The Only Make-Ahead Salad You'll Want This Holiday Season, According to a Food Editor

My husband is mildly obsessed with green vegetables. Whenever I was developing recipes at home, even if he loved what I made, if it was savory and it didn’t have anything green in it, he’d say, “It would be better with kale.” He loves his green veggies so much he chops up greens to put in his morning oatmeal.

So, needless to say, it’s not dinnertime at our house if there’s not something green on our plates. And if, for some reason, I don’t make green beans, Brussels sprouts, sautéed dark leafy greens or a tossed salad to go with dinner, he’ll silently walk to the fridge, grab a leaf or two of kale, finely chop it and sprinkle it over his dinner plate.

And it’s no different when it comes to special occasion meals. Whether it’s Steamed Green Beans with Rosemary-Garlic Vinaigrette & Fried Shallots (I’ve made this for the previous two Thanksgivings per the request of my daughter) or a massaged kale salad (I’ve been known to bring this one everywhere!), there will be a green veg or two on our holiday table.

But one of my favorite recipes to make for holiday meals is this Lemony Brussels Sprout Slaw. I made it on a whim last Christmas. I was making another family favorite, Slow-Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs and potatoes, and wanted something raw, crunchy and lemony to balance the other rich flavors of the meal. I had tasted and loved the Brussels sprout slaw when we were cross-testing it in the EatingWell Test Kitchen and knew it ticked all of the boxes. 

The recipe comes together in a flash and is basically made in the food processor (if you don’t have one, keep reading, I have advice). First, you use the slicing blade to thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. (You can also buy shredded Brussels in many produce departments or just use your knife to thinly slice them.) 

Then, pour them into a bowl and add nuts, dried fruit and herbs (I’m partial to pecans and dried cranberries). Next, you swap the slicing blade for the chopping blade and make the dressing using lemon slices (don’t forget to take out the seeds!), honey, Dijon, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. If you don’t have a food processor but have a blender, you could make the dressing in that. Or very finely chop the lemon, grate the garlic, and then whisk the dressing together. You pour it over the Brussels sprouts and toss it all together.

Just as I expected, it was great with our otherwise-rich meal. The lemony dressing was a bright foil to the rich gravy on the short ribs, and the salad added a crunchy counterpoint to the tender meat and mashed potatoes. We devoured it all.

Then, a couple of days later, I was rooting around the refrigerator, looking for ingredients to make a salad to go with the meal we were having. The salad greens looked sad, forgotten in the hectic days leading up to Christmas. But I still had Brussels sprouts (yay for Costco-size bags of produce!). So I made it again. No one complained.

What’s great about this slaw is you can make it ahead. For the best results, keep the slaw and dressing separate until you’re ready to serve, then toss it all together. But honestly, I like letting the slaw marinate in the dressing, which softens up the Brussels sprouts a bit. I usually add a little more lemon juice, salt and olive oil before serving. You can also customize it to your liking. Any citrus would be delicious in place of the lemon. Switch it up with different fruits and nuts; even sunflower seeds or pepitas would rock. I’ve also sprinkled crumbled blue cheese over the top. However you make it, just know it’ll be delicious.