Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans is an easy healthy salad perfect for any meal, but it's definitely special enough to grace your holiday table. Unexpected ingredients come together in this beautiful yet very tasty salad.
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Why You'll Love This Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad
"Feeling inspired by the big juicy gorgeous pomegranate, pears, kale, and brussel sprouts I found in my recent Farmbox Direct delivery! You'll love this salad - it's colorful, beautiful, and delicious. There are so many ways you can customize it! " -Kori
Fresh and Healthy
There is nothing like a fresh healthy cold salad to offset a beautiful roast and a warm side dish.
Let's face it we eat richer foods during the holidays, so having a healthy fresh salad loaded with nutrients is just the thing we need!
Easy
You'll love that there is no cooking involved! Save time with pre-shredded or sliced brussel sprouts and pomegranate seeds all ready to go from the store.
Beautiful
This really is a gorgeous salad. The combination of textures from the green brussel sprouts and kale paired with the rich red pomegranate seeds, ripe pear, and the toasted nuts just set it off perfectly!
With the greens and reds this is festive salad that would be perfect on your holiday table.
Gluten free, Low Carb, and Keto
"The beauty of this salad is that you can customize and add or substitute ingredients to fit your dietary needs!" 🙂
With only 8.5 grams of net carbs, 24.4 grams of healthy fat, and 4.4 grams of protein this salad recipe should fit nicely into your fat, carb, and protein requirements.
The pomegranate seeds and pear slices will add to the sugar content and carbs. If this is a concern for you, you can reduce the amount used in the entire recipe OR you can do what I do and make the recipe as is then pick half of them out of my serving so someone else gets more goodies! 🙂
You can find the full nutritional analysis at the bottom of the recipe card, but here are the most important numbers if you are following a low carb and ketogenic diet:
24.4 g fat | 8.5 g net carbs | 4.4 g protein
My Farmbox Direct Delivery
I live in a semi-rural area and getting certain ingredients can be a challenge at times. This time of year when my garden is no longer producing I have to rely on the local grocery stores and I've been struggling to get good fresh organic products lately.
"Shop Farmbox Direct. Organic & Natural Produce Delivered to Your Door!
"
I was recently contacted by Farmbox Direct to see if I would be interested in trying out one of their weekly produce delivery boxes. Of course, I said yes!
I just received my order and found the most beautiful and fresh variety of produce (as you can see from the picture above)! While it might not work for everyone, I love that I get a variety of organic vegetables and fruit and the surprise of opening that box and seeing what was inside!
I created several recipes from the ingredients in that box and I'm super excited to share them with you soon! 🙂
If you're interested in trying a Farmbox delivery you can click on this link, or you can link to their site via the box below.
What To Serve With This Salad
This salad can easily be made for a weeknight dinner, but it is definitely pretty enough for Sunday supper or to grace your holiday table! Here are some main dishes and sides that would pair well with the Kale Brussel Sprout Salad:
Main Dishes
Side Dishes
Variations
Here are some different ways you can make substitutions or customize your salad:
- Play around with different types of vinegar.
- Use all brussel sprouts and no kale if you prefer. You can also use all kale and no brussel sprouts but you will lose the texture that they provide. If you use only kale then don't soften as long. Check after 15 minutes instead of 1 hour.
- Substitute toasted walnuts or pine nuts instead of pecans.
- Substitute dried cranberries for pomegranate seeds.
- Add goat cheese or bleu cheese crumbles.
- Try some fresh herbs.
- Toss in some chives.
- Add bacon crumbles.
- Use an apple in place of the pear.
- Double or triple this recipe for a crowd. Halve the recipe if it's for only a few people.
What You Will Need
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Tools
- Measuring spoons
- Small and large Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Chef knife
- Cutting board
- Serving platter
- Salad tongs
Ingredients
Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 lb brussel sprouts very thinly sliced
- 4 cups kale, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- 1 ripe pear, thinly sliced and diced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- Optional: sugar substitute (with a 1:1 sugar ratio), sugar, or honey to balance acidity or tartness if needed.
How To Make
Make The Dijon Vinaigrette
In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together.
Soften The Brussel Sprouts and Kale
"Time-Saver Tip: Use ready-to-go shredded brussel sprouts and pomegranate seeds from the grocery store."
Place the brussel sprouts into a large bowl and toss with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and let sit for 30 minutes or until they are soft. Add the kale and let sit 15 more minutes.
Toss The Salad
Add pecans, pears, and pomegranate seeds.
Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss right before serving.
Serve
Adjust salt and pepper if needed. If the salad is too acidic or tart for your liking you can add a little sugar (or sugar substitute) to offset this. Start with 1 tablespoon.
Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- Prep all your ingredients in advance and it will be easy to toss together the day you want to serve it.
- Sometimes you can end up with a very tart fruit or your vegetables or vinegar may be too acidic for your liking. To offset any tartness or acidity just add a little sugar, sugar substitute, or honey to the salad and it will balance the flavor. Add a little at a time and do a taste test.
- Make sure to finely slice or shred the brussel sprouts.
- Make sure you use a sweet ripe pear. We used an Anjou pear and it was perfectly ripe. In the images we show the pear sliced, but finely sliced then cut into bite-sized pieces will make it easier to eat.
- If you're in a hurry you can use shredded brussel sprouts or brussel sprout slaw from the store. You could also buy the pomegranate seeds already removed from the fruit!
Common Questions
How many carbs in brussel sprout and kale salad?
There are 13.7 grams of carbohydrates, but with 5.2 grams of dietary fiber, there are only 8.5 grams of net carbs per servings. Each serving is approximately 1 1/2 cups.
Can you eat raw brussel sprouts?
Yes, you can eat raw brussel sprouts but they are very tough so you would not want to eat one without finely slicing or shredding it.
In this salad, the brussel sprouts are very thinly sliced (you can also shred) and tossed with the dijon vinaigrette about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to serving in order to soften them slightly.
How many calories in kale and brussel sprout salad?
There are 273 calories per serving. Each serving is approximately 1 1/2 cups each.
How long will this salad keep?
This salad needs to be eaten as soon as the dressing is tossed with the pecans, pear, and pomegranate seeds. If you want to prep the ingredients in advance this will save you some time when you're ready to serve.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can prep and assemble all of your ingredients in advance and then follow the recipe instructions about 1 hour before you plan on serving this salad.
Can I substitute different nuts?
Yes, as long as they are toasted you could substitute walnuts or pine nuts.
📖 Printable Recipe Card
Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans
An easy healthy salad perfect for any meal, but it's definitely special enough to grace your holiday table. Unexpected ingredients come together in this beautiful yet very tasty salad.
Ingredients
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 lb brussel sprouts very thinly sliced
- 4 cups kale, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- 1 ripe pear, thinly sliced and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- Optional: sugar substitute (with a 1:1 sugar ratio), sugar, or honey to balance acidity or tartness if needed.
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together.
- Place the brussel sprouts into a large bowl and toss with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and let sit for 30 minutes or until they are soft. Add the kale and let sit 15 more minutes.
- Add pecans, pears, and pomegranate seeds.
- Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss right before serving.
- Adjust salt and pepper if needed. If the salad is too acidic or tart for your liking you can add a little sugar (or sugar substitute) to offset this. Start with 1 tablespoon.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't miss our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- Set aside a few toasted nuts, pears, and pomegranate seeds to garnish the top.
- A few ways to change this salad up: add crumbled bacon and some cheese, use walnuts or pecans, use an apple instead of a pear, add fresh herbs, use cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 8 servings (approximately 1 1/2 cups)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 24.4gSaturated Fat: 2.9gSodium: 366.7mgCarbohydrates: 13.7gNet Carbohydrates: 8.5gFiber: 5.2gProtein: 4.4g
More Delicious Healthy Salad Recipes
All of the healthy casserole recipes below are low carb, gluten free, sugar free, and ketogenic. Enjoy! 🙂
- Layered Salad (Layered Overnight Salad)
- Best Greek Salad Recipe
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Thai Peanut Salad (Low Carb and Keto)
- Hawaiian Chicken Salad (this is more of a low carb salad because of the sugar in the grapes and pineapple)
- Italian Antipasto Salad Recipe
- Keto Christmas Salad | by Carb Manager
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This Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with pomegranate and pecans is the perfect healthy side dish recipe for dinner and the holidays. It's easy to make and you'll love the combination of ingredients tossed with a dijon vinaigrette. The perfect healthy salad to balance all that heavy holiday food! #salad #brusselsprouts #kale #pomegranate #lowcarb #healthyrecipe #healthysalad #sidedish #thanksgiving #christmas #holidayrecipes #glutenfree #keto
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