Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad with Apple Cider Tahini: A Healthy, Vegan Meal Prep Favorite

Discover a vibrant, wholesome, and incredibly satisfying Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad featuring perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts, fluffy quinoa, dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans, all tossed in a sweet, tangy, and oil-free apple cider tahini dressing. This vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free recipe is perfect for healthy meal prep!

Sometimes, the best recipes are born out of a little chaos and a lot of creativity. This delightful Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad is a testament to that. It was late at night, just before a big trip to Indiana, and I was frantically packing. Fueled by adrenaline and a healthy dose of kombucha, I found myself instinctively grabbing various fresh vegetables and leftovers from the fridge, tossing them into Tupperware containers for our journey the next day.

In that moment of pre-travel anxiety, a magical combination emerged: perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts, fluffy and warm white quinoa, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy chopped pecans. To bind it all together, I spontaneously whipped up a creamy, oil-free apple cider tahini dressing right there on the spot. I’ve always considered myself someone who thrives in calm, structured environments, but this salad quickly proved that theory wrong. It was an unexpected triumph, a truly happy accident that resulted in one of the most delicious and satisfying salads I’d ever made.

If you’re looking for a fresh, flavorful, and incredibly healthy addition to your meal rotation, you absolutely need to try this Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad with its unique Apple Cider Tahini. It’s not just a meal; it’s a revelation!

The Road Trip Discovery: A Salad Worth Savoring

The next day, as we journeyed, we stopped at a charming plant-based restaurant in Pennsylvania. Dan found something appealing on the menu, which thoughtfully highlighted options as “Gluten Free,” “Vegetarian,” and “Vegan.” Despite the tempting offerings, I stubbornly declined, remembering the effort and love I’d poured into my Tupperware party the night before. There was no way I was letting that incredible salad go to waste!

Back in the car, I eagerly pulled out my red-lidded square Tupperware, fully intending to appreciate every bite. But I didn’t have to try hard at all. The moment the flavors hit my palate, I was practically swooning before we even got back on the highway. “OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO GOOD!” I exclaimed to Dan between bites, probably more times than he cared to hear. The only silver lining to finishing that first container was the comforting thought that I had two more packed for the remainder of our trip, ensuring delicious and healthy meals on the go. This salad proved itself to be the ultimate travel companion, maintaining its freshness and incredible taste even after a full day on the road.

Crafting Your Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad: Essential Ingredients

This salad is a celebration of simple, wholesome ingredients that come together to create a symphony of flavors and textures. Here’s what you’ll need to assemble this vibrant Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad:

• Fresh Kale: The leafy green base provides a wonderful texture and a boost of nutrients. Choose fresh, crisp kale for the best results.
• Brussels Sprouts: The star of the show! Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness and creates a delicious crispiness that’s essential for this salad.
• Avocado Oil Spray: Used sparingly to help the Brussels sprouts caramelize beautifully in the oven without excessive oil.
• Himalayan Sea Salt & Black Pepper: Simple seasonings to enhance the natural flavors of the vegetables.
• Toasted Quinoa: Adds a fantastic nutty flavor, a soft texture, and a complete protein boost, making the salad more filling.
• Dried Cranberries: Offer bursts of sweet and tart flavor, complementing the earthiness of the sprouts.
• Chopped Pecans: Provide a delightful crunch and rich, buttery notes, tying all the elements together.

That’s it! A handful of ingredients for an extraordinary salad experience.

The Star Dressing: No-Oil-Added Apple Cider Tahini

The dressing is truly what elevates this salad, bringing all the different components into harmonious balance. It’s creamy, tangy, sweet, and completely oil-free, making it a healthy choice that doesn’t compromise on flavor. Here’s what you need to make this incredible Apple Cider Tahini dressing:

• Tahini: The base of our creamy dressing. Look for a good quality, runny tahini for the smoothest consistency.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Provides a delightful tang and a hint of fruity acidity that pairs perfectly with the cranberries and sprouts.
• Filtered Water: Essential for thinning the tahini to the perfect drizzly consistency.
• Maple Syrup: Adds a touch of natural sweetness, balancing the tartness of the apple cider vinegar and the richness of the tahini.

Just these four simple ingredients create a dressing that you’ll want to drizzle over everything!

Mastering Oil-Free Tahini Dressings: A Simple Formula

Are you starting to notice a pattern with my tahini dressings? It’s true, I absolutely adore them, and for good reason! They follow a basic, highly adaptable formula that’s incredibly easy to master once you get the hang of it. If you’ve made a few of my recipes before, you’ve likely picked up on it.

The journey to a perfect tahini dressing begins with a really good, creamy tahini. The runnier the tahini, the smoother and easier it is to work with. Next, you introduce an acidic component to cut through the richness of the tahini – think lemon juice, lime juice, or in this case, a bright apple cider vinegar. Finally, filtered water is added gradually to achieve that ideal, pourable consistency. I often aim for an equal 1:1:1 ratio, using about 1/4 cup of each, but I’ve heard from some of you that you prefer to dial back the acidity a bit. Tahini dressings are quite personal, so feel free to adjust the ratios to suit your taste buds!

Once you have this basic framework, the fun truly begins: adding your favorite flavorings. This is where you can get creative with various spices, fresh herbs, or, as we do in this recipe, a touch of maple syrup for a lovely hint of sweetness. This versatile formula allows you to create an endless array of delicious and healthy dressings, making them a staple in your kitchen. It’s truly a game-changer for enhancing salads, bowls, and even roasted vegetables!

How to Make the No-Oil-Added Apple Cider Tahini Dressing

While my usual go-to is a zesty lemon-tahini, I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with this apple cider variation. It introduces a unique tartness reminiscent of crisp, sweet apples, beautifully mellowed by the creamy tahini, and perfectly balanced with a dash of pure maple syrup. The result is a dressing that’s both refreshing and comforting.

Honestly, I’ve never been much of a “dressing person.” As a child and even to this day, I almost always ask for my dressing on the side at restaurants. I prefer to control the amount, ensuring my salad isn’t swimming in it. However, I must confess, with this Apple Cider Tahini, I found myself being quite generous with my pours! It’s truly that good. Its delicate balance of sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors makes it incredibly addictive, transforming every bite of the Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad into a delightful experience. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for a second drizzle!

Serving and Meal Prepping Your Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad

This Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. The fact that these salads maintained their quality and deliciousness in a cooler during our cross-Midwest road trip is solid proof of their excellent meal-prep capacity. This recipe is designed to make your week healthier and simpler!

To make healthy eating throughout the week stress-free, I highly recommend prepping the individual components in advance. Roast your Brussels sprouts until perfectly crispy, cook your quinoa, chop your kale, and prepare the apple cider tahini dressing. Once everything is ready, you can easily assemble fresh salads in minutes.

For optimal freshness and to prevent sogginess, especially when meal prepping or traveling, proper packing is key. During my trip, I layered the cooked quinoa, roasted Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans at the bottom of my Tupperware containers. On top, I carefully placed the fresh, chopped kale. This method ensures the kale stays vibrant and crisp, avoiding any crushing or premature wilting from the heavier ingredients.

When you’re ready to serve, simply add a desired amount of the apple cider tahini dressing (which should also be stored separately to maintain its texture and prevent the salad from getting soggy) to your container. Then, either mix it all up with a fork or, for a fun and efficient method, replace the lid and give it a good shake! This salad is fantastic as a light lunch, a satisfying dinner, or a vibrant side dish for any occasion. Its robust flavors and textures make it a crowd-pleaser and a healthy powerhouse.

More Delicious Fall Salad Recipes to Enjoy

As the seasons change and cooler weather arrives, our appetites often crave heartier, more comforting, yet still vibrant dishes. Fall is a wonderful time to embrace seasonal produce and create salads that are both nourishing and deeply satisfying. If you loved this Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad, you’re sure to enjoy these other delightful fall-inspired recipes that celebrate the bounty of autumn:

• Sweet Potato Black Bean Collard Bowl

• Fall Harvest Salad

• Delicata Pesto Quinoa Power Bowl

• Wintergreen Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• Roasted Squash & Arugula Salad

• Roasted Fig & Arugula Salad

• Cran-Apple Tempeh Kale Salad

I Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve had the pleasure of making this Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad recipe, I would absolutely love to hear about your experience! Your feedback is invaluable and helps me create more delicious content for you.

Please take a moment to leave a comment, a rating, and a review below to share your thoughts. Did you love the dressing? How did you serve it? Any variations you tried?

Don’t forget to give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show off your beautiful creations. I love seeing what you’re cooking up!

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XO Lauren

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