This easy raw brussels sprouts salad is made with shaved brussels sprouts and carrots, fruit and an easy tahini dressing. This salad packs and stores well and is perfect for meal prep!
Packing food for a road trip, a camping getaway, or even just a work or school lunch, can be a challenge.
Does it pack well? Does it travel well? And more than that, can we make it nutritious? And maybe even pretty?
The good news is, this raw brussels sprouts salad, featuring carrots, fruit, and a tahini dressing, is a "yes" to all of those questions!
I love using this salad for a packed lunch for camping or road trips. (I made a big batch of it and took it with us on our recent getaway to the Outer Banks.)
Looking for other appealing brussels sprouts recipes? Try brussels sprouts gratin, chili garlic tofu with brussels sprouts, or sweet and sour salmon with brussels sprouts!
What Kind of Carrots Should I Use?
If you can find them, rainbow carrots make this salad extra gorgeous. (But the rainbow colors don't add a lot to the flavor, so orange carrots will also work just fine here!)
The pictures show rainbow carrots.
Rainbow carrots are also wonderful roasted with tahini sauce!
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! That's the beauty of this recipe.
Prep this salad ahead of time by mixing it together without the dressing and fruit. Store it in the fridge and use within 3-4 days.
This raw brussels sprouts salad also adapts well to camping and is a perfect way to add veggies to your camping trip. Just store the prepped salad in a cooler without the dressing and fresh fruit.
Another excellent make-ahead option for road trips is pesto pasta salad.
Can I Turn This Brussels Sprouts Salad into a Main Dish?
I often eat this as a main dish for lunch or a light dinner, but it's also delicious as a salad base.
If I'm traveling, I like to bring along some tuna packets to turn this into a seafood salad. It's also great with (already cooked) salmon, chicken or turkey.
How to Make Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad
You can take your time and make this a super pretty salad, or you can take some shortcuts for a quicker prep time. Both will be equally delicious.
First you need to get the brussels sprouts sliced.
I like to slice these thinly by hand, but if you prefer, add them to a food processor and chop them up. Then add the brussels sprouts to a large bowl.
Next, you can use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave the carrots. I use this Cuisinart vegetable peeler.
If you're in a hurry, it's probably faster to cut the carrots with a knife or shred them using a box grater. Whichever technique you use, try for thin pieces.
Add the carrots and some toasted sunflower seeds to the bowl with the brussels sprouts.
Add the mandarin orange segments to the bowl, and toss the salad.
You could decide to use dried fruit like raisins or cranberries instead.
For the tahini sauce, combine olive oil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and some cold water in a jar with a lid.
Shake the ingredients until well combined.
Add the dressing to the salad, and toss again.
The salad is ready to serve! Check out the recipe notes for ideas on how to add more protein, or how to adapt it for camping or storing for later.
Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad
Equipment
- vegetable peeler (optional)
Ingredients
Brussels Sprout Salad:
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 4 medium-size carrots Rainbow carrots are especially pretty in this salad.
- 4 mandarin oranges, peeled + segmented Or swap a handful of dried cranberries or raisins
- 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds Shells removed
Tahini Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Wine vinegar, rice vinegar or lemon juice also work perfectly
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons cold water
Instructions
- Slice of the woody end of each brussels sprout. Thinly slice the sprouts with a sharp knife. Alternatively, place the sprouts in a food processor and use the chop feature.Add the brussels sprouts to a large bowl.
- Use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave the carrots. (This technique is easiest with thicker carrots.)Alternatively, use a knife to thinly slice the carrots. (This option is slightly less pretty, but will taste just as delicious.)Add the carrots and sunflower seeds to the bowl with the brussels sprouts.
- Add the mandarin orange segments to the bowl and toss to combine.
- Add all tahini dressing ingredients to a small glass jar with a lid. Shake until combined.Add the dressing to the salad and toss again to combine.Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad stores well and is perfect for packed meals. Store without the dressing. If storing longer than 1 day, don't add the fresh fruit until you're ready to serve.
- If swapping dried fruit for fresh, you can add it before storing.
- The dressing can also be made ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge.
- Use within 3-4 days.
- Make the salad ahead of time, storing the fresh fruit and dressing separately.
- Store the salad in a cooler to keep it fresh.
- All of the tahini dressing ingredients are shelf stable before combining, but it's best to store the dressing in a cooler once combined. (Or pack the dressing ingredients separately and make the dressing at the campsite.)
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