When I was growing up, salads never seemed to be a consideration for the holiday table. The greenest thing we had was my aunt’s cream of mushroom green bean casserole (check out my healthfied version!)
When I hosted Thanksgiving a few years back, I created this beautiful butternut squash brussels sprouts caesar salad, and my guests not only fell in LOVE with the flavors and textures, but they also appreciated having something fresh and green on the table.
I had been wanting to make a vegan or vegetarian caesar salad with an Ambitious Kitchen creative twist, and this salad truly checks all of the boxes. It’s crunchy, sweet, savory, and has the most incredible vegan caesar dressing with a tahini base. Add it to your weekly meal prep or serve it for the holidays!
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Butternut squash brussels sprouts salad ingredients
This isn’t your average caesar salad, so don’t expect it to be. Rather, it’s a unique take on a traditional caesar salad jazzed up with fresh seasonal produce. Instead of basic romaine in the caesar salad, I decided to use shredded brussels sprouts and also add tender roasted butternut squash. But I couldn’t stop myself there. I tossed it all together with a simple vegan caesar salad dressing that’s literally SO FREAKING GOOD you wouldn’t even know it’s vegan. Here’s what you’ll need to make this fabulous recipe:
- For the roasted butternut squash: we’re roasting the squash up in a little olive oil, honey or maple syrup, and a bit of salt and pepper.
- For the toasted pecans: you’ll just need maple syrup, pecans, and salt.
- For the salad: we’re skipping the romaine and adding shaved brussels sprouts, apple, dates, pomegranate, and manchego cheese (or parmesan).
- For the vegan caesar dressing: you’ll need tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, caper brine (from the jar), dijon mustard, a little warm water to thin, and salt & pepper.
I’M TELLING YOU, THIS SALAD IS DAMN GOOOOOOOOOD.
Customize this brussels sprouts caesar salad
- Add protein. Add a boost of protein with a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas, cooked, chopped chicken breast, or sliced, sautéed chicken sausage.
- Make it vegan. Simply omit the cheese or use a sprinkle of dairy-free cheese to keep the salad vegan and dairy-free. Be sure to also use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Choose your toppings. Mix up your toppings with candied walnuts, sliced pears, dried cranberries, or even bacon crumbles!
Want to make it extra hearty?
Try adding a grain! Cook one cup of pearl couscous, barley, farro, or quinoa and add it to the salad.
How to make vegan caesar salad dressing
Making a vegan caesar salad dressing is a lot easier than you would think. You’ll simply whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until it’s smooth and creamy. You can also shake up all of the ingredients in a mason jar!
I like to make the base of my caesar salad dressings with tahini because I love the nutty flavor it adds. However, the most crucial part of making a caesar salad dressing is using capers, caper brine, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a tiny bit of dijon mustard; these ingredients create a nice traditional, salty, robust flavor that’s found in caesar salad dressings.
Easy ways to shred brussels sprouts
- Use a food processor: trim the small stem off of the brussels sprouts and add them to your food processor about a handful or so at a time. Use the slicing attachment on your food processor and pulse until they’re nice and shredded.
- Use a box grater: you can shred your brussels sprouts against a box grater on the side with the largest holes. I’d suggest spraying the grater with a bit of cooking spray so that the sprouts easily glide against the grater.
- Shred them with a knife: this is the method I typically use, and once you get the hang of it, it will go pretty quickly. Using a sharp knife, cut the stems off of your brussels sprouts and then cut them in half lengthwise. Then, with each half lying flat side down, chop your brussels sprouts into fine shreds. No need for them to be perfect!
Tips for cubing butternut squash
I have a full tutorial here where you can learn how to easily (and safely) peel and cube your butternut squash! You can, of course, buy pre-cubed squash, but this tutorial makes it super easy when using fresh butternut squash.
Looking to serve a crowd?
If you are serving this to a crowd/gathering, I recommend layering it on a platter. Start by tossing your brussels sprouts in the dressing so that they get nice and coated, then spread them out on a platter. Evenly top with the roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, dates, shaved manchego, and then the toasted pecans.
Our go-to tools for this salad
Get more of my favorite kitchen tools here!
Storing tips
Another reason you’ll love this twist on caesar salad is that the brussels sprouts hold up beautifully for days! No soggy lettuce here. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for a few days. You can either store it with the dressing mixed in or save the dressing in a separate jar to add when you’re serving. I will say that the dressing marinates the brussels to make them extra delicious, so don’t be afraid to dress it up and serve later!
More seasonal salads you’ll love
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad
- Manchego Apple Kale Farro Salad
- Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Winter Roasted Butternut Squash Black Lentil Salad with Grapes + Arugula
Get all of my salad recipes here!
I hope you fall in love with this brussels sprouts ceasar salad, because we have! Bring it to Thanksgiving to impress everyone, or simply throw it together for your weekday meals for something a little different and fun. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- For the butternut squash:
- 3 cups ½ inch cubed butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- For the sweet and salty toasted pecans:
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- sea salt
- For the salad:
- 1 pound (16 ounces) brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow outer leaves removed
- ¾ cup seeds from 1 small pomegranate
- 1 large apple, thinly sliced (honeycrisp or pink lady apples are great)
- ½ cup chopped Medjool dates
- ⅓ cup shaved manchego (or shaved parmesan)
- For the caesar dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from ½ large lemon
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon finely diced capers
- 1 teaspoon caper brine (from the jar of capers)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing
- Freshly ground salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and add butternut squash cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the butternut squash with the oil. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Butternut squash is done when fork tender.
- While butternut squash is cooking, you can toast pecans: add the pecans to a pan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes until they are slightly golden brown. Once golden brown, turn off the heat and stir in a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup to coat the pecans, followed by a sprinkle of sea salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Next, shred your brussels sprouts: shave the brussels sprouts by using a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to use a sharp knife to thinly slice. Add shredded brussels sprouts to a large bowl.
- Next, mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth: tahini, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, diced capers, caper brine, dijon mustard, warm water and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary.
- Pour dressing over shredded brussels sprouts and toss together with tongs to coat the brussels. Before you add anything else, I highly recommend tasting the brussels to see if they are salty enough to your liking. If not, season with a bit of freshly ground salt and pepper. Next, you can choose to serve this on a platter or in a bowl. Platters are pretty for entertaining or serving guests and bowls are great for date nights, family dinner and meal prep.
- If making on a platter: add all of the brussels sprouts coated with dressing to a large platter. Top with roasted butternut squash, then pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego and finally, the toasted pecans.
- If making in a bowl: stir in the cubed roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, chopped dates, shaved manchego, and toasted pecans. Gently toss again so that everything is combined. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 2nd, 2020, republished on December 4th, 2023, and republished on November 5th, 2025.
45 comments
Hi Can any of this be made ahead of time?
Sure! Feel free to roast the squash and make the pecans ahead of time, and chop your brussels sprouts. When you’re ready to serve just slice your apples and toss the dressing in!
So. Good!!
Made this last night for a family dinner and it was devoured.
I was anxious about this one, as I don’t think I’ve eaten raw brussel sprouts before, but blindly trusted since all of the AK recipes are delicious and it did not disappoint!
I was a bit low on Brussel sprouts, so added in some red cabbage and subbed almonds for pecans because of an allergy.
Thank you for this and all of your other gorgeous recipes. You’ve seriously upped my cooking and baking game. X
So happy to hear that! The dressing is what makes the raw veggies taste less “raw” – so delicious. Glad the whole family loved this one and I hope you keep finding new recipes you love!
Brussels Sprouts Caesar salad- a great recipe. I made it up and it was delicious. Thank you Monique for the great recipes.
VR
So happy to hear that, Verna! A great go-to salad 🙂
I am always happy to see a recipe where it has an easy salad dressing to make. I love making homemade dressings but also hate using a blender. This was is so easy and delicious. I also bought a bag of pre mixed greens with brussel sprouts in it which helped make the recipe a little easier. Love all of the flavors so much!
Absolutely! Love this quick & easy dressing. So happy you enjoyed!
My friend made this the other night and it was so delicious that I want to make it for Christmas! My question is… do I have to make the dressing From scratch or can I cheat and buy an already made dressing? (It will be ok with my family that it’s not vegan) I’m kind of on a time crunch 🙂
Feel free to use a store bought dressing if you’re in a time crunch 🙂 hope everyone loved it!
This salad is a 10 out of 10 and does not disappoint! It’s delicious, easy to make and an absolutely crowd pleaser! I brought it to my in-laws for Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it. They couldn’t stop talking about. I knew it was a win when my husband requested for me to make it again for xmas. Definitely recommend!
So happy to hear that! Perfect for the holidays.
What could I sub in for tahini for the dressing? Thanks!!
Cashew butter would work well!
My go to party salad in Fall/Winter, whether we are hosting or attending. Everyone loves it, even if they aren’t big brussel fans. The roasted butternut squash is key key key. Sometimes if I’m being lazy I’ll buy pre sugar toasted salad topper pecans.
Amazing! So happy to hear that.
This looks SO good, I’m going to try it for meal prep next week! I also bet persimmons would be great on this.
Perfect! And yes they would be delicious, too!
This is the best salad ever. I literally looked forward to eating it everyday for lunch. If you have a trader joes by you, I buy the pre shredded bag of brussels sprouts and cubed butternut squash. They also pomegranate seeds. I cooked my butternut squash with honey instead of maple syrup this time and I prefer the maple syrup because I like a little more sweetness.
So happy to hear that! And yes super easy 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
I made this to bring to Thanksgiving yesterday. With the peeling and cubing the squash, seeding the pomegranate and shaving the Brussel sprouts, beware that this is heavy work on your hands. I was dismayed that it just didn’t taste good. The dressing somehow thickened up on the salad and the whole thing tasted bitter. I’d love suggestions as to what may have gone wrong. I followed the recipe exactly, but then made an extra batch of dressing to put on when it seemed too dry. The vegetarians were all left with just mashed potatoes and rolls, so I felt sad that I couldn’t pull this dish off.
Hi, there! I’m so sorry to hear that it didn’t come out as expected. Not sure what happened with the dressing (maybe the brand of tahini thickened up??) but you can always add more water or lemon juice to thin it out if needed. Any chance it needed some more salt to bring out all the flavors?
This is absolutely delicious!!! The dressing alone is a star. It’s the perfect meal for in between the fatty holiday treats we’ve been having.
One of our fav ways to each veggies during the holidays! Glad you loved it!
This recipe is so unique and so DELICIOUS!!!! I took this to a holiday party and everyone raved about it! I did it with arugala and spinach mix and it was really good. I’m fixing it again this week and trying the brussels! Highly recommend this recipe!
Amazing! Glad it was a hit!
Question – can you make the dressing in advance and how early in advance.? Prepping for Christmas dinner cant wait to try this recipe out!
Hi! Yes – feel free to make it 1-2 days ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and give it a mix before adding it to the salad.
Great salad and easy to make!
Absolutely scrumptious salad that combines all of my favorites in one dish!
One of our favs for winter, too! So happy you loved it!
I made this as written, and it was delicious. I would make this again – even for company. It is a lot of chopping but it isn’t difficult. I’m glad I gave this a try.
This one’s great for feeding friends and family! Feel free to chop up the ingredients ahead of time, too, to save time before you assemble 🙂
It would be nice if one had the option to PRINT OUT the recipe!
Hi! In the recipe card click the “Print Recipe” button – it will pull up a printable version.
Made this for the holidays as a lunch entree to accommodate gluten-free guests, added roast chicken to it. Delicious!
I had extra caesar dressing left over and am enjoying that today with massaged kale, pecans, cranberries, and roasted brussels sprouts.
Yum! Will be making this salad dressing on the regular.
Amazing! Glad it was a hit (and that dressing is one of my favs, too!)
This recipe is so delicious. I love it. Very satisfying!
So happy to hear that!
Made this salad, was very yummy! Thanks for a great recipe, interesting dressing, first time I used Tahini! 😋👍🏻
Amazing! So glad you gave this one a try 🙂
Made this for the first time last year for a party, it was a big hit!
I’m so glad!
This salad was so so good. Made it exactly. Will use this one over and over again it is that food.
So glad you loved it!!