Today, we’re bringing you a simple yet elegant salad featuring two under-appreciated veggies: Brussels sprouts and fennel! When roasted, these veggies transform into caramelized, magical goodness.
This salad helps these veggies shine and has all the components of an amazing dish — it’s easy to prepare (just 9 ingredients!), incredibly delicious, and includes the perfect balance of crunchy, sweet, and savory elements. Plus, it’s beautiful and just dying to be on your fall and holiday table! Let’s make salad!
How to Make This Roasted Vegetable Salad
This salad begins with preparing the Brussels sprouts and fennel for roasting. The Brussels sprouts get trimmed and halved. And for the fennel, we remove the stalks and core and then thinly slice the bulb.
Once on the baking sheet, they’re seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted to tender, caramelized perfection.
While the veggies are roasting, there’s plenty of time to prep the sweet and crunchy components: fresh orange slices, dried cranberries, and toasted slivered almonds.
For the orange, we like to cut it into segments (also called supreming) to remove the peel and pith to reduce bitterness and elevate sweetness.
All that’s left to do is transfer the roasted veggies to a serving platter with the segmented orange, toasted almonds, and chopped dried cranberries. Then toss with a 3-ingredient dressing (olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt) that perfectly balances the sweet components!
We hope you LOVE this Brussels sprout salad! It’s:
Tangy
Bright
Crunchy
Caramelized
Lightly sweetened
& SO delicious!
It’s a simple yet elegant side perfect for the holiday table, celebrating fall and winter produce, and beyond! Pair it with nearly any main or with other sides, including mashed potatoes (Instant Pot or Easy 1-Pot), Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup, Vegan Lentil Nut “Meatloaf”, or Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction
- Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Miso-Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic & White Wine Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Roasted Fennel and Brussels Sprout Salad
Ingredients
ROASTED VEGETABLES
- 1 medium bulb fennel, fronds and stems removed, halved, core removed, and thinly sliced with a knife or mandolin (1 medium bulb yields ~2 cups or 180 g sliced)
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved (smaller sprouts cook best)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (see notes if oil-free)
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
TOPPINGS
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
- 1/2 cup orange slices, peeled and pith removed, cut into thin 1-inch pieces
DRESSING
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or sub balsamic vinegar for a richer variation)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, omit)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) and line one large (or two small) baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- To the baking sheet(s), add the fennel, Brussels sprouts (including any outer leaves that fell off while cutting), olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer and turn the Brussels sprouts cut side down. If the veggies are crowded, use more baking sheets to encourage browning.
- Roast for 18-25 minutes or until tender, golden brown, and slightly crispy on the edges and cut side.
- TOPPINGS: While the veggies are baking, toast the almonds. Place the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently, until they are lightly golden brown — about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To slice the orange, cut off the top and bottom, then place the flat edge on the cutting board and use a knife to remove the peel and white pith (this removes bitterness). Then cut the orange into 1-inch pieces.
- DRESSING: In a jar with a lid (or in a bowl), combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Shake (or whisk) to combine.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a serving platter or bowl. Top with the toasted almonds, chopped cranberries, and orange slices. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more vinegar for brightness, orange slices for sweetness, or salt to taste.
- Best when fresh. If preparing in advance, store the components separately and assemble just before serving. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*If oil-free, check out our Guide to Oil-Free Roasted Vegetables!
Thea says
I doubled the dressing, added blood orange and subbed pumpkin seeds (nut allergy) and this salad was fantastic!
Ooo that sounds amazing! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Brenda says
I made this to go with roasted sablefish. It was delicious! I added pecans and roasted pumpkin seeds and left out the cranberries. Everyone loved it!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review, Brenda! xo
Terri Gibson says
This salad is a great vegan recipe! I love the crunch, sweet, tart and caramelized flavors. Every bite is a medley of deliciousness! Thank you for bringing something new to our meal rotations! I did serve mashed potatoes with it and found it to be the perfect complimentary side. As a foodie with a super picky (no squash or onions) vegetarian husband, I need all the new recipes I can find!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Terri. So glad you enjoyed!
Madison says
This salad is absolutely lovely! The flavors are so fresh + bright, and the fennel makes it feel like a special treat (I suppose I don’t cook with it nearly enough!). I made it as a side to the Butternut Squash Lasagna and it was a perfect accompaniment.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for a unique and nourishing salad that will impress :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Madison! Roasting fennel really does make it feel special! Thank you for sharing =) xo!
Anna says
I did not expect to love or even like this salad (I made it because I knew my mom would fall head over heels for it), but this salad really blew me away! I was afraid of the fennel — but its flavor, once roasted, was so mild. Everything came together so perfectly. I subbed unsweetened dried cherries for cranberries to cut out added sugar, and also threw in some blood oranges and persimmons for extra color and flavor. And wow! This was a hit. Held up great for three days’ worth of leftovers (eaten cold). Will incorporate this into the fall culinary repertoire!
Woohoo! We love a pleasant surprise. Thanks so much for the great review, Anna!
Kim says
I used pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds instead of the cranberries and almond slivers. Excellent. Will be making again soon.
Yum! Love those modifications, Kim! Thank you for sharing! xo
Susan (Hi Patty) says
This was really good! I will be making it again. Thank you.
Yay! Thanks, Susan!
Reenie says
We loved this! Two small substitutions: walnuts instead of almonds because that’s what we had and pomegranate seeds instead of dried cranberries because we don’t do a lot of dried fruit in our house. It was lovely! My first time cooking fennel!
Ooo yay! Those swaps sound delish. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Reenie!
Anna says
This looks great and I already have everything needed – will be making tonight! I have fresh cranberries rather than dried though, do you think if I throw them in the oven with the brussel sprouts and fennel when they’re almost finished roasting would soften them up nicely? Thanks!
Anna
Hi Anna! We haven’t tried that, but it might work. They are quite juicy though, so you may want to do them in a separate dish for a shorter amount of time so they don’t leak on the other veggies, and so the juices don’t burn. Let us know how it goes!
Carol K says
I wish I could give this recipe 10 stars! I made it as written with the exception of using half apple cider vinegar and half a milder vinegar (TJ’s orange muscat vinegar) in the dressing. I used 2 baking sheets for roasting vegs and toasted my almonds on a third sheet for 5 minutes of the roasting time to save a step. It was easy, beautiful, and delicious. I will be serving it room temperature as a side dish on Thanksgiving. Thank you Dana!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the salad, Carol. Thank you so much for the lovely review!
Melissa says
Can you make this in the morning and serve in the the afternoon if stored separately. Is it good as a cold salad ?
Hi Melissa! We think that would work well! It would be probably be best served at room temperature, rather than cold… but we think it would taste good either way!
marlene says
Absolutely delicious! We even ate the leftovers cold from the refrigerator! The only changes were omitting olive oil and in procedures: Instead of roasting (I didn’t want to use the oven), I “sauteed” and stirred the fennel and brussel sprouts in water until the “juice” was browned on the bottom of the pan, and the vegetables were tender, adding water as needed. After browning, I added just a little bit of water and stirred to get the browned flavor into the dish. I added the dressing directly to the sprouts and then added the toppings. I usually have toasted almonds on hand to use as a garnish. I toast raw almonds in the oven for about 10-15+ minutes until browned when I’m baking something else.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the salad, Marlene! And love that idea to roast almonds when the oven is already on for something else! Thank you for sharing! xo
Babette says
Hi Marlene, I don’t want to use my oven either. Did the fennel and brussels sprouts get crispy cooking them on the stove top?
Maria says
Made this for dinner along with a roasted protein tonight. Definitely a hit! Been having inflammation issues, so grateful to have this easy, tasty, and nutritious meal!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the salad and found it easy too! Thank you for sharing! xo
Juliette says
This made a delicious lunch! I replaced the slivered almonds with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) since I had some on hand. I also added 1 can great northern beans (rinsed) and 1/2 cup pearl barley cooked in 3 cups broth for heartiness and protein.
Love how you turned it into a meal, Juliette! Thank you for sharing! xo