Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese
For this Brussel Sprout Salad, brussel sprouts are shredded and sauteed until warm, tossed with dried cranberries and almonds, and topped with crispy fried goat cheese!
This salad has all the flavor and all the texture. Boring salad this is not. It’s also pretty filling on its own, and you can even add some Grilled Chicken Breast to make it a full meal.
The pan-fried goat cheese is so good it nearly steals the show. It adds crispiness and creaminess at the same time, which is quite welcome to the shredded texture of the brussel sprouts.
Most of the time I make Roasted Brussel Sprouts with dinner because it’s so simple and so good, but I do like enjoying them with this shaved texture every once in a while.
This dish is a good choice for serving during the holidays or for entertaining, just as much as a weeknight dinner. So many people have never tried shredded brussel sprouts before and are delighted to try them in a new way.
The salad also naturally has a very Christmasy holiday look, with the green veggies and red cranberries. You can even throw some pomegranate arils in there too, if you’d like.
For the goat cheese, it’s important to get the creamy, mild kind.
I find that different brands of goat cheese vary so much. Some goat cheeses are kind of crumbly, whereas others are super creamy. Then some have so much of that goat “funk” flavor that I find it to be overwhelming, whereas some are a bit more mellow. My favorite goat cheese for this is the creamy, mild kind. Look for “chevre” on the label.
How to Shred Brussel Sprouts:
Start by slicing up a bunch of brussel sprouts, until they’re almost shredded in texture:
You can actually buy pre-shredded brussel sprouts at most grocery stores (like Trader Joe’s), but I find it worthwhile to cut it myself. The texture is a little nicer.
Saute the shaved brussel sprouts for a couple minutes with a little butter (or olive oil), salt, and pepper:
How to Make Brussel Sprout Salad:
Once the sprouts are warm and a little bit brown, mix with dried cranberries, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, and aged balsamic vinegar:
Now it’s time to finish things off with the goat cheese!
Shape hunks of goat cheese into pucks with your fingers, then dredge in flour:
Then in egg:
Then in panko bread crumbs:
Fry in olive oil for a couple minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy:
The sweet spot is getting the outside golden and the inside creamy and melty, but not so hot that it starts oozing everywhere. I find it easiest to cook the goat cheese in a nonstick skillet.
Serve with the salad by placing a goat cheese medallion on top of each serving:
I have a full video of this recipe below the recipe card, if you’d like more guidance.
Brussel Sprouts with Candied Pecans and Ricotta Salata is another great side dish that’s fit for holidays or just a nice weeknight dinner. Enjoy!
More Salad Recipes:
- Caesar Salad
- Steak Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Wild Rice Salad with Spiced Carrots and Pistachios

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussel sprouts
- 2 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 6 oz log creamy mild goat cheese (chèvre)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the brussel sprouts very thinly, so they have a shredded texture (see blog post pictures for reference).
- Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat, then add the butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the brussel sprouts, and season with a 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
- Saute for 3 minutes, just barely cooking the brussel sprouts, then move the brussel sprouts to a bowl.
- Dress the brussel sprouts with 3 tbsp olive oil and the vinegar, and mix in the dried cranberries and slivered almonds.
- Split the goat cheese into four small hockey puck-like pieces, shaping them with your fingers.
- Place the flour, egg, and bread crumbs in three separate bowls, and dredge the goat cheese pucks in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to a skillet (preferably nonstick) set over medium heat, and fry the goat cheese for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Serve with the brussel sprouts. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated November 2019. Originally published September 2014.
26 Comments on “Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese”
I love… LOVE fried goat cheese in my salad. Never done it with brussels sprouts though. Trying this immediately! I’ll probably put like 15 fried goat cheeses on my salad though, bc I’m a fatty. And that’s how fatties roll hahaha
HAHA I definitely put more than just one goat cheese on my salad, even though only one is in the photo =)