These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (2024)

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (1)

The hardest part about Thanksgiving dinner? Choosing sides. (For the plate, not the game.) But one side dish can be all-to-easy to overlook: the salad. It can feel like an afterthought!

To help make every dish on the sideboard as tempting as possible.So we've assembled our favorite hearty Thanksgiving salad recipes. These are sturdy enough to hold their own on a piled-up plate and flavorful enough to be worth adding.

1

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Warm Apple Cider Dressing

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (3)

Skip the roasted sprouts side this year, and serve 'em up as a salad instead. Trust us: One bit of this tangy, richy, cider-and-bacon laced dish and the family won't let you make them any other way.

Get the recipe for Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.

2

Leek, Mushroom, and Escarole Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (4)

Calling all mushroom lovers! Your favorite mix, liberally drizzled in a delicious vinaigrette, is the reason to make this.

Get the recipe for Leek, Mushroom, and Escarole Salad.

3

Escarole Salad with Oranges, Pistachios, and Pickled Onions

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (5)

We can't get over how well-balanced this wintry citrus salad is, with sweet slices of fruit, tart pickled onions, and earthy nuts topping the mildly bitter greens.

Get the recipe for Escarole Salad with Oranges, Pistachios, and Pickled Onions.

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4

Roasted Pear, Sweet Potato, and Radicchio Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (6)

Here's a salad that'll stand up to all the other sides on your plate. Crunchy seeds and rich blue cheese make this a real flavorful addition.

Get the recipe for Roasted Pear, Sweet Potato, and Radicchio Salad.

5

The Casa Wedge Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (7)

Want to make salad it's own course at the Thanksgiving feast? A wedge salad is a classic choice. We love this version, which has a kicky Creamy Avocado Dressing.

Get the recipe for The Casa Wedge Salad.

6

Big Green Winter Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (8)

Come holiday time it's easy to get focused on the main dishes and heavier sides—your turkey, your stuffing, your casseroles—and forget about the salad. With sweet golden beets, lightly toasted pine nuts, and a kicky vinaigrette all on a bed of hearty kale, this recipe is here to change all that.

Get the recipe for Big Green Winter Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.

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7

Thanksgiving Kale Salad with Cranberries and Quinoa

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (9)

This beauty takes a little work, but you can make most of the elements a few days—or even a week—ahead. And the "oohs" and "ahhs" you'll get from the table will be worth it.

Get the recipe for Kale Salad with Cranberries and Quinoa.

8

Acorn Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (10)

Fun fact: Salad doesn't necessarily mean raw.

Case in point: This rustic roasted squash sensation, peppered with baby kale and drizzled with a dip-worthy dressing.

Get the recipe for Acorn Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette.

9

Winter Citrus Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (11)

Three kinds of citrus give this crunchy salad a ton of fun flavors!

Get the recipe for Winter Citrus Salad.

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10

Simple Green Salad

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Some Feta and mild green olives give this light side salad a lot of oomph. Get the freshest greens you can find and dress them simply in lemon and oil.

Get the recipe for Simple Green Salad.

11

Winter Greens Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (13)

Rosemary-Parm croutons, a citrus-maple dressing, and all our favorite winter greens—kale, chard, collards—give this salad enough heft that it'll easily hold its own with the turkey and mashed potatoes.

Get the recipe for Winter Greens Salad.

12

Southwest Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (14)

Looking for a way to add cornbread to the table? This'll do it.

Get the recipe for Southwest Salad.

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13

Grilled Mushroom Panzanella with Tomato Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (15)

Bread salad with a variety of toasty mushrooms—make this a part of your grilled Thanksgiving menu.

Get the recipe for Grilled Mushroom Panzanella.

14

Bibb Salad with Pickled Onion, Fennel, and Plums

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (16)

Here's a light side salad that's nevertheless long on flavor.

Get the recipe for Bibb Salad with Pickled Onion.

15

Grilled Corn Salad with Feta, Walnuts, and Shallot

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (17)

Corn is a Thanksgiving staple, but that doesn't mean that it has to be on the cob!

Get the recipe for Grilled Corn Salad.

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16

Grape Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (18)

Brown sugar and toasted pecans give this fruity salad some extra flavor and crunch.

Get the recipe for Grape Salad.

17

Chopped Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (19)

The purpose of a Thanksgiving salad is to give your guests a break from the heavier fare on the table. That's why we love the idea of dressing yours with a simple, tangy red wine vinaigrette, loading it with crunchy Persian cucumbers, and topping it all off with a smattering of local parsley, basil, and fennel.

Get the recipe for Chopped Salad.

18

Composed Waldorf Salad

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (20)

Add color into your family's Thanksgiving dinner with this refined version of the classic Waldorf salad.

Get the recipe for Composed Waldorf Salad.

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19

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus-Maple Vinaigrette

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (21)

This may be the ultimate Thanksgiving salad. Crispy roasted sprouts combine with mixed lettuce, crunchy apples, toasted almonds, and nutty asiago cheese, all topped with a sweet vinaigrette. Trust us, the bowl will quickly get emptied.

Get the recipe for Crispy Brussels Sprouts Salad.

20

Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (22)

For those who enjoy bold flavors, this mix of bitter radicchio tamed with earthy mushrooms and a sweet balsamic dressing is the perfect celebration.

Get the recipe for Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio.

These Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Make Choosing Sides Difficult (2024)

FAQs

Should salad be served at Thanksgiving? ›

A Thanksgiving salad is a great way to add color to your holiday plate. Plus, who doesn't appreciate a few bites of something light and refreshing between forkfuls of stuffing? You'll find 20 of my favorite Thanksgiving salad recipes below.

How do you get a picky eater to eat salad? ›

5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Love Eating Salads
  1. Keep the salad simple and fresh. When you are first introducing salads, stick to two to three ingredients, especially if your child has a picky palate. ...
  2. Size is everything. ...
  3. More color = more nutrition. ...
  4. Flavor the salad with dressing. ...
  5. Get your children involved.
Jan 12, 2018

How do you make salad more exciting? ›

How to make salad more interesting
  1. Add texture with roasted seeds or nuts. Seeds and nuts are a great salad topper. ...
  2. Make it more filling with whole grains. ...
  3. Beans and other legumes add plant-based protein. ...
  4. Fresh herbs add lots of flavour. ...
  5. Sweeten your salad with fruit. ...
  6. Make sure your salad is properly seasoned.

What are the four types of salads you might prepare? ›

Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes including green salads; vegetable salads; long beans; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads.

What is the most important food on a Thanksgiving table? ›

Turkey. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the turkey. The turkey is usually prepared whole, filled with fruit, vegetables or other stuffing (more on stuffing in #2!). It's also usually seasoned, which means covered in herbs for flavor and smell.

How many people eat salad on Thanksgiving? ›

Yes, people eat salad at Thanksgiving. About 28% of tables in the US will serve a green salad, 9% a Caesar salad. The people most likely to have a salad are on the West Coast and are spread all over the political spectrum. Visit Insider's homepage for more great stories.

What do you feed someone who doesn't like salad? ›

Try these strategies to boost your veggie intake:

Try kale chips or dried veggies with your sandwich. Add a handful of leafy greens to a smoothie. Try spaghetti squash or noodles made from zucchini. Top a sandwich with cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes or even coleslaw.

What is the best lettuce for picky eaters? ›

Romaine lettuce is a good source of fiber, too. Picky eaters will also enjoy the crunchy texture of romaine lettuce. It's perfect for adding a little bit of texture to a meal. And because it's so low in calories, romaine lettuce is a great way to add volume to a meal without adding a lot of calories.

How do you eat salads if you don't like lettuce? ›

20 Salad Recipes for When You're Bored of Lettuce
  1. 01 of 20. Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas. ...
  2. 02 of 20. Loaded Broccoli Salad. ...
  3. 03 of 20. Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta. ...
  4. 04 of 20. Tortellini Salad. ...
  5. 05 of 20. Creamy Cucumber, Radish & Tomato Chopped Salad. ...
  6. 06 of 20. Tomato, Watermelon & Avocado Salad. ...
  7. 07 of 20. ...
  8. 08 of 20.
May 27, 2024

How do restaurants get their salads so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce needs good airflow with some moisture (but not too much!) to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What to add to salad to make it taste better? ›

Fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, chives, cilantro, mint or dill, add flavor to salads and dressings. For a spicy kick, sprinkle some red pepper flakes. Make your own dressing. Bottled dressings are often lacking in taste and many contain artificial ingredients.

How to dress up a boring salad? ›

Incorporating other elements—think cooked or pickled vegetables, crunchy bits like nuts and seeds, sweet bits of fruit—makes any salad way more interesting. Because even if you do stray beyond the classic lettuce-cucumber-tomato combo and use a wider variety of veggies, it's still a recipe for a one-note side dish.

Are salads actually healthy? ›

If you have plenty of fresh vegetables in the salad, then you are getting healthy, disease-fighting nutrients. Be mindful of the extra items you add to your vegetable salads, which may be high in saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. You want to include some fat in your salad.

What are the 6 guidelines for arranging salad? ›

Guidelines for Arranging Salads
  • Keep the salad off the rim of the plate. Think of the rim as a picture frame and arrange the salad within this frame. ...
  • Strive for a good balance of colors. ...
  • Height helps make a salad attractive. ...
  • Cut ingredients neatly. ...
  • Make every ingredient identifiable. ...
  • Keep it simple.

What is traditionally served for Thanksgiving? ›

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing (or “dressing”), and some kind of pie for dessert, typically pumpkin, apple, or pecan. Common sides are green bean casserole, scalloped corn, and roasted sweet potatoes.

What should you not forget for Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Use this list to make sure you're prepared to have the feast you planned for.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk. A number of tasty desserts rely on this often forgotten item. ...
  • Cranberries or Cranberry Sauce. ...
  • Chicken Stock or Broth. ...
  • Simply Done Containers. ...
  • Foil, Parchment Paper, Pastic Wrap. ...
  • Centerpiece. ...
  • Nuts or Dried Fruit. ...
  • Dinner Rolls.
Nov 25, 2019

When should salad be served? ›

Traditionally, the salad follows the main course, but restaurants generally serve salad first, and people have come to believe that the practices of restaurants represent the best service.

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