Thanksgiving Salad Recipes

Looking to add some fresh vegetables to your Thanksgiving spread? Our flavor-packed Thanksgiving salad recipes are just the way to do it! Whether you're looking for cranberry salad recipes or hoping to find some green bean salad recipes, we've got you covered.

Staff Picks

Winter Kale & Quinoa Salad with Avocado

Precooked quinoa helps keep this healthy salad recipe quick and simple. Loaded with black beans, kale, and avocado, this recipe is as filling as it is nutritious. You can also make the sweet potatoes and dressing ahead.
By Lori Zanini RD, CDE

Farro Salad with Cranberries & Persimmons

Rating: Unrated
1
When shopping for this healthy salad recipe, be sure to pick up the right type of persimmons. The flat-bottomed Fuyus called for here are bright orange and have texture of an almost-ripe peach when ready to eat--perfect for salsas and salads, with or without the peel. Oval-shaped, darker orange and larger Hachiyas are only edible when almost liquid on the inside. The flesh is best used in baking or can be scooped out of the skin and eaten like custard. Underripe, they are off-puttingly tart.
By Mary-Frances Heck

Quinoa Salad with Oranges, Beets & Pomegranate

Rating: Unrated
4
Roasted beets and sweet dates, tangy oranges and juicy pomegranate seeds make this quinoa salad recipe festive. It pairs beautifully with turkey or roast pork.
By Maria Speck

Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Leftover Turkey Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Holiday leftovers often end up in casseroles and soups, but they are also delicious in a light but hearty salad. In addition to leftover turkey, this recipe takes advantage of leftover stuffing (which is transformed into crisp croutons), cranberry sauce (which enhances the dressing) and whatever leftover roasted vegetables you have on hand.
By Carolyn Casner

Simple Green Salad with Citronette

Frisée and radicchio are both assertive, slightly bitter greens that add color and texture to any salad. Match them with mellower-flavored greens, such as red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or even Boston lettuce.
By Eataly and Lidia Bastianich

Massaged Kale Salad

Rating: Unrated
11
Here a pungent garlicky dressing is infused into kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. Any type of kale will work in this kale salad recipe, just remember to remove the tough stems before you start.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This stunning winter salad gets its sweet, earthy flavor from roasted beets and balsamic vinegar. Creamy goat cheese and peppery arugula add color and balance, while toasted walnuts add crunch. A mandoline is the best way to get thin, even slices from the roasted beets.
By Karen Rankin

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Rating: Unrated
2
Pure maple syrup, as opposed to artificially flavored and colored “pancake” syrup, is an extraordinary cooking ingredient. Here it adds body as well as rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Balsamic Berry Vinaigrette Winter Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
This festive salad features colorful greens, fruit and cheese tossed with a light and zesty dressing.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Warm Pear & Spinach Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
1
Mature, larger-leaved spinach holds up better to the warm bacon vinaigrette than baby spinach in this healthy spinach salad recipe. If you don't want the spinach to wilt, let the dressing cool before tossing it with the salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Orange & Avocado Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This colorful salad would be a welcome addition to a Mexican-inspired meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

10 Crave-Worthy Green Bean Salad Recipes

10 Crave-Worthy Green Bean Salad Recipes

These green bean salad recipes are the perfect addition to your dinner table, adding a bright pop of green and delicious flavor that can rival even the creamiest casserole, like the amazing Green Bean Casserole Salad.
Our Top 10 Vinaigrettes

Our Top 10 Vinaigrettes

No more boring salads. Once you start making your own dressing, there's no going back.
Apple-Cranberry Spinach Salad

Apple-Cranberry Spinach Salad

Green Bean Salad Recipes That Your Thanksgiving Wouldn’t Be Complete Without

18 Green Bean Salad Recipes That Your Thanksgiving Wouldn’t Be Complete Without

Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad

Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
Bold Winter Greens Salad

Bold Winter Greens Salad

Apple & Fennel Salad with Blue Cheese

Rating: Unrated
2

Apples and blue cheese are a heavenly match in this fennel and apple salad recipe dressed with a tangy cider-vinegar dressing.

All Thanksgiving Salad Recipes

Beet Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
It's time we rescued beets from our childhood nightmares--when they were little better than bland wedges scooped out of a can. Roasted beets are delightful, sweet but very earthy and aromatic--great for a side salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Winter Salad with Toasted Walnuts

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.
By Deborah Madison

"Use a Spoon" Chopped Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
When Paul Newman and Michel Nischan opened their Westport, Connecticut, restaurant Dressing Room, Paul's request was that the menu always include a chopped salad that you could eat with a spoon. This chopped salad recipe is full of great flavors, colors and textures, featuring celery, carrots, red pepper, apple, cucumber, greens, cabbage, goat cheese and almonds. This is great for any holiday meal: you can let it stand and it stays crisp.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Massaged Mustard Greens Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
A few minutes of judicious massaging will transform bitter mustard greens into a mellow, well-balanced salad spiked with hints of lemon, garlic and Parmesan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tangerine & Roasted Beet Salad with Feta & Pistachios

Rating: Unrated
4
In California's Ojai Valley, citrus growers have mastered cultivating the tiny Pixie tangerine. Pixies are only available in the spring, but you can make this salad year-round with any variety of tangerine or clementine.
By Laraine Perri

Pear & Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts

Rating: Unrated
1
This pear and arugula salad recipe is topped with homemade candied walnuts, which are incredibly easy to make in the oven. For a touch of heat, add a pinch of ground chipotle or cayenne to the walnuts before baking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kale Salad with Cranberries

Rating: Unrated
1
This easy holiday salad gets its flavor from a sweet citrus dressing that's infused into the kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. We like a mix of kale for this recipe, but any type of kale will work.
By Liz Mervosh

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon-Chile Vinaigrette & Toasted Hazelnuts

Rating: Unrated
1
Using the slicing blade of a food processor on Brussels sprouts creates a big, fluffy pile of crunchy sprout ribbons quickly. In this easy salad recipe, the shaved Brussels sprouts are dressed with a lemony vinaigrette spiked with crushed red pepper and sweetened with a bit of honey.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Best Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan

Rating: Unrated
1
For a nutrient-packed twist, this healthy Caesar salad features spinach and kale in addition to romaine. But it's the Parmesan crisps that make this salad holiday-worthy. Serve it for Thanksgiving or any other special meal.
By Breana Killeen

Pear-Quinoa Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Quinoa is a quick-cooking whole grain with a slightly nutty flavor--a perfect partner for pears and walnuts in this fresh-tasting salad recipe. The flavor is best when the salad is at room temperature or cold. Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes before serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Carrot & Radish Slaw with Pickled Onions

Cutting vegetables into long thin strips--a technique called julienning--rather than shredding them gives this healthy slaw recipe a marvelous, crisp texture. You can cut the vegetables by hand, but a mandoline will save you a lot of time. If your radishes still have the greens attached, reserve them and use as a garnish.
By Anna Thomas

Massaged Broccoli Rabe Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
In this broccoli rabe salad recipe, the dressing is massaged into the leaves and florets, virtually eliminating its bitter undertones.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Red & White Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Bitter, sweet and peppery flavors marry well in this confetti-like salad of wintery fruit and vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kale Salad with Preserved Lemon & Walnuts

Rating: Unrated
3
In this kale salad recipe, we massage dressing into the kale leaves until they're tender and coated with flavor. Topped with bold Mediterranean flavors--olives, walnuts and preserved lemons--this healthy salad is as delicious as it is nutritious. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods shops or online at surlatable.com. Or, to make your own, see the recipe on eatingwell.com.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baby Beet Greens with Spicy Mediterranean Vinaigrette

This unusual salad ties together earthy greens, sweet-tart cranberries, smoky cheese and crunchy croutons with a spicy-sweet dressing. Baby chard and beet greens have bright-colored ribs and veins, which give this salad a beautiful look.
By Ellen Ecker Ogden

Romaine, Red Onion & Orange Salad

Sweet oranges and sharp red onion perk up romaine lettuce in this colorful salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Warm Potato Salad with Bacon-Mustard Dressing

Rating: Unrated
3
This updated take on German potato salad is a sophisticated addition to any holiday spread. Granny Smith apples are a good choice, as they hold their shape when roasted.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Mixed Lettuce, Fennel & Orange Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
2
This colorful salad offers a symphony of flavors and textures. Savory black olives, sweet orange slices and crisp, licorice-flavored fennel balance the slightly bitter tastes of chicory, radicchio and Belgian endive.
By Stephanie Browner

Spinach, Avocado & Mango Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Reader Jennifer Sanders contributed this salad, which offers a wealth of color and texture, as well as antioxidants.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Vegetable Tabbouleh

This classic vegetarian salad is loaded with vegetables, bulgur and chickpeas. Our suggested serving size is 1 1/2 cups, but feel free to cut that in half to serve more people or to make the dish last longer.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Arugula & Pear Salad

Besides giving this salad a nutty crunch, walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins, minerals, protein and antioxidants. For an added flavor dimension, crumble some Gorgonzola cheese over each salad.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Winter Salad with Roasted Squash & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
2
In a combination of gorgeous colors, textures and tastes, this salad stars radicchio, frisee, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. It's an elegant addition to your holiday menus. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola or another creamy blue cheese for an added burst of flavor and richness.
By Romney Steele

Citrus Salad with Olives & Radicchio

Rating: Unrated
1
This tangy winter salad recipe combines oranges and grapefruit with flavorful bitter greens. Green olives and a sprinkling of Manchego or feta cheese top off this delicious salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pink Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
This is a special-occasion salad that pairs grapefruit segments with creamy avocado, pungent red onion, crunchy pomegranate seeds and aromatic, herby basil. Look for grapefruit with firm, shiny skin that are heavy for their size, which means they will have lots of juice. Store grapefruit for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the refrigerator.
By Lori Longbotham
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