Red Onions
Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
This delicious slaw recipe features shredded Brussels sprouts tossed with tangy honey mustard dressing, toasted almonds and dried cherries (or cranberries). Recipe yields 4 substantial side servings; double if desired.
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds, toasted (hickory smoked almonds would be great if you can find them)
- ⅓ cup tart dried cherries or cranberries, chopped
- ⅓ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Honey mustard dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Shred the sprouts: First, cut off the tough ends of the sprouts and any browning outer leaves. Then shred them in a food processor using the slicing blade, pressing the sprouts against the blade with the provided plastic pusher. If you don’t have a food processor, slice them as thinly as possible using a sharp chef’s knife, then give them a few extra chops for good measure.
- If you are using raw almonds, toast them over medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and turning golden on the edges.
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and garlic until blended. In a medium serving bowl, toss the shredded sprouts with the almonds, chopped dried fruit, Parmesan and dressing. Taste, and add another pinch or two of salt if it needs a little something more.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up for 4 days. The Brussels sprouts will continue to soften as they marinate. The edges of the sprouts might brown lightly over time. Wake up leftovers with a little sprinkle of salt and a tiny splash of vinegar.
Notes
Recipe inspired by the Justus Drugstore patio’s coleslaw and the seasonal Brussels sprout salad at The Mixx.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Skip the Parmesan, or substitute vegan Parmesan, or try mixing a little bit of white miso into the dressing to make up for it. For vegan slaw, also substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Make it nut free: Omit the almonds, and perhaps add pepitas or sunflower seeds if desired.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Love this recipe so much! My man loves to smoke meats and this is a great substitute to the old fashion creamy cole slaw. Thanks for sharing!
This was amazing! Served at Christmas dinner and everyone loved it. Will be making this one again and often. Thanks!
Well, I haven’t yet made this, but my sister did! She brought a double recipe of it last night (made with dried cherries) to my annual post-Christmas letdown party. It was so delicious that I asked her to leave me some, and today I ate it for both lunch and dinner. And now I am pinning it and planning to make it myself very soon. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Xara!
Ever since my boss showed me this recipe a few years ago (can’t believe it’s been that long already), I’ve been addicted making it when brussel sprouts are in season! Anytime there’s a potluck or a crowd to impress, this is a great recipe to use. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks, May! This one has a reputation for being a crowd-pleaser. So glad it’s come through for you!
Yummy! I added scallions, radishes and broccoli stems cause I had them. I love Slaws!!!!
Mind if I add this to my little website, linked to you of course!
Yes! You can certainly include it on your site, just be sure to follow my photo and recipe policy. I don’t allow the ingredients or directions to be copy + pasted, so a link back to this page would suffice. Thanks so much!
Would yellow mustard be good if you don’t like dijon mustard? I just don’t like the horseradish in it.
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think that should work fine!
For those vegans among us, would this still work with maple syrup isntead of honey?
Yes! I have a recipe note for you under the recipe. :)
Thank you for that :) I happened to buy sprouts yesterday, I’ll give it a go soon
Your Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts Slaw is the BEST! I tried it for a new Thanksgiving dish and became the favorite! I keep the recipe taped inside my kitchen cabinet door for quick reference. It’s DELICIOUS–and I don’t like brussels sprouts. Well, in this slaw I do! Your recipe is in demand now! Thanks, Kate!
Happy you think so, Terry! Thank you for the review :)
Made this recipe tonight Absolutely loved it. For my taste I doubled the apple cider vinegar. You know how to marry your vegetables with other ingredients which I need help with. Thank you Kate
Thank you, Linda for sharing and for your star review!
I have made this five times for guests and it is my most requested recipe, so easy w the 2mm Cuisinart slicing blade. I love your recipes!
Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Hi there Kate!
A friend of mine mentioned your recipe to me just this afternoon.
She said that it must be eaten soon after making, otherwise the Brussel sprouts turn an unappetizing brown color.
I would love to make this recipe, but I need to make and HOLD it for a day. Might blanching (quick steam blanch in microwave then plunge into ice water) help?
Maybe you have another tip?
Sounds yummy.
Thank you,
K. Fox
Yes, it can. This salad is best consumed within a few hours. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered. The edges of the sprouts might brown lightly over time. Wake up leftovers with a little sprinkle of salt and a tiny splash of vinegar.
Made the salad this week according to the recipe. I used low sugar cranberries. It was amazing. I will certainly make it again. Next time, I will reduce the olive oil to 3 T. as it seemed a little too much. Thanks for posting.
Wonderful, Phyllis! Thanks for the review.
A very delightful salad. Goes well with fajita’s. I doubled the dressing recipe. It was fabulous!!!
Thank you, Lori!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was sooooo good. Someone even said they don’t normally like brussels sprouts but they loved this. I used a mandolin to shred them, and I ended up adding extra almonds and cranberries. Definitely saving this recipe for next year!
Hooray! That’s a win. I’m glad you loved this, Michelle.
Very tasty! We added some goat cheese. Will definitely make again.
I love goat cheese in almost anything! Thanks for sharing, Suzy.
Made this recipe was very delicious, but i needed to double the volume of the dressing.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you liked it.
Made this slaw over the weekend for a holiday dinner – it was fantastic! We didn’t have cranberries or cherries, so substituted with currants no problem :) Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful, Jessica!
At our Canadian Thanksgiving this past Sunday. My daughter forgot to bring a salad for the supper table. So I quickly went to the internet and found your recipe. I followed it completely as written and WOW it was a BIG hit at the dinner table! This is a keeper and I got so many compliments. Family and guests could not believe that this was the first time I made it. I love easy to prepare, delicious food. I was able to whip up this recipe and place on the table in less than 10 minutes! Thank you so very much!
I’m glad you were able to make this one! Thanks for sharing that everyone loved it, Lise!
I actually did make this before from your earlier post and it received raves! I’d make it more but I don’t have a food processor and I get daunted by the slicing, it takes a while! So good, though. ❤️
Wonderful, Tamara!
I’m glad you emailed this again and reminded me… I’m going to make this for a work potluck and will probably use the pre-shredded Brussels sprouts to make it a bit faster to prepare!!
I love this recipe. It’s been a staple in our kitchen for several years now.
Love to hear that, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
I was thinking of making this a warm dish and sautéing the sprouts before adding the dressing. I will let you know how it turns out!
That sounds like a great idea! Let me know what you think.
I have to admit I’ve skipped over this recipe before as I wasn’t sure what vegetarian entree to serve it with. I have some of your cauliflower soup out in the freezwr and I love the idea of the two together! I’ll be trying this next week :)
I also love the idea of those two together! Thanks for the inspiration, Hayley.
Thank you Kate for the inspiration,
I skipped the honey & fruit and added cilantro.
It’s delicious!
Thanks for sharing your variation!
This has been one of my ‘signature’ dishes since I first found it many moons ago. It is constantly requested for potlucks and holidays and there are never unclaimed leftovers. It is a win!
I love to hear that, Marie! I’m happy the old post was enticing enough for you. :)
Love this salad and especially the dressing. I did find though that it does not hold well- 2nd OK but after that not so much. The dressing seems to get absorbed and it turns a bit dry.
DG
I’m sorry it didn’t hold-up well for you! If you find it dry, you may make some extra dressing and add more when you have leftovers. Thanks for your feedback and review!
Normally when Brussels sprouts are on the table, I only eat the one token sprout, just to be polite. So when I told my Brussels sprout fanatic hub I was making this, he asked if he should take my temperature! It was so good! Super easy to make, and I loved the cranberries and toasted almonds in it too. Definitely making this again.
Great to hear, Nancy!
Very delicious dish…Thanks for sharing mate
You’re welcome!
I made this brussels sprout slaw the other day and it is unbelievably delicious. One of my new favorites. Thanks for another great recipe.
You’re welcome, Heather!
This slaw is delicious!!! I got 2 bags of shredded Brussels sprouts from Whole Foods (which saved a ton of time) and doubled the dressing/cherries/almonds. Glad I did; eating it right now as leftovers and it’s still soooo good! Thank you, Kate for another terrific recipe! I’m a huge fan of your blog. :)
I’m so happy you love this recipe and are loving the other recipes! I appreciate your review, Megan.
This is SO. FREAKING. GOOD! I am honestly blown away by how good this is.
This has been my go-to Thanksgiving dish for 4 years now. Everyone raves about it and asks for the recipe. It’s absolutely delicious and easy to make.
Hi Kate,
Just made this tonight for dinner and it was FABULOUS! Can’t wait to take leftovers for lunch the next few days. And then make it again…my new favorite brussels sprouts recipe. Thank you so much!
Kate – I made this slaw just because I had extra brussels sprouts from Trader Joe’s and was tired of roasting. This was AMAZING! I was eating it out of the bowl in the kitchen, continued with my veggie burger for dinner and then brought a little for two more days with my lunch to work. Thanks so much for another great recipe! Love your blog and cookbook which I use quite often. Thanks and keep up the great work.
A great lunch for the week! I’m glad you loved this, Jill.
It’s been unusually cold here in NY. I wanted a warm cozy dish and thought I would make the slaw into a warm dish. First I roasted the shredded brussel sprouts , and toasted the almonds. I added everything to a skillet and poured on the dressing and warmed it all thru, added the parmesan at the end.. WOWZA. Everyone loved it. It was a big hit! So yummy, satisfying on a very cold chilly day. It is a keeper. I will try it cold when we thaw out..lol
I’m glad it was such a hit! Thanks for sharing, Mary.
So delicious! I did a search for a brussel sprouts salad and so happy I landed here. I needed a quick vegan side for black bean & sweet potato burgers and this complimented them perfectly. Yum! I could eat the entire thing! Adding this to my Thanksgiving side dishes.
I’m happy you loved them! Thanks for sharing your combination, Lisa.
I served this fantastic dish as the first course for Thanksgiving dinner using the dried cherries as the fruit option. Everyone loved this dish. I never would have thought to use brussels sprouts for a slaw but it was perfect. I will be making it again and again.
I’m happy it was a hit! Thanks for your review, Joshua.
What a find! Delighted us and guests alike. Wonderful flavour and a very good crunch. Thank you.
Brussels slaw DEELICIOUS! I made a couple small changes. I eliminated the parmesan (that flavor combo didn’t strike me as appealing, somehow). I added a finely minced small shallot. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you for sharing, Paula!
Thank you for this recipe! I just made it (I only used 1 tsp of Dijon instead of 1 Tbsp because I find it can be too powerful). It is very tasty and I expect it will be even better tomorrow.
You’re welcome, Elizabeth!
Kate, you’ve done it again! I am a big fan of your broccoli recipe. It’s a staple dinner in my house, and I’ve shared your recipe with many an enthused dinner/lunch/brunch guest (the salad really is great for all occassions). I wasn’t exactly stoked on the idea of a brussel sprout salad, but they’re my boyfriend’s favorite veg and I’ve really learned to love them over the past few years (stirfried to a char with salt and pepper, spring onion, smoked almonds and a dash of maple syrup will make a brussel sprouts lover out of anyone!). Anyway, your salad is currently marinating in the fridge while I wait for my boyfriend to come home from work. I’ll serve it with vegan jackfruit pulled pork tonight…if there’s anything left of the slaw,because I keep padding to the fridge to sneak a spoonful. Thank you so much for your brilliance!
I wrote a whole story so let me begin with my question so it doesn’t get lost in my sea of raves about your recipes: I love this dressing so I’d like to make multiple batches at a time. If I store it in a jar in the fridge, how long does it keep?
Kate, you’ve done it again! I am a big fan of your broccoli recipe. It’s a staple dinner in my house, and I’ve shared your recipe with many an enthused dinner/lunch/brunch guest (the salad really is great for all occassions). I wasn’t exactly stoked on the idea of a brussel sprout salad, but they’re my boyfriend’s favorite veg and I’ve really learned to love them over the past few years (stirfried to a char with salt and pepper, spring onion, smoked almonds and a dash of maple syrup will make a brussel sprouts lover out of anyone!). Anyway, your salad is currently marinating in the fridge while I wait for my boyfriend to come home from work. I’ll serve it with vegan jackfruit pulled pork tonight…if there’s anything left of the slaw,because I keep padding to the fridge to sneak a spoonful. Thank you so much for your brilliance!
Hi! It should keep well for a few days(3-4). I’m happy you love it!
This was yummy! I’ll probably revisit this recipe in the summer when I’m back in full swing of slaw season, I love that this is mustard based instead of mayonnaise.
Thank you for your comment and review, Carly!
Hi, Kate!
I reproduced your Brussels sprout slaw as a side with a nut roast, oven baked sweet potatoes and caramellized baby carrots for our veggie Christmas Day menu because I wanted to serve the classics with a twist and everybody loved it and asked me for the recipe.
This week, I got purple sprouts at the market, which are more nutty in flavour, and I decided to swap the almonds for chopped cashews and add freshly ground black pepper to bring out the nuttiness. It was so delicious that even my twelve-year old food critic asked for a second and third helping. Thank for the great recipe!
Rebecca
Simply awesome. Not a huge fan of brussel sprouts but this is fantastic.
I loved this brussel sprout salad and actually have to make it again today because we ate ALL of it yesterday. It is so easy to make.
This, like so many of Kate’s recipes, I just do what she says and it turns out to be a new household favorite. I use her recipes at least 3 times a week at our house. I would review more often if the website was not so ornery. Thanks, Kate for all the good eating!
This is SO good i could eat the whole bowl!!! This would be perfect for pot luck or to just get your familt to eat some veggies! The only tweak i would make is to double the cranberries. Give this recipe a go and youll never look at brussle sprouta the same way again!
Another great recipe Kate! Subbed in goji berries as I had them on hand. Super yum! Thank you!
Made it last night with sautéed shiitake mushrooms . Will absolutely make this again- so good .
Thank you
This was delicious! We omitted the cheese, as my husband doesn’t eat dairy. It was so easy and so good! Great summer side!
Made this today. Nice change from roasted Brussel sprouts. It’s good to have a summer recipe for these little bad boys. Tastes pretty good. The only change I would do would be to reduce the parmesan to 1/4 cup, as it was a little overpowering. Next time I might add a little bit of extra Dijon and apple cider vinegar. Yum.