Once you learn how to shave Brussels sprouts, the possibilities seem endless. You could add a handful to a taco bowl for crunch, toss them with fruit in an all-season salad, or wilt them atop pasta.

There are several ways to transform Brussels sprouts into versatile ribbons, including using a knife, food processor, or mandoline. Each method has its pros and cons, so choose your approach based on your equipment and the amount of sprouts you plan to tackle. 

No fancy machinery? No problem. With a steady hand and sharp knife, you can shave Brussels sprouts right on your cutting board. Because you can only slice one sprout at a time, this method is best for smaller quantities.

Check your Brussels sprouts for freshness and pluck off any wilted outer leaves.

Working with one Brussels sprout at a time, hold the vegetable by its woody stem in your non-dominant hand, curling your fingertips inward. Place the sprout perpendicular to a sharp chef’s knife on a cutting board. 

Thinly slice each sprout with your knife until you reach the stem. Repeat with all Brussels sprouts.

A food processor makes quick work of vegetable prep, so it’s especially useful if you have a lot of Brussels sprouts to prep. 

Trim woody stems and discard any wilted outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. 

Fit your food processor with the slicing disk, which affixes onto the stem to sit at the top of the bowl. Cover the machine with its lid, and then put as many of the prepared Brussels sprouts as will comfortably fit into the feed tube on the lid.

Turn the machine on and push the prepared sprouts down the feed tube, onto the slicing disk, and into the bowl. Repeat until all your Brussels sprouts are shaved, cleaning out the feed tube as needed.

Shaving Brussels sprouts one at a time on a mandoline takes more time than a food processor (and maybe a knife, depending on your slicing speed), but the resulting ribbons are razor-thin.

Check your Brussels sprouts for freshness and pluck off any wilted outer leaves.

On a cutting board, place a mandoline perpendicular to your dominant hand. Give the board a light push with your fingertips. If it moves, dampen a dish towel and put it between the cutting board and countertop to keep your work surface stable.

Spear the stem of one Brussels sprout with a fork and repeatedly slide the opposite, leafy side down the mandoline until the tines of your fork almost hit the blade.

If a sizable amount of sprout remains, you can reposition your fork and repeat until only a stump remains. But remember, mandoline blades are sharp and you don’t need to be a hero.

Repeat with each Brussels sprout until all are shaved.

Packed into an airtight container, shaved Brussels sprouts will last up to five days in the refrigerator. Put them to use in recipes like the following:

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