A perfect balance of textures and flavors, this sweet potato salad features shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, and Gouda cheese.

Brussels Sprout & Sweet Potato Salad

It’s a snow day of epic proportions here in Indiana. Being from Minnesota originally, most Indiana snow days are a little anticlimactic for me, but this one actually delivered. Huge, white flurries have been falling steadily, so picture perfect it seems almost manufactured. So what better than to curl up with a nourishing meal? Because we’re recovering from the heavy foods of the holidays, we were in the mood for something lighter. But we still wanted a cozy vibe. Hence, this roasted sweet potato salad was born! Keep reading for the recipe.

How to make sweet potato salad

This Brussels sprout and sweet potato salad is both comforting and fresh and clean. One of our favorite foods is roasted sweet potatoes. They’re simple to make, and we make them all the time. To bring in a fresh element, we’ve combined them with shaved Brussels sprouts into a sort of superfood salad. With a bit of balsamic vinaigrette and some bit of sharp cheese, the salad is bursting with flavor as well as nutrients. This sweet potato salad combines two basic cooking methods: how to roast sweet potatoes, and how to shred Brussels sprouts. Below are our methods for both!

How to roast sweet potatoes

Roasting sweet potatoes is very simple; we’ve learned to do it without a recipe. Here are the basic elements for roasting the potatoes for this sweet potato salad:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F. We use very high heat for our sweet potatoes, which gives them a lightly crispy outside and tender inside. (However, note that sweet potatoes will never get as crispy as standard potatoes!)
  2. Dice the sweet potatoes. The smaller you dice them, the faster they’ll cook!
  3. In a large bowl, drizzle the sweet potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. There should be only enough olive oil to coat the potatoes lightly.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes depending on how small you cut the sweet potatoes.

How to shred Brussels sprouts

How to shred Brussels sprouts for this sweet potato salad is actually more difficult than you think! Cut them the wrong way, and the pieces look all wrong. If you have a food processor, you also can chop off the ends and use the slicing attachment on a food processor to shred the Brussels sprouts. However, using a knife is just as easy! To get those signature shreds, here’s what to do — see the video below!

  1. Remove any tough outer layers with your fingers.
  2. With a large Chef’s knife, cut the Brussels sprout in half lengthwise.
  3. Place the cut side down and thinly slide cross-wise to create shreds.
  4. Separate the shreds with your fingers. Discard the root.

Looking for sweet potato recipes?

As you can see, we’re kinda sweet potato obsessed! Outside of this sweet potato salad, here are some of our favorite sweet potato recipes:

This recipe is…

This sweet potato salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the cheese.

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Brussels Sprout & Sweet Potato Salad


  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

A perfect balance of textures and flavors this sweet potato salad features shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, and Gouda cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes
  • 7 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • Aged white cheddar or aged Gouda cheese (optional), thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup pecan pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Wash and dice the sweet potatoes. In a bowl, combine the potatoes with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper; mix to combine. Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
  3. Shred the Brussels sprouts: see the video below or go to How to Shred Brussels Sprouts.
  4. Make the dressing: in a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Gradually whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a creamy emulsion forms. 
  5. To serve, place Brussels sprouts shavings on a plate, then top with sweet potatoes, slices of cheese, pecan pieces (toasted, if time), and dressing.
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Sweet potato salad, Brussels sprout salad, Shaved Brussels sprouts, Sweet Potato Recipes

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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20 Comments

  1. I’ve passed by the brussel sprouts twice at my market in the last week, but now will want to get them! Beautiful! You asked about what we would like to see, and I would love to see some fun portable lunch recipes to take to work. There’s only so much peanut butter and yogurt I can handle, so help is welcome. Enjoy your snow! Here in Iowa it’s just cold, cold, and more cold. Spring is my favorite season for a reason!

  2. YAY for coz snow days! It is one here too and I love them, although it is freezing!

    Brussels are my favorite, so this salad is right up my alley! So pretty too!

  3. Winter greens and roots are exactly what I’m looking for! I don’t think I’ve ever had raw brussels sprouts before–super interesting.

  4. Quick, vegan/vegetarian, and/or gluten-free recipes are always welcome! I appreciate the balance you strike between clean, healthy recipes and occasional indulgent ones. More cooking date recipes would be awesome! I have a hard time delegating to my husband in the kitchen!

  5. My boyfriend announced over Christmas that brussel sprouts were his favourite vegetables – much to my surprise as I thought he hated them! This salad sounds really lovely, bright and fresh but hearty too. I hope you guys are staying warm!

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