I've had a love-hate relationship with brussels sprouts for a long time.

I grew up thinking they were gross simply because every kid I knew hate them. (Did they actually ever try them, or did they hate them for the same reasons I did? The world will never know.) I really shouldn't have let this influence my brussels sprouts opinion, because I loved a lot of veggies other kids hated...broccoli, squash, peas, asparagus.

Fast forward to my early paleo days, where I thought hey, I'm healthy now, I must love brussels sprouts. So I bought some to try. First bite, and I didn't think they were so bad. Second bite? Bleh. Nope. Newsflash, self: being "healthy" does not mean you like all "healthy" foods.

So, I decided that I just mustn't like little green bulbs, and didn't buy them again.

Until, of course, I stumbled upon a recipe that totally changed my thoughts on brussels sprouts.

Sonia, The Healthy Foodie, is truly a talented cook and a neverending source of inspiration to me. Her Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Smokey Bacon Salad simply looked way too good to pass up. So I bought a bag of brussels and gave it a try. Um, divine.

For whatever reason I had never thought to shred brussels sprouts when preparing them and eat them raw, and the technique opens up a whole new realm of possibilities that, to me, tastes way better than roasting the sprouts. As a matter of fact, shaved brussels sprouts downright rock. Which means that this Creamy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad is absolutely mindblowing.

Creamy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad

And with that, a tasty, simple, nutrient-packed salad was born. The apples give this salad a nice crunch and sweetness. The spices in the mayo add a wonderful smokiness and depth of flavor. The hazelnuts add another dimension of crunch. The best part? The brussels sprouts simply taste awesome. To me, they taste almost like raw broccoli, so this "salad" almost becomes a "slaw". But, you know, I'm going to keep calling it a salad because then I can get away with noshing on a bowl of this as the main dish of my meal.

Plus, it's Whole30 & Whole Life Challenge friendly. How rad is that? It keeps pretty well in the fridge (although the apples will start to brown if left long enough), so the leftovers become an easy, healthy side dish for the week.

Man, just writing about this salad makes me want to go make more.

So, Ziplist is going away sometime this month, and that's what I have been using for my recipes. Sad day. I'm testing out something new to see how I like it - BigOven. It's a really new WordPress plugin (although they offer a service similar to Ziplist), so it's currently not super pretty, but I have high hopes for what the developers are doing with it. Let me know what you think!

📖 Recipe

Creamy Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5-6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb brussels sprouts
2-3 medium apples, chopped
½ c homemade paleo mayo
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 Tb lemon juice
1 tsp celery seed
2 Tb apple cider vinegar
2 Tb ghee, melted (optional)
½ c hazelnuts

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine mayo, apple cider vinegar, ghee, lemon juice, and spices. Set aside to let flavors merge.
Prepare the brussels sprouts. Rinse well and cut off stems if you need to. To shred them, I used my Vitamix, but you can also use a food processor the same way. I've heard a mandolin is best for shaving brussels sprouts, but I haven't tried it myself!
Chop the hazelnuts. Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add hazelnuts and let toast for a few minutes or until they become fragrant.
In a large bowl, add shaved brussels sprouts, mayo mixture, chopped apples, and hazelnuts. Stir to combine.
Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, covered, for about a week.