An Awesome Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe with Tons of Flavor

A uniquely delicious salad with crunchy brussels sprouts, peppery arugula, salty bacon, sautéed shrimp, and a simple shallot-based buttermilk dressing. Ready in about 20 minutes, this salad is perfect for two people to share.

This is a riff on the Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad recipe from Food & Wine, but I added shrimp and bacon to make it more of an entree salad. In order to save a step, I also stirred raw shallots into the dressing instead of making pickled shallots. This salad is so good, and I’ve been hooked ever since I first tried it about three years ago! I also scaled this down to make a small batch recipe for two, but feel free to double it if needed. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, and delivers big on flavor and texture!

Ingredients for this Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad:

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. minced Shallot
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Parsley
• 1/8 tsp. each of Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper

For the Shrimp:

• 1/2 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. each of Onion Powder, Paprika, Kosher Salt, Pepper

For the Salad:

• 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds, toasted
• 2 strips Bacon
• 3 cups tightly packed Arugula
• 2 cups Shredded Brussels Sprouts

The dressing is made first, that way it has some time to sit and let the flavors blend together. The shallot also softens some of its texture and bite in the buttermilk, which makes it play beautifully with the other flavors in this salad.

Quick Ingredient Notes:

• Shredded Brussels Sprouts can be found at most grocery stores. Look for them near bagged salads or greens. If you can’t find any, get fresh brussels sprouts and shred them at home. Cut off the tough stems (about 1/4 of the brussels sprout), then carefully cut the sprout as thinly as possible.
• Buttermilk and Mayonnaise will both taste better in this recipe if you use the full-fat versions.
• I used Jumbo Shrimp (26-30 / lb.), which gave me about 6 shrimp per salad. Be sure to clean the shrimp before cooking, and devein it if necessary. Also feel free to use your favorite size of shrimp if you have one! Just adjust the cooking times accordingly.
• Toast the Almonds for ultimate flavor. I include this as part of the recipe because it’s so easy to do and very, very worth it.

How to Make this Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Shrimp:

• Make the Dressing: Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together and set aside. Taste, and season with a pinch more of salt and pepper if desired.

• Quickly Marinate the Shrimp: Toss the shrimp in the olive oil, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Toast the Almonds: Sprinkle the sliced almonds in a single layer in a dry pan (no oil). (Ideally, you can use the same skillet to cook the shrimp once the almonds are done!) Toast the almonds over medium heat (shaking the pan to flip the almonds often) for about five minutes. They will start to darken in color and become very aromatic. Remove them from the heat, transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.
• Cook the Bacon: Cut bacon into small pieces. Heat the same pan you used to toast the almonds over medium heat again. Cook the bacon until crispy, about 5-6 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon pieces to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the bacon fat in the pan, and turn the heat underneath the pan to medium-low.
• Cook the Shrimp: Carefully place the shrimp in the pan, and cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side until pink and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Build the Salads: Toss thinly sliced brussels sprouts, arugula, and buttermilk shallot dressing together in a large bowl. Divide the salad between two bowls, then divide the bacon, shrimp, and toasted nuts over the tops of each salad. Alternatively, serve the entire salad on a platter for a “family style” presentation.

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If you’re making this to take to work with you during the week, just be sure to pack the dressing separately from the salad. The dressing and the shrimp will keep in the refrigerator for about four days.

I hope you love this recipe! If you make it and want to show it off, I would love it if you tagged me on Instagram so I can see your salad! And if you want to rate it and leave a comment below, I would appreciate it SO much. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, too!