Get ready to shake up your Thanksgiving feast with an unexpected twist! These Thanksgiving salad recipes add an element of freshness to your celebration.
All the Thanksgiving favorites are here but mixed into deliciously different salads!
From cranberries to turkey to Brussels sprouts, all the classic flavors shine.
Bursting with autumnal flavors, colorful layers, and plenty of crunch, these recipes might even outshine the bird!
Ready to toss up some fun and dive into a world of crunchy, tangy, and wholesome goodness?
Let’s give your holiday menu the ultimate freshness makeover with these salads for Thanksgiving!
25 Thanksgiving Salads for Your Holiday Table
1. Fall Harvest Salad
This bright and gorgeous salad is packed with sweet and savory tastes.
It’s filled with soft chunks of roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, chopped pecans, goat cheese, chicken, and Honeycrisp apples.
Those fresh ingredients are tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette for an even more tongue-tingling taste.
2. Bacon Brussels Sprouts Salad
Have a Brussels sprouts hater coming to dinner?
Feed them this incredible salad and change their mind about the underrated vegetable forever.
Shredded and mixed with smoky bacon, pecans, and cheese, Brussels sprouts will soon become the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table.
3. Persimmon and Arugula Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
Peppery arugula gets cozy with persimmons, salty cheese, and maple-glazed pecans in this gorgeous dish.
Tossed in a maple mustard vinaigrette, it’s easy to assemble and ready in minutes.
The beauty of this dish isn’t just the tang. It’s also versatile. It adds green goodness to any main, whether you’re having a turkey or pot roast.
4. Cranberry Jell-O Salad
When it comes to Thanksgiving recipes, adding delightful sweetness to the savory main is a must.
This dish doesn’t just give you that hint of tart cranberry flavor, it also looks beautiful, adding some party flair to your table.
Made with a classic gelatin mold, it can double as a side or a dessert.
5. Apple Pecan Feta Spinach Salad
This fresh salad is a great choice if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to the usual Thanksgiving fare.
It’s light and refreshing, with tart apple slices nestled among leafy spinach, cranberries, walnuts, and crumbled feta.
This makes a great appetizer, but it’s also a hit the day after the feast when you’re tired of turkey.
6. Autumn Apple Kale Salad with Fennel, and Goat Cheese
There are a lot of different tastes and textures going on in this salad.
Fennel, apples, and cranberries add delicious sweetness while chewy kale, goat cheese, and crunchy pecans balance it out with savory notes.
Everything is dressed in a mustard and maple dressing, doubling down on the sweet/savory theme.
7. Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Fresh and colorful, I’m addicted to this bright salad for Thanksgiving.
It’s made with broccoli, crunchy bacon pieces, nuts, raisins, and onions, all thrown together in a creamy and sweet dressing.
Everyone at the table will devour it!
8. Toasted Farro with Pear, Hazelnut and Arugula
This hearty salad can be served warm as a vegetarian main, or chilled and served as a side or appetizer.
Either way, it’s gorgeous. Flavored with grains, nuts, pear, and greens, it’s sweet, nutty, and very satisfying.
9. Roasted Beets and Carrots Salad with Burrata
This simple salad is light, refreshing, and full of color!
The golden beets, coupled with bright orange carrots, is a feast for the eyes and the belly. The creamy burrata takes it over the top!
Easy, quick, and tasty, this is a great option to kick off your holiday feast.
10. Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is indeed the food of the gods.
It’s a heavenly dish, loaded with fresh fruits in a creamy dressing.
If you like your Thanksgiving salads full of juicy pineapple, oranges, coconut, and tiny marshmallows, this is the dish for you!
11. Cranberry Pecan Cucumber Salad
This fresh and simple salad definitely makes an impression.
It’s perfect if you want something a little different on the table this year.
It’s a mind-blowing mix of crisp cucumbers, toasted pecans, tart cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese.
This fun side is a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and 100% delicious!
12. Pomegranate Salad with Kale, Wild Rice, and Feta
Bright jewels of pomegranate seeds are scattered through this delightful side, adding a touch of festive color.
Equally great for Christmas or Thanksgiving, this dish is a filling side that can be easily bulked out into a tasty vegetarian main.
13. Thanksgiving Lentil Salad
This ultimate fall salad is a vegetarian-friendly dish that makes the most of the season’s produce.
Caramelized butternut squash, toasted pecans, sweet raisins, kale, and red onion are mixed with a lentil base.
There are a few steps involved as you prep the ingredients, but you can assemble it a day ahead. Drizzle over the Dijon dressing just before serving.
14. Leftover Turkey Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Have an economical Thanksgiving with this tasty salad that transforms day-old turkey into a totally new dish.
Dressed in a zest cranberry vinaigrette, this is everything you love about the Thanksgiving dinner in a much lighter meal.
15. Roasted Hasselback Butternut Squash Salad
Butternut squash adds a sweet, hearty element to greens that can’t be topped.
It’s also really tasty when mixed with goat cheese and maple pecans!
The zesty dressing is a caramelized shallot and Dijon vinaigrette. It’s guaranteed to impress!
16. Melon Basil Burrata Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
This elegant Thanksgiving salad is ideal if you’re serving up a brunch to fancy friends.
It’s a unique mix of melon, fresh basil, cheese, prosciutto, tomatoes, and salted nuts. All dressed in a luscious fig and balsamic vinaigrette.
17. Roasted Acorn Squash Salad with Spicy Pepitas and Cranberries
Soft, sweet, and creamy, acorn squash is a great salad ingredient.
Here, it teams up with spicy pumpkin seeds and tart cranberries, providing the perfect subtly sweet base for these louder flavors.
Dress with pomegranate seeds and crumbled goat cheese for an extra pop of color and taste!
18. Apple Cranberry Coleslaw
Crunchy and creamy, you’ll have a hard time saving this salad until the guests arrive.
Shredded cabbage and carrots are mixed in a simple but delicious creamy dressing, along with apples and cranberries.
Surprisingly healthy, this is a great way to get your recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.
19. Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds & Feta
No Thanksgiving gathering is complete without the time-honored green bean casserole.
Ditch Granny’s recipe this year (sorry Granny) in favor of this fun twist on the classic.
It’s a crunchy, healthy salad that adds nuts and cheese to the beans, making them even more irresistible.
20. Autumn Caesar Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash Croutons
A classic Caesar salad is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. And this version with roasted delicata squash croutons is an upgrade!
Kale gets tossed with shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and the squash croutons for a flavor explosion you’ll love.
It’s finished off with traditional Caesar dressing for a tangy, irresistible bite.
21. Buckwheat, Apple, Cranberry Avocado Salad
The best thing about this nutty, fruity salad is the citrus-scented vinaigrette.
So good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful, it’s made with fresh lemons, maple syrup, and Dijon.
Drizzled over tender buckwheat and crunchy apple slices, it’s heaven on a plate.
22. Harissa Carrot & Parsnip Salad with Quinoa, Radicchio & Yogurt Sauce
This salad is a fancy addition to Thanksgiving dinner. It’s filled with radicchio, quinoa, harissa roasted carrots and parsnips, and chopped hazelnuts.
It’s all topped with a vegan yogurt sauce. Fresh dill and orange zest are the perfect finishing touch!
This one is bound to be a show-stopper!
23. Brussels Sprout Slaw with Cranberries, Cashews, and Apples
If you’re planning a Thanksgiving buffet, this make-ahead slaw is the answer to your prayers.
There’s no worry about wilting, as this salad will stay fresh and crunchy while you wait for the guests to arrive.
With Brussels sprouts, cashews, and cranberries, it’s a delicious combination everyone will devour.
24. Radicchio Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
This fun salad features bitter radicchio, sweet pears, cheddar, farro, and nutty pecans.
It’s easy to make, and the most time-consuming part is cooking the farro for 25 minutes.
The maple vinaigrette takes the flavors of this salad to new heights. You’ll want to make it every year!
25. Grape Salad
This luxurious salad is surprisingly simple but very decadent.
Grapes and chopped pecans are tossed in a smooth and creamy dressing, made with cream cheese, sour cream, and brown sugar.
Serve chilled and don’t be surprised when your guests lick the bowl clean!
25 Best Thanksgiving Salads To Feed a Crowd
4
servings10
minutes260
kcal10
minutesThese Thanksgiving Salad recipes will add something special to your celebration this year. Try this spinach and apple recipe with tangy honey mustard dressing.
Ingredients
- For the Salad
6 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced (Honeycrisp or Fuji)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Optional: 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
- For the Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, mix the spinach leaves with the sliced apples, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until well-coated. Then, sprinkle the goat cheese over the top, if using.
- Serve the salad immediately, or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To Make Ahead: prep the salad dressing and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Assemble the salad just before serving.
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