21 Thanksgiving Salad Recipes for Your Holiday Table
Updated: May 04, 2022From leafy green bowls to grain-based dishes, these seasonal sides are bursting with fall flavor. Here are the best Thanksgiving salad recipes to make this year.
Cran-Orange Couscous Salad
When it comes to Thanksgiving salad recipes, this contest-winning dish takes the cake. Featuring freshly chopped navel oranges, cranberries and a touch of fennel, it’s the perfect dish to pair with your holiday feast.
Grilled Apple Tossed Salad
A tangy, homemade balsamic dressing pairs well with sweet, tender grilled apples in this quick and filling Thanksgiving salad. Wondering what apple to use here? Check out our guide to the best apples for baking, cooking and eating!
Winter Beet Salad
For fans of roasted beets, this is one of the best Thanksgiving salad recipes. And it’s well worth the time it takes to come together. Take a shortcut by using packaged salad greens—just be sure to wash them.
Pear Harvest Salad
End up with way too much leftover turkey? Turn it into a delicious day-after-Thanksgiving salad recipe! The addition of cubed avocados, honey-roasted almonds and pears make this harvest salad not only hearty but healthy as well.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
For a low-calorie salad for your holiday party, look no further than this flavorful Thanksgiving salad recipe! The key to tender Brussels sprouts is refrigerating the salad for as long as possible before serving.
Roasted Apple Salad with Spicy Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
You’ll find all the best flavors of fall in this harvest salad recipe, like apples, maple syrup and toasted pecans. It’s also the perfect fall dish to make if you have extra fruit after going apple picking.
Lemon Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Coming together in 30 minutes, this quick Thanksgiving salad recipe is light and lettuce-free. Don’t like cranberries or parsley? Try using diced fresh mangoes and cilantro instead.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey-Maple Vinaigrette
Bright colors and bold flavors make this one of our favorite Thanksgiving salads to serve! Don’t skip the crumbled blue cheese topping—it pairs exceptionally well with this dish’s sweet homemade honey-maple vinaigrette.
Wendy’s Apple Pomegranate Salad
A longtime favorite, this tart Thanksgiving salad recipe is sure to create unforgettable memories when served at your next holiday feast. Best of all, it’s ready in just 20 minutes and is only 165 calories a serving!
Kale & Bacon Salad with Honey-Horseradish Vinaigrette
Uncompromising on taste, this flavorful Thanksgiving salad showcases kale, a highly nutritious green and incredible superfood. Not a fan of this leafy green? Use collards, mustard greens or a mix of spinach and arugula instead.
Pomegranate Persimmon Salad
Add some sunshine to your fall table with this quick fall salad. It’s ready in just 15 minutes, so guests will be able to enjoy how the sweet, bright persimmons interact with the dish’s puckery homemade vinaigrette.
Wilted Spinach Salad with Butternut Squash
The epitome of Thanksgiving salad recipes, this dish feels exactly like fall. A decadent start to your holiday meal, the warm balsamic vinaigrette is key to transforming the salad’s simple ingredients into something special. First time sauteing squash? Here’s how to safely peel and cut winter squash.
Roquefort Pear Salad
Ready in 20 minutes, this seriously quick Thanksgiving salad is perfect for a large crowd—it makes enough for 10 servings and, aside from the dressing, only requires five ingredients! Not a fan of mustard vinaigrette? Try it with this homemade blue cheese dressing instead.
Sweet Potato & Chickpea Salad
Perfect for a holiday potluck, this Thanksgiving salad recipe is light on the calories, but its flavors are through the roof! For an added crunch, roast the chickpeas in the oven alongside the sweet potatoes.
Citrus & Roasted Beets Salad
This recipe is great if you’re looking to add some color to your holiday table. The roasted beets add a rich earthiness, which is balanced out by the tart pieces of citrus. Want to make this salad more filling? Add some shredded turkey.
Hot Spinach Apple Salad
Six ingredients and 20 minutes are all you need to bring one of our favorite Thanksgiving salad recipes to life. This holiday potluck recipe makes 10 servings of fresh green goodness!
Cranberry-Pecan Wheat Berry Salad
The addition of wheat berries makes this lettuce-free thanksgiving salad recipe a filling meal all by itself. Can’t find wheat berries? Instead, use kamut, a high-protein ancient grain.
Shredded Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Bursting with vitamins and minerals, this powerhouse salad will ensure you get your daily vegetable intake and then some this holiday season. Make this Thanksgiving salad in advance—letting it chill in the fridge is key to allowing the flavors to meld. In need of some sweetness? A ripe pear can be quite the addition.
Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa Salad
Full of festive color and flair, this Thanksgiving salad recipe is easy to modify—it works well with just about any nuts or dried fruit you have in stock.
Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad
Making 8 servings, this fall recipe is perfect for serving at any mid-size holiday gathering. The key to its success? Precut chunks of butternut squash. You can also make substitutes depending on what ingredients you have on hand. Pecans are great in place of the almonds, and watercress works well instead of the arugula or spinach.
Orange Poppy Seed Salad
A refreshing take on the romaine salad, this salad recipe adds a colorful splash to the holiday table thanks to its mandarin oranges, pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts. Love to prep Thanksgiving in advance? This salad can be made up to three days before the meal!
