Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
A crispy shaved brussels sprout salad, thinly sliced and tossed in a sweet cilantro lime dressing. An easy sheet pan meal for the work week.
Salad consumption doesn’t stop for me in the winter. If anything, my bowls turn into hearty, warming comfort bowls instead. And that’s because salad is not just defined by raw vegetables. You can roast them too, and honestly, it makes them taste that much better. To keep the fall theme alive, we are roasting some winter squash with some shaved brussels sprouts. But to give it more character, slicing both really thin to make the base of our salad. Serve it with crispy chickpeas and a delicious sauce, and you will be craving it all the time like me.
Why You’ll Love This Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Salad you can eat with a spoon. Cutting the ingredients into bite sized pieces will make it easier to eat, but also gives you more surface area to help flavor your meal too.
- Easy to make sheet pan dinner. All the main components of the salad are cooked in the oven. Just whisk together the accompanying dressing and drizzle over your salad when serving.
- Nutrient dense salad. Squash, brussels sprouts, and chickpeas provide an array of nutrients including anti-oxidants that can help reduce risk for chronic disease.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Squash: I used delicata squash as it is easier to cut and handle. You can use any other squash you love here too like butternut squash, honey nut squash or acorn squash.
- Brussels Sprouts: The closest alternative to brussels sprouts is cabbage. If not a fan of this vegetable, try this recipe with some massaged kale instead.
- Onion: I used red onion, but you can use yellow onion or shallots as an alternative.
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas for more convenience. You can also used cooked lentils or white beans as an alternative to roast.
- Seasonings: I used a combination of garlic, thyme, coriander, Chinese Five Spice (Five Spice Powder), and fennel seeds. Feel free to adjust based on your own taste preference. If you are unfamiliar with Chinese Five Spice, it tends to be a blend of cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, star anise, and white pepper, which helps to emphasize some of the sweet notes in the squash and brussels sprouts.
- Tahini: For those with a sesame seed allergy, swap with a thick plant based yogurt like Forager Project.
- Lime: Use fresh to get more lime flavor out of the zest. If not a fan of lime, try lemon instead.
- Cilantro: Not a fan of cilantro? Swap it out for some minced chives instead.
- Maple Syrup: Feel free to swap with an alternative like agave if you prefer.
- Cornstarch: This will help with the crust of the squash and to help it from getting too soft when roasting. Feel free to omit if desired.
How Do You Shave Brussels Sprouts?
Shaved brussels sprouts refers to thinly sliced brussels sprouts. It just sounds nicer. There are a few ways you can achieve this thin look. If you are confident with your knife skills, you can do it manually by slicing your sprouts thinly with a sharp knife. You can also use a shredding tool like a mandoline to get it shaved thin. You can now also find pre-shredded brussels sprouts sold in stores as well. So choose the method that best works for you!
I find it is worth thinly cutting them as it makes them roast quickly and also gives you nice crispy edges too.
How to Make a Roasted Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Preheat the oven to 425F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Transfer the chickpeas to one baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil. Toss to coat and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the chickpeas from the oven and top with a 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, thyme and salt. Use a spoon to stir everything together then place back in the oven for 15 minutes until crispy.
Cut the ends off of the squash, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, then thinly slice. Transfer to a separate baking sheet then coat with cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, coriander, Five spice, and thyme. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon or more oil as needed, then toss together to evenly coat. Spread the squash out on the tray in a single layer then place in the oven on the bottom rack for 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms begin to get golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt when out of the oven.
To the last tray add the brussels sprouts and onions. Top with 1 tablespoon of oil, the maple syrup, 1 tsp fresh thyme and 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, coriander, Five Spice, fennel seeds and a pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat then spread out evenly on the baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer the roasted squash to the tray of brussels sprouts and toss to combine.
While everything is roasting, make the dressing. To a small mixing bowl add the tahini, maple syrup, garlic, mustard, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and a generous pinch of salt then whisk to combine. The sauce will thicken at which point you can whisk in 3 tablespoons of water to thin it out. If you want the sauce thinner, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
To serve, add a cooked grain of choice to a bowl then top with a portion of the brussels sprout squash mix, crispy chickpeas then drizzle with the dressing.
Expert Tips
- Save time and don’t peel the squash. Delicata squash and acorn squash both have thin peels that are completely edible and provide additional fiber to this meal.
- Roasting times for squash may vary depending on how thin they are sliced. If you prefer thicker pieces, do note that they will require more time in the oven to roast and become golden, which may take 30-35 minutes (do make sure to flip half way).
- Get really crispy chickpeas with this step. Do an initial roast with just oil. Allow the chickpeas to cool for a few minutes before adding seasonings and salt, then return to the oven to roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dressing can be made in advance. After mixing together, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The squash and chickpeas will get softer when stored, but if you don’t mind this, store the roasted squash and brussels sprouts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow the chickpeas to cool completely then store in a glass container with a loose fitting lid at room temperature.
You can enjoy this salad cold or reheat in a few ways. If you don’t mind softer textures, place in the microwave to reheat for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through. If you want to revitalize the textures, try placing the roasted parts of the salad in a toaster oven or regular oven and reheating for 5 minutes at 350F.
As long as it is a winter squash, they should work in this recipe. I do recommend smaller squashes like acorn squash and honey nut squash as they are easier to cut.
How to Serve
The main components of this salad do form a complete meal on their own, but you can also serve this salad with more grains or proteins based on your own preference. Here are some ideas of how to serve your salad to achieve different nutrition goals:
- Add grains to bulk up the salad: I like to serve this salad over freshly cooked rice, but this also goes great with higher fiber options like quinoa or farro..
- For more protein: Mix the chickpeas with some chopped pistachios or pumpkin seeds. You can also serve this with some baked tofu on the side too.
- Use more veggies: Feel free to accompany the salad with extra raw greens if desired. For thicker leaves like kale, make sure to cut into bite size pieces and massage with a little oil, salt and lemon to make it easier to eat.
More Wholesome Salads
- Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Herby Rice Salad with Crispy Za’atar Chickpeas
- Kale Orzo Salad with Maple Lime Vinaigrette
- Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Sauce
- Winter Farro & Kale Salad
Roasted Squash Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A crispy shaved brussels sprout salad, thinly sliced and tossed in a sweet cilantro lime dressing. An easy sheet pan meal for the work week.
Ingredients
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb delicata squash or acorn squash
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp avocado oil or neutral high heat oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Kosher salt to taste
- Cooked rice or quinoa for serving
Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or more
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 3–4 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Transfer the chickpeas to one baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil. Toss to coat and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven and top with a 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, thyme and salt. Use a spoon to stir everything together then place back in the oven for 15 minutes until crispy.
- Cut the ends off of the squash, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, then thinly slice. Transfer to a separate baking sheet then coat with cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, coriander, Five spice, and thyme. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon or more oil as needed, then toss together to evenly coat. Spread the squash out on the tray in a single layer then place in the oven on the bottom rack for 15 minutes or until the bottoms begin to get golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt when out of the oven.
- To the last tray add the brussels sprouts and onions. Top with 1 tablespoon of oil, the maple syrup, 1 tsp fresh thyme and 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, coriander, Five Spice, fennel seeds and a pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat then spread out evenly on the baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer the roasted squash to the tray of brussels sprouts and toss to combine.
- While everything is roasting, make the dressing. To a small mixing bowl add the tahini, maple syrup, garlic, mustard, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and a generous pinch of salt then whisk to combine. The sauce will thicken at which point you can whisk in 3 tablespoons of water to thin it out. If you want the sauce thinner, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
- To serve, add a cooked grain of choice to a bowl then top with a portion of the brussels sprout squash mix, crispy chickpeas then drizzle with the dressing before tossing together to coat and enjoy!
Notes
Save time and don’t peel the squash. Delicata squash and acorn squash both have thin peels that are completely edible and provide additional fiber to this meal.
Roasting times for squash may vary depending on how thin they are sliced. If you prefer thicker pieces, do note that they will require more time in the oven to roast and become golden, which may take 30-35 minutes (do make sure to flip half way).
Get really crispy chickpeas with this step. Do an initial roast with just oil. Allow the chickpeas to cool for a few minutes before adding seasonings and salt, then return to the oven to roast for an additional 15 minutes.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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I made this with sliced celeriac instead of brussel sprouts (because it’s just what I had) and it turned out excellent! Such an interesting, subtle flavour. I’m consistently impressed with your recipes! I think instead of brussel sprouts you could use roasted cauliflower, parsnips, or broccoli and it would be good too!
Love that you use the celeriac! And yes! This is definitely very versatile and so glad you mentioned all the options that can work here. 🙂 Thank you so much Danielle!
I pre-sliced acorn squash earlier in the week and bought shaved Brussels so this came together relatively quickly. I did use garam masala in place of the Chinese five spice because it’s all I had. I loved how all the flavors came together, and omg that dressing!! Yum. Served it over quinoa and even my semi-picky husband raved about it. Would definitely make it again and can’t wait to experiment with subbing in other vegetables. Thank you, Catherine!
Awww thank you so much Hayly! Really love the use of garam masala I’m sure that made it taste amazing. So glad you both enjoyed this, always a joy to hear. 🙂