Charred Broccoli & Brussel Sprouts Salad

Charred Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts salad with spicy peanut vinaigrette and fresh mint - healthy, delicious, and ready to be devoured.

The oven-roasted broccoli and Brussel sprouts in this recipe get a nice crispy char on them, and this pairs beautifully with the sweet and spicy heat of the salad dressing and crunchy peanuts. It is a wonderfully tasty warm Brussel sprouts broccoli salad that is perfect for wintertime, and I guarantee that anyone who previously moaned about not liking Brussel sprouts will change their mind after trying this!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make Broccoli and Brussels sprout Salad
• Can I use frozen Brussel Sprouts?
• What wine can I pair with this Brussel sprout broccoli salad?
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Frequently asked questions
• More salad recipes
• Recipe Card
• Food safety

The usual complaint about Brussel sprouts' taste is that it's verging on bitter, and we fix that with a spicy peanut vinaigrette that I would honestly drink on its own with a straw and a cocktail umbrella.

But it's not just filled with flavor, this honey sriracha Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts salad with spicy peanut vinaigrette also packs a nutritional punch...

Dark green cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussel sprouts are full of nutrients, high in fiber, and low in calories. They can help to reduce inflammation and can even lower your risk of developing certain diseases, basically, you want them in your diet. The spicy peanut vinaigrette is oil-free and contains cholesterol-lowering garlic and powerful antioxidant chili, and the hint of the fish sauce gives it that gloriously complex umami flavor that tickles all the taste buds so much. So what are you waiting for?

This Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts salad with honey sriracha dressing works well as an easy side dish for Christmas and if you're on the lookout for festive appetizer ideas, try this baked camembert with garlic butter croutons.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make your roasted Broccoli and Brussel Sprout salad with spicy peanut vinaigrette and honey sriracha dressing.

1. Broccoli: good quality broccoli is a bright green with closed flower buds. When pressed with a thumb the head should be firm.

2. Brussel Sprouts: pick the bright green heads, they are fresher. The smaller they are in size the sweeter.

3. Rice vinegar: this type of vinegar has a mild and slightly sweet flavor, you can substitute it with sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
4. Honey: this natural sweetener adds a sweet and floral flavor to the dressings, balancing the spiciness and tangy levels of this vinaigrette.
5. Sriracha: This sauce adds spiciness to this vinaigrette, you are welcome to use any hot sauce of your choice.
6. Fish sauce: the salty savory taste from this pairs so well with the broccoli and brussels sprouts.  You may use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead.
7. Lime juice: Try to use freshly squeezed lime juice and let store-bought or lemon juice be your last resort. 
8. Garlic: The garlic in this spicy peanut vinaigrette is raw so we grate it so the flavor is manageable.
9. Peanuts: You can roast your peanuts if you want, although I personally prefer them as they come. You can use gourmet or Virginia peanuts, just any type of peanuts really.
10. Oil:  I used olive oil to drizzle over the vegetables before I put them in the oven, other great alternatives are avocado oil and canola oil.
11. Thai chili pepper: thinly sliced, goes into the vinaigrette to supplement the spicy kick together with the sriracha sauce. I see jalapenos or any chili peppers getting the job done if you don't have access to Thai chili.
12. Kosher salt to taste and fresh mint leaves for garnishing.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make Broccoli and Brussels sprout Salad

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
2. Trim the bottom off the Brussels sprouts and then slice them in half from top to bottom, so that you cut vertically through the base. This will keep the Brussel sprouts together, but don't worry if a few of the leaves flake off, they will just go extra crispy as you roast in the oven.
3. Cut the broccoli into medium-small florets.
4. Put the Broccoli Brussel sprouts on an oven tray.

5. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt over the Brussel sprouts Broccoli and then turn the Brussel sprouts over to ensure they are flat/cut side down for optimum browning.

6. Put the tray in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.

7. Check the Broccoli and Brussel sprouts to see how they are doing, jiggle the tray a little and if the broccoli is looking charred to perfection, take it out and leave the Brussel sprouts in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

8. Put the charred Broccoli and Brussel sprouts into a warm bowl and make your spicy peanut vinaigrette.

Making a spicy peanut vinaigrette

9. Grate the garlic clove using the parmesan setting on a cheese grater so it becomes a mushy pulp. The garlic in this spicy peanut vinaigrette is raw so we grate it so the flavor isn't too overwhelming.

10. In a small bowl or jar, make the spicy peanut dressing by mixing the rice vinegar, honey, sriracha, fish sauce, lime juice, and garlic together with a fork.

11. Chop the peanuts up on a chopping board and put them in the vinaigrette. You can leave them whole but I like them in small crumbly bits as they stick to the Brussel sprouts and broccoli better, meaning you get a taste of them with each mouthful.

Assemble your delicious warm Broccoli and Brussels sprouts salad!

12. Toss the oven-roasted Broccoli and Brussel sprouts with the spicy peanut vinaigrette with honey sriracha and scatter chopped fresh mint over the top.

Roasting broccoli tip: Put the broccoli on one side of an oven tray, and the Brussel sprouts on the other. We separate them so that if the broccoli cooks faster than the Brussel sprouts we can whip them out earlier and avoid burning.

Can I use frozen Brussel Sprouts?

Sadly they just won't brown up and go crispy. There is too much liquid and you won't get charred Brussel Sprouts if you’re cooking frozen Brussels Sprouts so I highly recommend using fresh Brussel sprouts for this recipe.

What wine can I pair with this Brussel sprout broccoli salad?

A relatively sweet wine will work with spicy food like a ripe Pinot Noir, a Grenache, or an off-dry Riesling. I personally also love to drink a Gewurztraminer white wine with spicy food.

Substitutions

Here are some ways you can make substitutions in this recipe to suit you.

1. Vegan - to make this recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey and soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
2. Nut free - you could try toasting some panko breadcrumbs to scatter on top instead of the spicy peanuts to make this nut free.
3. Fish sauce - use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead of fish sauce if you don't have any.

Variations

Why not put your own twist on it? Here are some other ways to tweak this warm salad, it is your rodeo after all.

1. Spicy - add extra heat with a hotter chili like habanero or scotch bonnet, more sriracha, or dried chili flakes.
2. Mild - take the chili out of the spicy peanut vinaigrette recipe and use less sriracha
3. More veg - add kale and sweet potato to the roasting pan to bulk this out with even more veg.
4. You can roast your vegetables in an Air fryer if you have one.

Equipment

This Broccoli and Brussel sprouts salad with honey sriracha dressing is pretty fuss-free when it comes to equipment! You will only need:

1. Chopping board
2. Kitchen knife
3. Oven tray
4. Jar or bowl for the spicy peanut vinaigrette
5. Salad bowl for serving.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and consume them within 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

This Brussel sprouts broccoli salad can be served warm straight from the oven or at room temperature so can be made in advance and chilled, and then brought out 30 minutes before serving.

Frequently asked questions

More salad recipes

Recipe Card

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.