Maple-Dijon Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Walnuts

Shave the Brussels sprouts as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, a mandoline or the slicing disc of a food processor, discarding any tough cores. Rinse the shreds in cold water and spin or pat them very dry.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and very thinly sliced or shaved
• 1 crisp sweet apple (Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan or aged white cheddar
• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Shave the Brussels sprouts as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, a mandoline or the slicing disc of a food processor, discarding any tough cores. Rinse the shreds in cold water and spin or pat them very dry.
2. Soak the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain and pat dry.
3. In a small jar or bowl, combine the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and shake or whisk vigorously until the dressing is creamy and emulsified.
4. Place the shaved sprouts in a large bowl, pour on about two-thirds of the dressing, and massage it in with your hands for a minute. This softens the raw sprouts and seasons them through.
5. Let the sprouts sit for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature. They will relax, turn a brighter green and lose any cabbage-like sharpness.
6. Add the apple matchsticks, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, drained red onion and shaved cheese. Toss gently with the remaining dressing to taste.
7. Taste and adjust with more salt, a squeeze more vinegar for brightness or a drizzle more maple for sweetness, then pile into a serving bowl and finish with a few extra shavings of cheese.
8. The dressed sprouts hold well for up to 4 hours, which makes this a rare Thanksgiving salad you can finish before guests arrive. Add the apple and walnuts at the last minute to keep them crisp.
9. Brussels sprouts were long the vegetable people pushed around their holiday plate, boiled grey and bitter, until cooks discovered that slicing them paper-thin and eating them raw turns them into something closer to a crunchy, sweet slaw. In Canada, where Thanksgiving falls in October at the peak of apple and maple season, a dressing of maple syrup sharpened with Dijon and cider vinegar is the natural way to tie the bowl together, and it works just as well on the American table in November. The tart cranberries and toasted walnuts give you the flavors of the holiday in a single fresh, bright lunch that also happens to be the ideal foil for everything rich that comes later in the day.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 14g
• Sodium: 320mg