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Shaved Brussels Sprout Candied Bacon Salad – quick, festive, easy to make ahead, and so delicious. Shaved Brussels sprouts, kale, nutty Manchego cheese, warm candied bacon, buttered walnuts, and sweet pomegranates. All tossed with a delicious cinnamon apple dressing that’s sweet and tangy. Every bite of this salad is bursting with flavor. It’s the candied bacon and walnuts that create amazing textures. They’re tossed together with a little sugar and spice, then baked to deliciousness. Completely yummy atop this holiday salad. There never seems to be enough of them. This salad is bright, yummy, festive, and perfect for holiday entertaining!
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We’ve officially started sharing holiday recipes!! Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away and I am happier and more excited than ever. The holiday season feels so special this year. I feel inspired and excited to be busy creating new recipes and to share all my love and joy for the season!!
Woohoo! On Tuesday I shared gooey pecan pie brownies for our Thanksgiving dinner. Today I’m balancing the yummy brownies with a bright, make-ahead Brussel sprout salad.
I’ve definitely shared Brussels sprout salads in previous years, but I just have to share this version with you all.
The candied bacon and walnuts are what make this salad and set it apart from others. I’m so in love with the crunch, the spice, the saltiness, and the tang. They’re just addictive when sprinkled atop this salad and then topped with this cinnamon cider dressing.
So many wonderful flavors, hoping this will be a new holiday favorite!
The details
Step 1: start with the candied bacon
I’m always of the mind that Thanksgiving recipes should be simple, and this salad is no exception. They should be easy to prepare or able to be made entirely ahead of time.
Thankfully this is a great side dish to make ahead!
I always start with the candied bacon since this needs time in the oven. Use a thick-cut, unsweetened bacon. Chop the bacon into pieces and toss with fresh rosemary, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.
I use 1 teaspoon of cayenne, but if that’s too spicy for you, use the cayenne to your liking.
Bake this mix until the bacon is beginning to crisp and caramelize. Then pull the pan out and add the walnuts or even pumpkin seeds. I like to add the walnuts later, they tend to easily burn.
When everything on the pan is “candied”, pull it out of the oven and season with flaky sea salt. You’ll want to eat them all just as is!
Step 2: assemble the salad
For the salad base, you’ll need plenty of raw Brussels sprouts, kale, pomegranate seeds, and manchego cheese.
You can shave the Brussels sprouts yourself using a mandolin or sharp knife or buy them already shaved at the grocery store, which is of course super convenient!
For the pomegranate, you could use dried cranberries instead. But they usually come sweetened and will be sweeter than the pomegranate.
Lastly, the manchego cheese! This is my personal favorite, but cheddar, Gouda, or parmesan cheese would be great. Oh, and I do love a goat cheese with this salad too!
Step 3: the dressing
This is such a unique dressing, and one of my favorites. Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, thyme, and fresh orange zest with a tiny pinch of cinnamon.
The flavors of an old fashioned. It’s just a little sweetness with some citrus kick to it. The flavors really complement the saltiness of the bacon.
Step 4: toss everything
Now, toss the greens with the dressing and let the flavors penetrate into the salad. Finish with the candied bits of bacon and walnuts.
The color from the pomegranate and bacon will really pop off with the dark greens underneath. It’s so pretty!!
Not only is this so pretty on a dinner table, but it’s totally delicious too. Sweet, tangy, and spicy with so many cozy holiday flavors, plus an awesome CRUNCH. Excited to share this with my family this year, I really think they’ll love it!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Shaved Brussels Sprout Candied Bacon Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Shredded Brussels Sprout Candied Bacon Salad
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 4 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
- 2-3 cups chopped kale
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1 cup grated manchego cheese
- 1 cup pepitas (optional)
Cinnamon Cider Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. On the baking sheet, toss together the bacon, rosemary, brown sugar, maple, and cayenne. Arrange in an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes, until the bacon is crisping. Add the walnuts and butter, toss to coat. Bake another 8-10 minutes, watching close.3. In a large salad bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts and kale.4. To make the dressing, whisk/shake together all ingredients in a jar. Pour the dressing over the salad and massage into the greens. Add the pomegranates and cheese – toss. 5. Arrange the warm bacon and walnuts over the salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this yesterday and everyone loved it! I did roast my brussel sprouts before I added them to the salad. I liked the smokey flavor it added and I served the salad warm.
Hey Deborah,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this salad was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx
Ah! I should have done this! I have a TON left over so I was planning on roasting it and trying it warm!
Can’t tell you how much of a disappointment this salad was. The dressing was so BITTER and completely ruined the salad. I should have know better. EVOO is bitter, apple cider vinegar is strong and bitter. Through the whole thing in the trash.
Hi Heidi,
So very sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there is anything that I can help with here, just that you did not enjoy the flavors. Again, my apologies. xx
I decided to make this for thanksgiving. As I was making the dressing and adding all the ingredients I was thinking, “there is no way this is going to work”. But I trust you, so I went for it. I used pecans and parm because that’s what I had. And holy moly it was incredible!! Everyone loved it and I cannot wait to have more for lunch tomorrow. Thank you for another delicious recipe.
Hey Elizabeth,
Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
I took a chance and made this for Thanksgiving dinner. I did have a swap spinach for the kale as my fellow diners don’t like kale. But they loved my version of this salad. It’s light so it pairs well with all the heavy dishes that normally accompany Thanksgiving dinner. And it’s gorgeous too! Thanks for another winner and I hope you and your family had a lovely day.
Hi Jody,
Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Hi! Do you have to put the dressing on right before serving if making in advance?
Hi Angie,
You can put the dressing on up to 6 hours in advance:) I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
If I don’t have fresh thyme how much dried would you use?
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca,
You can use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Should the pepitas be added with the cheese at the end? Or cooked some with the walnuts to be a little sweet?
Hi Emily,
You can add the pepitas to the walnuts for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Hi! Hubby brought home a salad mix with for the base which has an addition of green cabbage, radicchio, and broccoli. Do you think the salad will work well with the addition of those ingredients?
Hey Evan,
Totally, sounds like a great combo! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
I just made this tonight with some adjustments: I used the Cruciferous Crunch mixed with Romaine and Chicory blend (both Trader Joe’s), I added persimmons and I just used olive oil, fresh orange juice, shallot, salt and pepper for the dressing – ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! This salad will be a Fall staple in my home now. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Allison,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
I brought this to our churches Thanksgiving dinner last night, it was a big hit! I love the fact that this can be made ahead of time!
Another great recipe, thank you Tieghan!
How far ahead of time can you make this?
Hi Alva,
You can let this sit in the fridge for up to 6 hours. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hey Cindy,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Was really excited about this and everything smelled AMAZING in the process! …And am excited to make it a second time :), with just barely a pinch of cayenne (if that!). Made it this first time according to recipe but the cayenne overpowered all those other amazing flavors— so instead of tasting bacon, and rosemary, and orange, and manchego, and pomegranate… I tasted cayenne. Sad!
Hey Jennie,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This salad was a slam dunk at a Friendsgiving. I substituted walnuts for pecans based on what was in my pantry. Accidentally used dried rosemary instead of fresh for the bacon (still amazing)! Left a lot of the fat from the bacon out (once you cube thick cut bacon, a lot of the pieces left was just fat). Doubled the dressing! Five stars for sure!
Hey Gabrielle,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this soup turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
Is it recommended to cook the brussel sprouts? I’m worried they will be too bitter raw. Thanks.
Hi Lorely,
I don’t cook the brussel sprouts as this is a salad, but you are more than welcome to do that:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Lorely-
We LOVE shredded Brussels sprouts fresh as a salad ingredient and they aren’t too bitter. With that said, I am going to get my cast iron skillet really hot and toss them in in a couple of batches to get that very quick seared flavor but then out quickly to keep that crunch. It will be a warm salad our room temp type salad. This is on our menu for tomorrow! Hope that helps. Happy thanksgiving!
Could you substitute arugula and romaine for the kale?
Hi Amy,
Totally, that will work well of you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi, I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving where there will be several gluten-free guests. Can you please tell me if this recipe is gluten-free if it’s made exactly as written? Thank you.
Hey Jackie,
This recipe is gluten free as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can you please share what Cookbook this is from?
I have the Half-Baked Harvest Every Day one — but it is not there.
I want to buy the cookbook with this recipe in it. Thanks!!
Hi Doreen,
This recipe is only on the blog:) The recipes that are in the cookbooks are exclusive to the books. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx