20 Thanksgiving Salad Recipes That Are Full of Fall Flavors
Don't forget the salad—it's a MUST for a perfect Thanksgiving meal.
There are certain dishes you absolutely MUST have on your Thanksgiving table—green bean casserole, gravy, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, etc. While we’re all about these classics, they do tend toward the, shall we say...heavier side of things. May we suggest adding a bit of balance to your meal in the form of salad? Whether you’re looking for simple leafy green options or more elaborate salads full of seasonal produce, we’ve got options for you here. Check out our best Thanksgiving salads for ideas—trust us, no holiday table is complete without them.
Too often, salad falls by the wayside during Thanksgiving. We totally get it—if you’re running low on time and it’s between salad and something like biscuits or pie, we know what’s getting ditched. To avoid this, we’ve included a number of crazy simple salads here. They take almost no prep and can be either thrown together days ahead of time or in less than 15 minutes. If you want to get ahead of the game, try our three-bean salad, our farro salad, our broccoli bacon salad, or our quinoa salad with roasted squash and cranberries. They can all be made up to 3 days before the big day and can be served warm or cold. If you had grand plans, and now the clock’s running out, check out our super-easy arugula salad, our kale salad, our apple salad, or our spinach salad. They prove you can pretty much pair any green with a simple vinaigrette, something crunchy (nuts or apples are good), and a little cheese to great effect, without a ton of effort.
Simple or not, salads are best when they’re chock-full of quality, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. There’s no better time of year for this than fall, when everything from sweet potatoes to Brussels to carrots are at their peak. Try adding them to any of your fall salads, or make them the entire focus, like in our sweet potato salad, our Parmesan Brussels sprouts salad, or our Moroccan carrot salad. If you’ve got the time, they can take otherwise simple salads over the top, like in our roasted beet & goat cheese salad, our mandarin orange salad, or our crispy butternut squash spinach salad.
You know what goes great with salad? Another oft overlooked Thanksgiving staple—soup! Check out our holiday favorites, as well as our top Thanksgiving pies, appetizers, and drinks.
Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad
Making this salad might seem intimidating, but it doesn't actually require much prep. Tossed with a combo of toasted almonds, shaved Parmesan, and pomegranate seeds, Brussels make a great side for any variety of Thanksgiving dinner.
Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad
Beet lovers, rejoice! This is the ideal Thanksgiving salad: creamy goat cheese, roasted beets, avocado, and arugula. The secret is that instead of buying precooked beets, you simply wrap them in foil and bake them like a baked potato. It takes about an hour, but the resulting beets will be tender, earthy, and slightly sweet in a way that no store-bought beet can.
Lolita's Kale Salad
At Lolita’s, one of Poughkeepsie, New York’s best restaurants, the ultra-creamy kale salad is bound with what is essentially a Caesar dressing amplified by extra lemon juice, then grounded and offset by toasted bread crumbs, pistachios, and Pecorino. It's light and special enough for any meal, including Thanksgiving.
Get the Lolita's Kale Salad recipe.
Sweet Potato Salad
This sweet potato salad is the perfect way to lighten up any autumnal dinner, and especially your Thanksgiving spread. Feta, dried cranberries, and red onions pair really nicely with the earthy sweetness of the orange superfood. Did we mention it's great warm or cold (which means you can make it ahead!)?
Get the Sweet Potato Salad recipe.
Shredded Brussels Sprouts
We love classic sautéed Brussels sprouts, but sometimes we crave something with a bit more kick. These slightly spicy, salty-sweet sprouts make for a unique and easy Thanksgiving salad that's quick to throw together and sure to impress.
Get the Shredded Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Grapefruit & Goat Cheese Fennel Salad
For this salad, we paired fennel with some other cold weather-friendly ingredients: juicy grapefruit, briny Kalamata olives, creamy goat cheese, and some rich toasted pine nuts. Most things are highly adjustable: swap in your favorites, just keep those toasty nuts!
Best-Ever Farro Salad
With pecans, Parm, green apples, and leafy arugula, this salad is hearty and holds up well—AKA a make-ahead dream. It's got ALL the elements you need: sweet, salty, soft, crunchy, fatty, fresh, but feel free to make it your own with your preferred mix-ins too.
Get the Farro Salad recipe.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
This carrot-and-raisin salad gets an upgrade with a slightly spicy, slightly sweet harissa and honey sauce. It brings out the sweet freshness of the carrots and makes the whole dish sing. We're tempted to pour it over all of our salads from here on out.
Get the Moroccan Carrot Salad recipe.
Three-Bean Salad
Though you can serve this salad right away, it actually benefits from time to marinate (perfect for Thanksgiving)! This will keep for up to five days, refrigerated in an airtight container. If you're planning to make it in advance, leave the parsley out until just before serving.
Get the Three-Bean Salad recipe.
Simple Arugula Salad
Arugula is a great base for a number of salads, but here we’re honoring it by featuring it all by itself in a super-simple version. It's perfect when you want to add some last-minute greens to your table.
Get the Perfect Arugula Salad recipe.
Kale Salad with Apples and Toasted Almonds
Need something else to do with your apple orchard haul? Kale yeah you do! Pair apples and kale with dried cherries, toasty almonds, and feta for a salad everyone will love this Thanksgiving.
Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Welcome fall with a twist on classic Caesar salad. The Brussels sprouts still offer a satisfying crunch, and with a homemade dressing and croutons, this salad can't be beat. Feel free to leave out the anchovy in the dressing for vegetarians!
Get the Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad recipe.
Mandarin Orange Salad
When it comes to holiday-worthy salads, this one takes the cake. The mandarin oranges give it a burst of freshness while the Parmesan gives it a bite of sharpness and nuttiness. Bonus: Its bright colors will make it stand out on your Thanksgiving table.
Get the Mandarin Orange Salad recipe.
Fried Halloumi Salad
This salad is one of our favorite ways to enjoy halloumi cheese. It has crunchy fennel (or sub celery if you like), juicy orange segments, creamy avocado, crispy fried pita, and a simple herb-packed dressing that ties it all together. It's the perfect side for a non-traditional Thanksgiving.
Get the Fried Halloumi Salad recipe.
Best Spinach Salad
We took our favorite things to pair with spinach: crisp apple, sliced red onion, briney feta, and toasted almonds, and tossed everything together for the perfectly balanced bowl. The sharp mustard vinaigrette is the perfect accompaniment to rich Thanksgiving flavors, but you might find yourself making it all year round too.
Get the Spinach Salad recipe.
Crispy Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Bacon-Shallot Vinaigrette
This bacon dressing is incredible on anything, so feel free to swap out the butternut squash for any of your favorite fall veggies (sweet potato, kabocha, or acorn squash would also be great!).
Get the Crispy Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Bacon-Shallot Vinaigrette recipe.
Bacon Pea Salad
When you think pea salad, you probably think of the mayo-based ones. Great in their own ways, but we decided to lighten ours up a bit (so you can save room for more PIE). This one is fresh, crunchy, and has the most delicious bacon vinaigrette.
Get the Bacon Pea Salad recipe.
Broccoli Bacon Salad
This is how you get broccoli haters to eat the green stuff. Thank you, bacon! Lightly coated in an apple cider vinegar dressing and tossed with almonds, carrots, red onions, and bacon, this salad is loaded with flavor and texture. It's the perfect make-ahead side for Thanksgiving.
Get the Broccoli Bacon Salad recipe.
Holiday Apple Salad
While we love this recipe for the tangy blue cheese, bittersweet cranberries, and fresh shallot vinaigrette, this salad is endlessly customizable. Whatever you do, don't skip on the apple or leafy greens!
Get the Apple Salad recipe.
Quinoa Salad With Roasted Squash And Cranberries
This recipe is the ultimate make-ahead dish for Thanksgiving. Loaded with sweet delicata squash, kale, and feta, it's a total flavor bomb we love paired with turkey, ham, or a vegetarian feast.
Get the Quinoa Salad With Roasted Squash, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
