Radicchio Mandarin Brussels Sprouts Salad

Whether you want a light holiday salad to start your celebratory meal or you’re just hungry for fresh flavors, this Radicchio Mandarin and Brussels Sprouts Salad is a winner. Naturally vegan and full of flavor — the Maple Citrus Dressing is bright and lively.

I love this salad.  Especially in the depths of winter (ok, I know that’s an exaggeration because the “depths” of a Florida winter don’t even register as cool to my Northern family and friends). What I mean, is that in the winter, we tend to gravitate towards heavier fare. Pastas, potatoes, stews and braises. The zingy juxtaposition of this colorful Radicchio Mandarin and Brussels Sprouts Salad in the midst of traditional cold-weather, gut-busting dishes provides a welcome reprieve. It doesn’t hurt that the bright red and green also make it a perfect holiday salad.

Before we get into the veg– let’s start with the Maple Citrus Dressing, which has a deep concentration of orange, a hint of maple and tiny pops of whole grain mustard. Start by simmering the juice over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, reducing the orange juice by about half to concentrate the flavors. Make sure your orange juice doesn’t have any additives and the only ingredient is pure juice.  If you use calcium fortified juice, you’ll notice a residue in the juice reduction.  Stick with pure juice for this one.

Instead of garlic, I use minced shallots for a less sharp flavor in the vinaigrette.  Whole grain dijon mustard, a bit of vinegar, maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil whisked into the orange juice reduction create a balanced, sweet-tart dressing with just a bit of pucker.

Newsletter Signup
Join our community of food lovers!

Get my latest recipes, helpful kitchen tips and more good things each week in your inbox.

Note: this recipe makes more than you’ll need to dress the salad, but it keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and you’ll want it on lots of salads or drizzled over steamed green beans or even seafood and chicken.  It’s that good.

You would never eat raw brussels sprouts unless they were shaved very thin, like this. They’d be too hard to chew, but when shaved and tossed with the radicchio, those little orbs eat like a slaw.  The other main component of the brussels sprouts salad is the radicchio. If you’ve never had it, radicchio is a tender, bitter lettuce and marries beautifully with the other components of this salad. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the brussels sprouts (you can also use a mandoline, if you have one) and radicchio. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and toss to combine.

At this time of year, mandarin oranges are like little balls of sunshine.  Super sweet and juicy — and very easy to peel and eat out of hand.  For the salad, however, you’ll want to supréme the mandarins — essentially removing the peel and pith from the actual fruit. To do this, use  a sharp paring knife to cut off the orange rind and membrane to expose the segments.  Cut along the membrane of each segment and remove the fruit. Add the segmented fruit to the brussels sprouts salad.

Roughly chop the pistachios and add them to the vegetables. You can make the salad to this point and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.  Dress the salad right before serving.

Use a restrained hand when add the citrus dressing to the holiday salad.  The salad should be lightly coated with dressing and not soupy. This salad is bright and tangy with gorgeous colors, sweet, bitter flavors and a bit of crunch.  It’s ideal as a side dish with chicken, fish or pork or as a starter to your holiday meal. Enjoy.


Garlic & Zest is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and review.

Your comments and shares are invaluable to me and the thousands of readers who use this site daily. If you've made the recipe, leave a star rating and review. We want to hear how you liked it.

We'd love it if you shared the recipe with your friends on social media!

A radicchio and brussels sprouts salad with mandarin oranges.
Print Pin
4.47 from 13 votes

Radicchio Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Maple Dressing

Lighten up your holiday table with this flavorful salad.  Thinly sliced radicchio and brussels sprouts with mandarin segments, crunchy salted pistachios and a bright citrus-maple dressing. Great as a starter or side dish.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword brussels sprouts, mandarin, orange, pistachios, radicchio
Dietary Restrictions Gluten-Free, Vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

INGREDIENTS:

FOR SALAD:

  • 1 small head of radicchio lettuce
  • 12 whole brussels sprouts
  • 3 mandarin oranges or 2 navel oranges, supremed
  • ¼ cup shelled natural pistachios roughly chopped

FOR CITRUS MAPLE DRESSING:

  • 1 cup orange juice (make sure there are no additives in the orange juice i.e. calcium etc.)
  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 2 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard (I used Maille)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (can also use rice wine or red wine vinegar)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • tablespoons maple syrup
  • heaping ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a small saucepan over high heat, bring orange juice to boiling, reduce heat to an active simmer and reduce the orange juice to a half cup, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • When orange juice is cooled, Add the shallot, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
  • With a sharp knife, slice the brussels sprouts crosswise into very thin slices, discarding the root end. Transfer the brussels to a large salad bowl.
  • Pull the leaves from the radicchio and stack them in a pile.  Cut the pile in half, vertically, then slice the radicchio into very thin ribbons horizontally.  Transfer the radicchio to the salad bowl.
  • Supreme the mandarins.  This means using a very sharp paring knife to remove the peel and outer membrane of the mandarin, so the bare segment is exposed.  Then use the knife to slice in between the membranes to remove each individual segment. Transfer the segmented fruit to the salad bowl.
  • Roughly chop the pistachios and add them to the salad. You can make the salad up to this point and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Do not add the dressing until you’re ready to eat, otherwise it will wilt.
  • Add about 3-4 tablespoons of dressing to the salad and toss to coat.  If the salad needs more dressing, add 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing after each addition.  The salad shouldn’t be goopy and wet, just lightly dressed.  (Any remaining dressing can be used on other salads or to dress a piece of fish or chicken.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 54.6mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Pin “Radicchio Mandarin and Brussels Sprouts Salad”

Need a light holiday salad? Radicchio Mandarin & Brussels Sprouts Salad with tangy citrus dressing and chopped pistachios is an easy, delicious starter. #holidaysalad #brusselssproutssalad #citrusdressing #radicchio #pistachios #christmas #appetizer #startersalad #vegansalad

More Holiday Salads:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

13 Comments

  1. Pat Stoddard says:

    5 stars
    Took this salad to my friend’s house for Thanksgiving yesterday. It paired beautifully with the heavier traditional dishes. I am known for my amazing salads, compliments of garlic and zest.
    Thanks for another delicious and unique recipe Lisa.

    1. I’m so glad you and your friends enjoyed the salad, Pat! I like this one because it’s so festive and as you said– lighter than the traditional side dishes! Happy Holidays!

  2. 5 stars
    I love your recipe so much, that I included it in a FBC roundup post that goes live on March 1! The theme is vegetarian recipes using March produce. Your recipes & site are awesome!

  3. Marisa Franca says:

    5 stars
    What a beautiful salad and the citrus maple dressing is perfect for the Brussels sprouts and radicchio. You need that sweetness to compliment the slight bitterness of the veggies. The colors are gorgeous and what a great side for a holiday meal. And no matter if you’re in Florida, when the wether is around 50 or 60 it’s COLD!! We’ve been there. I’m saving this recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    This radicchio salad is the antidote to the winter blues! I absolutely love the textures, colors, and flavors in it! And great tip on using shallots instead of garlic in dressings; I also find that garlic can be too overpowering sometimes. Can’t wait to make this!

  5. 5 stars
    Beautiful recipe (and photos!), Lisa. I think fruit in salad is under rated. And I love that you call for a light coating of dressing. “Soupy” salad is one of my pet peeves. Haha!

  6. 5 stars
    I have to say, this salad looks stunning. I love all the rich colors and textures you have going on. This is a perfect salad for the holiday table too.

    1. Thank you so much, Heidy. I think it’s great for Christmas dinner because of the colors. It’s also nice and light, so you can still enjoy a big holiday meal.

  7. 5 stars
    This is gorgeous Lisa — pinning so I remember to shop for the ingredients!

    1. Thank you so much, Michelle! Let me know how you enjoy it!

  8. Jessica Formicola says:

    5 stars
    What a delicious way to incorporate Brussels sprouts into a meal! I can’t wait to try this!

  9. 5 stars
    I’m pinning this beautiful holiday salad and plan to serve it soon! Love all the rich colours and flavours. Thanks for the detailed instructions.

    1. Glad you like it, Elaine! It didn’t last in our house.