Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing
This kale Brussels sprout salad is simple and filling. It offers a slaw-like crunch with an irresistible creamy dressing. Parmesan and toasted almonds send it over the top.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on January 6, 2026
This simple kale and Brussels sprout salad features a creamy tahini dressing coating crisp green leaves. It’s savory, satisfying and almost slaw-like in texture, thanks to the crunchy raw Brussels sprouts and slivered almonds. Parmesan and a dab of miso take it to the next level, though the miso isn’t entirely essential if you don’t want to buy a tub.
This hearty salad is perfect for winter through early spring. I’ve struggled to find my default tender greens lately since they’re out of season. Kale and Brussels sprouts are cool-weather crops, so it’s their time to shine!
Serve this salad when you’re craving something healthy. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but it could also serve as a supporting role in a holiday meal or special dinner. Since kale and Brussels sprouts are so hardy, the dressed salad stores well in the fridge for a few days.
This recipe was roughly inspired by a salad at Westside Local, one of my long-time favorite Kansas City restaurants. They top their salads with crispy bacon and fried shallots.
My less indulgent, at-home version relies on Parmesan and toasted almonds instead. It’s quite a departure from the original recipe, but I enjoy this one just as much.
I created this recipe in 2013, and it’s as good as I remembered, so I’m sharing it again with updated photos. I’m excited to freshen up the post, and hope the new pictures entice you to give it a try.
Salad Preparation Tips
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here are some tips before you get started.
How to Prepare Kale
Start with freshly washed kale, patted dry. Use a chef’s knife to cut the ribs from the kale leaves, then discard them. Then chop the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces.
Sprinkle salt lightly over the kale and use your hands to “massage” it by lightly scrunching it between your hands. Continue massaging until the kale becomes darker in color and more fragrant. Transfer the kale to a medium serving bowl.
Massaging the kale makes the leaves softer (no longer poky) and more flavorful. It makes all the difference!
Store-bought shortcut: You can choose to buy pre-chopped kale at the store, but make sure the leaves look fresh along the edges. Discard the thick ribs before using, and you’ll still need to massage the kale as directed.
How to Prepare Brussels Sprouts
Chop off and discard the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and any discolored outer leaves. Either use your knife to slice the sprouts as thin as possible, or shred the sprouts in your food processor using the slicing disk. Add the sprouts to the bowl and use your fingers break up any clumps.
Note: You can buy pre-sliced Brussels sprouts at the store, but I recommend slicing them yourself. The pre-sliced versions are typically cut too thick to yield a nicely textured salad and are often browning along the edges already.
More Kale & Brussels Sprout Recipes
Here are a few of my favorite recipes featuring kale and Brussels sprouts:
- Deb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Lemony Kale Salad
- Perfect Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
Please let me know how your salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing
Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and toasted slivered almonds lend this kale salad a slaw-like crunch, while Parmesan and miso contribute savoriness. Recipe yields 2 large salads or 4 side salads.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of curly green kale
- 12 Brussels sprouts (about ½ pound or 2 big handfuls’ worth)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan, to taste (use a vegetable peeler to shave the cheese into little strips)
- Fine salt
Tahini-maple dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons white miso
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Use a chef’s knife to cut out the ribs of the kale leaves. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle salt lightly over the kale and use your hands to “massage” it by lightly scrunching it between your hands. Continue massaging until the kale becomes darker in color and more fragrant. Transfer the kale to a medium serving bowl.
- Chop off and discard the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and any discolored outer leaves. Either use your knife to slice the sprouts as thin as possible, or shred the sprouts in your food processor using the slicing disk. Add the sprouts to the bowl and use your fingers break up any clumps.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, miso, maple syrup and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the water until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Some brands of tahini are thicker than others, so if your dressing is too thick, add a bit more water and/or vinegar, to taste. Pour the dressing over the kale and sprouts and mix well.
- In a small pan over medium heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until fragrant and turning golden (this will take less than five minutes so watch carefully). Add the toasted almonds and parmesan shavings to the salad and toss. Taste, and add more Parmesan if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Before serving, you might want to wake up the flavors with a tiny splash of vinegar.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the Parmesan cheese.
Make it gluten free: Omit the miso. Add salt to the dressing, to taste.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This dressing sounds amazing! I can’t get enough kale lately, it seems!
I am obsessed with making tahini based dressings lately and love how well it goes with maple. I just bought my first container of miso, so I can’t wait to give this a try! Love that this “straddles the line between winter and spring,” because that is how our weather currently feels!
Thanks, Ashley! Miso is like magic in tahini dressing. Try it and let me know what you think!
I love your recipes and looking forward to making the kale and brussel sprout salad!
What could you suggest instead of using miso and cheese as no dairy and wheat for myself!
Thanks :)
Hey Eli, I think you could skip the miso and cheese altogether. Maybe add a little more slivered almonds. Miso is wheat-free, but if you’re avoiding soy as well, just skip it.
I posted a kale salad today too! Going to try this one next. Love it!
I wouldn’t have thought to pair brussel sprouts with something sweet! Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
So many great flavors in the dressing. I need to pick up some tahini and miso and give this a try STAT.
Please do, Amanda! I am totally hooked on tahini-miso dressing, so I hope you feel the same after trying it. You can go in a lot of different directions with it by using different vinegar (or lemon) and sweetener (if any). You can also add chopped fresh herbs or garlic.
This looks like just the type of salad I’ve been looking for! Anything with kale is always good, and that dressing sounds delish :)
So healthy and delicious looking, yum!! Bring that sunshine back!
Ooooooo I love me some Westside Local. And this salad is allowed to live in my mouth forever, rent free.
I’m so glad I found this post! I’m in charge of the salad for Easter dinner. I wanted to something Springy, but its so cold out. But I didn’t wanna do a winter salad either. Now…this salad will be perfect! I think I’ll add some roasted beets for a hit of color! Thanks for the recipe!
I hope this salad is a hit at your Easter dinner, Maria. Please let me know how it turns out!
haha I love how you added the “sneezes” comment. I totally sneeze when I stare at the sun too (assuming that’s what you meant)! This salad looks super tasty!
Tahini, maple, and miso oh my! This dressing is calling to me!
I Am in LOVE with this! I need this salad in my life today! I might just make it for dinner, I have everything on hand!
Thanks, Tieghan! Enjoy!
I have to say that the mere idea of raw kale and Brussels’ sprouts is absolutely sensuous, with these wonderful textures, and that dressing sounds like a perfect foil for the sturdy greens. I can’t wait to try this ;-)
I love making homemade versions of restaurant food and this looks utterly delicious and no less so for being a little healthier. Tahini dressing is so good.
Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing!! And it make sense, because I had that very salad at Westside Local when we visited Kansas City and I was OBSESSED. Making this this week!
I’m glad you have experienced that incredible salad, too, Megan! Please let me know how you like this one.
I LOVE the look of this recipe – the tahini maple dressing in itself is going straight to the top of my make-soon list! Thank you!
What a great recipe for transitioning from Winter vegetables into Spring salad recipes! Looks healthy and delicious!
so pretty! I have been loving raw brussels in salads lately. this looks like what I’ve been craving.
That dressing sounds absolutely divine!
Ah, I love little “bridging” salads like these to make it over to the other side of spring. Plus, tahini + kale are best buddies forever so I already know that this tastes amazing. These shots are pretty baller too, miss.
Oh. My. God. I’m in love with the tahini dressing! I used it yesterday for a soft tasting cole slaw with apple and walnuts and today again for a warm salad with red cabbage, asparagus, carrot and apple again. I sprinkled the salad with some cinnamon at the very end of sauteing, removed the pan from the heat and added the dressing. Loooovely! I just made another batch this evening and I’m suspecting a new staple in my pantry… Thank you for sharing!
This looks SO G OOD!!!!
This looks delicious!
This sounds lovely! I wanna make it and add very thinly sliced apples. I think it would go nicely with the crunchy/bitter greens and the maple in the dressing.
You’re such a salad rockstar! This is going on my “must make” list for the coming week. We’re on a salad kick, so I know we’ll pull through and make it!
i will never get sick of kale recipes. never!
Yum! Kathryne, this is just the kind of healthy hearty salad I love! I bet the creamy tahini is so so good with the kale and brussels.
xoxo
E
Ooh I do love kale. …this sound delicious.
Hi Kate – just made this and had to ad lib freely based on what was available. It still came out amazing! Call me crazy but I substituted 1 tsp soy sauce and rice wine vinegar for the miso; 1 tsp honey for maple syrup, and distilled white vinegar for the white wine vinegar. (Maybe this is the same thing?)
If its this good with my mad libs, I can imagine how much better it will be when I make it with the prescribed ingredients. Great work, this may be the best Kale Salad recipes on the Internet!
Having this for dinner as we type! It is DELICIOUS. So nice to have a hearty salad for dinner, and very excited to now have some tahini and miso in my fridge for a little while!
Thank you!
Thank you, Rebecca! I’m so glad you loved the salad. I’m addicted to that tahini-miso dressing. You can switch up the vinegar and add herbs or lemon or garlic for fun variations.
Tahini always makes me think of falafel. I’ve never thought of putting it on a salad!
WOW! This tahini dressing sounds so interesting! especially along with the kale and brussel sprouts, my favorites!
I’ve just recently discovered kale, and I plan to make this as soon as I bring home another fresh bunch of them because it, along with the toppings AND dressing, sounds perfect! Nothing like a recipe that straddles seasons to fulfill a craving and sound so good!
Oh my gosh! I just had the kale salad at Westside Local last night. Rocked my world!!! I vowed to recreate it…and you beat me to it! Hehe.
I was skeptical – I’ve never had Brussels sprouts and I’ve never been a fan of raw kale. I made this last night though and it was seriously the most delicious salad ever!! I actually just made it again for lunch today! I think i could eat this every day of the rest of my life and it would never get old. Thank you for the creative, nutritious and delicious recipe!
Thank you, Melissa! Kudos for taking a chance with brussels sprouts and kale. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Looks great and I will try soon. Just had my first raw brussel sprout salad last month and loved it so your recipe is very timely.
This sounds so delicious and super healthy!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My husband, who KATES kale, ate this up and went back for seconds. This is a definite keeper… wonderful!
Thanks, Ana! I’m so glad you both enjoyed the salad (and your husband eating kale—win!).
I tried it and liked it so much I passed it along to Talulas Table and The Woodlands at Phillips.
This is a great recipe. Thanks!
Thank you, Kurt! I’m so glad you liked the salad.
Hi Kate! I’m a big fan of the blog, first time commenter :). I’ve been dying to try this recipe for days and holy cow, it did not disappoint. Delicious. I added some frizzled shallots to spice it up (but no bacon!) and I can not stop eating it right out of the serving bowl. Dang. Thanks for sharing this & all of your other fabulous recipes.
I’m sorry to hear things haven’t been coming up daisies for you lately. Warm thoughts! xo
Liz
Thank you, Liz! I’m so glad to know you’re out there and enjoying the recipes.
Kate, this recipe looks so delicious. I’m always trying to invent new ways to get my husband to eat kale (he’s actually really starting to like it now! Hooray!) and brussels sprouts (still working on this one!). I am sure that he’d love this recipe… primarily because of the tahini and maple combination. I’ve made a couple of almond milk and maple shakes, and almond milk and date shakes, and he’s loved both. I think the flavours are kinda echoed here… definite winner! Thanks for the inspiration! And say hi to cookie for me :)
Hey Laura, I hope this recipe turns your husband into a kale and brussels sprouts lover! I think it just might. Cookie says hi. :)
Thank you Kate! I made this with and without the kale based on what I had on hand in my kitchen, and both dishes were keepers. I’m so happy with this recipe since I had a shaved kale salad at a restaurant awhile back and loved it too.
Thank you, Carolyn. I’m so glad you enjoyed the brussels salad!
this looks tasty! westside local sure does some wonderfully yummy things with brussels sprouts.
I am so excited to try this!! Looks completely wonderful!!!
Just discovered your blog and it looks amazing. I have a ton of baby kale. Does it benefit from the salted massage like the grown up stuff?
Glad you found my blog, Carol! I have massaged baby kale before and it seemed to help a little, though do be more gentle with those baby leaves. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Hello summer! this is just calling my name :) yummo
I LOVE this recipe and it has become my go-to for kale salad. I even did a post about it on my blog! http://thelilita.blogspot.com/2013/05/kale-and-brussels-sprouts-salad-with.html
This. Looks. Fabulous. Making it for dinner and can hardly wait! Question on the miso- are thre differences? I couldn’t find “white” miso- only what looks like it may be brown- in a bottle- did I get the wron stuff?
Hi Sue, glad you’re making the salad! I’m afraid the miso you bought may not work well in this recipe. White miso is the most mellow of miso varieties, so the brown stuff may overpower the other flavors. I found my miso in the refrigerated section, near the tofu, and it looks like this: https://www.great-eastern-sun.com/stuff/miso-master-organic-kosher-mellow-white-miso-
This salad looks delicious and I am going to try it however it shouldn’t really be classified as Raw as it contains Parmesan cheese which I don’t believe is raw. I’m going to substitute the dairy with a raw Pine nut cheese recipe I have which uses pine nuts and Savory Yeast flakes. Thank you for your beautiful recipes and photographs.
Thanks for pointing that out, Tamara. I called it raw because it calls for raw kale but I can see how that would be misleading.