The salad is the one thing on the Thanksgiving table that feels light, and it is usually the first side to disappear. These are the best salads for Thanksgiving, a mix of crunchy fall greens, sweet and savory chopped salads, and a few retro favorites.
Most can be prepped a day ahead, with just the dressing added right before serving.
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The Yummy Bowl Thanksgiving Salads
Chopped Apple Kale Salad
This chopped apple kale salad with miso mustard dressing is a quick, healthy, and crunchy salad perfect for easy lunches or weeknight dinners.
RECIPE
Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Broccoli Salad is a fresh and vibrant side dish with its combination of earthy, tart, and sweet flavors with pops of savory goodness from seeds and nuts! Tossed in a homemade lemon yogurt dressing for a creamy and tangy finish and chilled to make it even more flavorful and refreshing. The perfect make-ahead salad that is ready for chilling in less than 5 minutes!
RECIPE
Millionaire Cranberry Salad Recipe
A colorful blend of fresh cranberries, fluffy mini marshmallows, crunchy nuts, and juicy pineapple in one salad. We love making Millionaire Cranberry Salad for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and special occasions. Especially if we want to wow our guests with an extra fantastic dish. It is almost like Ambrosia Salad, but with a few substitutions and add-ons. Oh, and in terms of flavor, it's nothing like Ambrosia, it's better!
RECIPE
Italian Chopped Salad
This Italian chopped salad is quick, fresh, and easy to make with simple ingredients. A perfect healthy lunch or dinner packed with flavor.
RECIPE
Chickpea Kale Salad Recipe (With Lemon Tahini Dressing)
This delicious kale salad with zesty lemon dressing is an easy salad that can be enjoyed as a side dish or a light meal for lunch and dinner when combined with these protein-packed Air Fryer Chickpeas!
RECIPE
Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
Enjoy a refreshing Mozzarella and Tomato Salad, featuring ripe tomatoes and creamy mozzarella drizzled with a zesty vinaigrette. Perfect for a light lunch or a vibrant side dish.
RECIPE
Olivier Salad (Russian Potato Salad)
Olivier Salad (Russian Potato Salad) is a creamy, hearty, and classic dish perfect for gatherings! This easy recipe is beginner-friendly and packed with flavor.
RECIPE
Quinoa Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
This Quinoa Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing is healthy, fresh, and easy to make! Packed with protein and fiber, perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
RECIPE
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This quick Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is an easy, family-friendly dinner you can make in 15 minutes with rotisserie chicken, pasta, kale, and a creamy Caesar dressing.
RECIPE
More Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
Christmas Apple Salad
Serve up Christmas Apple Salad in this delightful wreath shape to make an impression on your holiday table.
RECIPE
Photo credit: mommyevolution.com
Apple Walnut Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette (Vegan)
This salad combines apples, cranberries, candied walnuts, and greens, and pairs them with a tangy maple-balsamic vinaigrette and creamy vegan feta.
RECIPE
Photo credit: stephsunshine.com
Beetroot Salad With Pomegranate
This beetroot salad with pomegranate is easy, quick and tasty - and my favorite way to enjoy beets! Perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs, you will definitely want to try this vibrant, simple and healthy salad.
RECIPE
Photo credit: loveincrediblerecipes.com
Warm Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon
A cozy warm Brussels sprout salad tossed with crispy bacon, nuts, and a zesty vinaigrette! The perfect side dish for fall dinners. #BrusselsSprouts #WarmSalad #FallFlavors #EasySideDish
RECIPE
Photo credit: tessiestable.com
Wheat Berry Salad With Apples And Cranberries
Try this Wheat Berry Salad! It's loaded with Apples and Cranberries is toothsome, flavorful, and healthy.
RECIPE
Photo credit: chewoutloud.com
Broccoli And Pomegranate Salad
This roasted broccoli and pomegranate salad is a simple, flavorful side dish, perfect for summer BBQs and picnics. For more variety, try my beetroot and broccoli salad!
RECIPE
Photo credit: throughthefibrofog.com
Butternut And Beetroot Salad
This butternut and beetroot salad is a hearty and flavourful lunch idea or light dinner, and especially perfect in the fall months.
RECIPE
Photo credit: throughthefibrofog.com
Roasted Golden Beet Salad
Golden Beet Salad with apples, blue cheese, pecans, and topped with maple Dijon dressing. Perfect as a side or main dish, it's a show stopper!
RECIPE
Photo credit: sinfulkitchen.com
Traditional German Potato Saladrn
A favorite side dish is a classic German potato salad with contrasting savory and fresh flavors. This traditional and authentic recipe will help you make the best version possible.
RECIPE
Photo credit: thepeasantsdaughter.net
Three Pepper Salad Recipe
Do you love peppers? They're so refreshing, especially in the summer. Try this delicious three pepper salad recipe I've created!
RECIPE
Photo credit: momjunky.com
Easy Salad With Brie Apple And Shallot Vinaigrette
Filled with flavor and texture, this easy salad has creamy brie, apple, cranberries, honey roasted almonds and a shallot vinaigrette.
RECIPE
Photo credit: sprinkledwithbalance.com
Burrata Salad
This salad recipe takes a fresh piece of burrata cheese and surrounds it with chopped tomatoes, leafy greens and a flavorful pesto dressing.
RECIPE
Photo credit: inthekitch.net
Easy Tomato Carpaccio
No-cook Tomato Carpaccio, guaranteed to effortlessly impress your guests in just 10 minutes! It's quick, looks and tastes delicious, and is so easy to make!
RECIPE
Photo credit: thefruityjem.com
Apple Cider Salad With Cranberries And Pecans
Savor fall with this apple cider jello salad! Warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, it's delicious, easy and perfect to grace your holiday table!
RECIPE
Photo credit: jellojoy.com
Strawberry Cucumber Salad With Mint And Vegan Feta
Strawberry cucumber salad with lime dressing is a refreshing and quick summer salad perfect for light lunches or as an easy side dish. Ready in just 15 minutes, it doesn't get better than that!
RECIPE
Photo credit: raepublic.com
Fall Harvest Salad
A colorful fall harvest salad with seasonal flavors from kale, sweet potatoes, cranberries, toasted hazelnuts, and a maple-cider vinaigrette.
RECIPE
Photo credit: cravingsomethinghealthy.com
Classic Broccoli Salad
Classic Broccoli Salad is a quick, easy dish made with fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, red onions, and a tangy dressing, all tossed together for a flavorful mix.
RECIPE
Photo credit: cinnamonandsageco.com
Autumn Pasta Salad
Autumn Pasta Salad is a delightful blend of seasonal ingredients, featuring pasta tossed with roasted vegetables, crunchy nuts, and a zesty dressing that captures the flavors of fall.
RECIPE
Photo credit: nutsandtwigs.com
Fresh Fall Salad with Apples and Pecans
This Fresh Fall Salad with Apples and Pecans is bursting with flavors and colors, featuring power greens, pecans, apples, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese, all tossed in a poppy seed vinaigrette. For more updates, follow WonkyWonderful on Pinterest!
RECIPE
Photo credit: wonkywonderful.com
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is delicious, nutritious and so simple to make! This refreshing salad is made using fresh ingredients and is bursting with delightful flavors!
RECIPE
Photo credit: loveincrediblerecipes.com
Beet and Sweet Potato Salad
This beet and sweet potato salad is perfect during fall and winter, especially for the holidays. It's festive, pretty, and so delicious.
RECIPE
Photo credit: asweetalternative.com
Steamed Vegetable Salad Lunch Box
Perfect to pack for lunch, this steamed vegetable salad lunch box is filled with delicious plant-based ingredients.
RECIPE
Photo credit: refreshmyhealth.com
Antipasto Salad
This Italian Antipasto Salad recipe is packed with veggies, cured meats and cheese. It's great as an appetizer, side or main course.
RECIPE
Photo credit: gypsyplate.com
Sweet Potato Potato Salad
Cold Sweet Potato Potato Salad is a delicious twist on the classic! This healthy recipe is sweet & savory; it's gluten-free, vegan, & paleo!
RECIPE
Photo credit: strengthandsunshine.com
Pear And Prosciutto Rocket Salad
Pear and Prosciutto Rocket Salad is a delightfully sweet and savory salad full of flavor and texture. Crispy prosciutto, pears, walnuts, and peppery arugula tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette.
RECIPE
Photo credit: theheirloompantry.co
Butternut Squash Salad With Feta
Butternut Squash Salad with Feta and Buckwheat is a delicious, nutrient-packed dish featuring sweet roasted butternut squash, creamy salty feta, and a satisfying crunch from buckwheat.
RECIPE
Photo credit: thefoodblog.net
Acorn Squash Salad With Maple Dressing
Roasted acorn squash salad is a must for Thanksgiving or even as a side for a fall dinner, especially drizzled with creamy maple dressing!
RECIPE
Photo credit: theoregondietitian.com
Fall Harvest Salad With Figs And Candied Pecans
This fall harvest salad with figs and candied pecans is hearty, healthy, and bursting with fall flavors. Made with harvested vegetables.
RECIPE
Photo credit: thetastesoflife.com
Easy Spinach Apple Salad With Maple Dijon Dressing
This easy Spinach Apple Salad is perfect for fall! With toasted walnuts, creamy goat cheese, and a quick maple dijon vinaigrette.
RECIPE
Photo credit: lifeasastrawberry.com
Eggplant And Lettuce Salad
Air-fried Eggplant mixed with Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions a yogurt-based zesty creamy dressing, this salad is definitely a keeper.
RECIPE
Photo credit: hungrylankan.com
Arugula And Spinach Salad
This arugula and spinach salad is bursting with bright flavors! It's easy to make and will complement any meal.
RECIPE
Photo credit: littlenonni.com
Cranberry Walnut Feta Salad
This Cranberry, Walnut, and Feta Salad is the perfect light and healthy dish packed with sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors and textures!
RECIPE
Photo credit: emilyfabulous.com
Butternut Squash Salad
This cozy Butternut Squash Salad features hearty quinoa and seasonal fall ingredients like roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sliced apples. Dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette, it's as delicious as it is beautiful and the perfect addition to any table.
RECIPE
Photo credit: theforkedspoon.com
Simple Salad With Goat Cheese And Cranberries
This Simple Salad with Goat Cheese and Cranberries is my FAVORITE go-to salad! With creamy goat cheese, red onions, candied pecans and cranberries, it truly is the ultimate sweet and savory combo.
RECIPE
Photo credit: laurenfitfoodie.com
Thanksgiving Salad Questions
What salad goes best with Thanksgiving dinner?
A crunchy fall salad with apple or pear, a sharp cheese, toasted nuts, and dried cranberries balances the richer sides. Kale and shredded Brussels sprouts hold up well and can be dressed ahead of time.
Can I make Thanksgiving salad ahead of time?
Yes. Chop the sturdy vegetables and store them in an airtight container for up to a day. Keep the dressing, nuts, and cheese separate and toss everything together just before serving so nothing wilts.
How much salad do I need for Thanksgiving?
Plan for about one cup of salad per person as a side. For a table of 10 to 12, one large bowl is plenty since there are so many other dishes.
Before You Go
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