Turkey, baked mac-and-cheese, and stuffing are all Thanksgiving dinner showstoppers. But real talk: unless you add some fiber to your plate, you’re not going to be feeling all that festive later. Thanksgiving salad doesn’t get the same level of accolades as other starring dishes, but it should. After all, a diet high in fiber is linked to a cornucopia of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, boosted metabolism, and a happy gut.
All the Thanksgiving salad recipes rounded up here are not only full of the nutrient, they’re also quite delicious, thank you very much. From traditional salads loaded with greens to ones made with other veggies such as sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, to even ones served warm, here are 20 Thanksgiving salad recipes to choose from.
Keep reading for 20 Thanksgiving salad recipes for a festive way to get your fiber.
1. Harvest Thanksgiving salad
Besides greens, this recipe from Foxes Love Lemons makes good use of seasonal produce, including acorn squash, pomegranates, and pears. Autumn is the only time of year these foods are in season, so enjoy them now while you can!
2. Thanksgiving salad with wild rice
An easy way to make any salad feel more seasonal: add grains. (Which also ups the fiber content, BTW.) This recipe from Pinch of Yum also calls for mangos and a light lemon dressing, both of which work to brighten up the dish.
3. Pomegranate, pears, and pecan salad
Want to know the trick to turning a year-round salad into a Thanksgiving salad? Add seasonal heroes pomegranate and pears. This salad from Five Heart Home also includes brie and balsamic vinegar, a duo that’s a crowd pleaser no matter the time of year.
4. Harvest salad with pumpkin goddess dressing
Thought you had to wait until dessert for pumpkin to make an appearance on the Thanksgiving table? Not so with this recipe from The Seasoned Mom, which incorporates a tangy pumpkin dressing over a salad made with greens, apples, and pecans.
5. Kale salad with cranberry cinnamon vinaigrette
Delicata squash? Check. Apples? Check. Pomegranate? Check. So many seasonal gems all in one salad bowl! As it that wasn’t enough, it’s topped with a cranberry cinnamon dressing. Could this salad BE any more fall?
6. Thanksgiving salad with goat cheese, pears, pecans, and maple-balsamic dressing
This salad takes less than 30 minutes to prep and make—a lifesaver if you have a table full of people to feed while that last side dish is still in the oven. Greens make up the base of this Thanksgiving salad while goat cheese, pears, and pecans give both sweet and savory taste notes. The maple-balsamic dressing on top makes for a sophisticated finishing touch.
7. Roasted Thanksgiving salad
If you’re looking for a salad recipe that’s as warming as it is healthy, you need to try this one from Chisel and Fork. Besides quinoa, this recipe calls for sweet potatoes, parsnips, red onion, and apples—all seasonal favorites. Rosemary, thyme, and sage add to the overall autumnal feel even more and ensure this salad pairs perfectly with everything else on your Thanksgiving table.
8. Thanksgiving salad with thyme balsamic vinaigrette
Another trick to giving a salad a Thanksgiving twist is incorporating a few seasonal herbs and spices, as this one does with thyme. It also makes good use of pumpkin seeds, so if you’re making your pumpkin pie from scratch, be sure to save ’em!
9. Apple pecan arugula salad
This recipe from Minimalist Baker proves that Thanksgiving salads don’t have to be complicated to be delicious. (The rest of the spread takes enough effort, am I right?) A minimalist plate of arugula, sliced apples, pecans, and red onion can be enough—especially when paired with a lemon-maple dressing, like this one is.
10. Spinach salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and goat cheese
Cranberries shouldn’t be regulated to one singular side—especially when they can add a refreshing tartness to your salad bowl. They’re a starring ingredient in this simple spinach salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen, which also includes almonds, goat cheese, and an agave-balsamic dressing.
11. Roasted vegetable Thanksgiving salad
This is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink of Thanksgiving salad recipes. It makes good use of whatever produce you have leftover from cooking the other entrees and sides. Just roast ’em and serve them on top of a bed of greens. The dressing is balsamic-based, which as you might have noticed by now, is a Thanksgiving salad mainstay.
12. Apple pomegranate harvest salad
In case you ever doubted a salad was IG-worthy…Made with crisp apple slices and tart pomegranate seeds, this salad from A Simple Palate is busting with a whole spectrum of seasonal tastes and colors.
13. Roasted pear salad with lemon vinaigrette
This bright salad will help balance out some of the heavier sides on the table. Roasting the pears is what makes it *really* delicious, adding a warming touch to the greens.
14. Roasted Brussels sprouts and cinnamon butternut squash salad
How glorious does this plate of charred Brussels look? Paired with butternut squash and pecans and seasoned with cinnamon, the sweet-savory combo will have Thanksgiving eaters eagerly reaching for seconds.
15. Pomegranate avocado salad
What would a Thanksgiving salad recipe roundup be without the healthy food everyone is most thankful for: avocados! This recipe gives the healthy fat a fall twist by teaming it up with pomegranates and candied pecans.
Check out the video below to see all the reasons to be extra thankful for avocados:
16. Balsamic broccoli salad
For a more unexpected salad, use broccoli instead of leafy greens like Brewing Happiness does. Combined with butternut squash, lima beans, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette (of course), it delivers on all the traditional Thanksgiving taste notes in an out-of-the-box way.
17. Thanksgiving kale salad with maple-lemon tahini dressing
While most Thanksgiving salad recipes call for balsamic, this kale- and sweet potato-based salad has a dressing that’s equal parts savory, sweet, *and* tart thanks to the tahini. The result is a more complex flavor profile that will have eaters licking their forks.
18. Roasted pumpkin salad with kale and wild rice
This salad from Feasting At Home adds whole grains in the form of wild rice for more staying power and a bit of extra fiber. Pro tip: add pecans for crunch!
19. Cranberry apple Brussels sprouts salad
Shredded Brussels sprouts are here to liven up your salad bowl. (PSA: You’ll need a food processor for this one.) Used here with butternut squash and apples, it’s the autumnal side that proves salads don’t need to be made with your usual bag of greens.
20. Poached pear Thanksgiving salad
This isn’t your average Thanksgiving salad, it’s a *fancy* Thanksgiving salad; how elegant do these pears look plated? The fruit is poached in water spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and maple syrup, which gives them a candied taste. It’s then place atop a bed of greens with walnuts, and blue walnut crumbles. Definitely show-stopping material!
If prepping for Thanksgiving is stressing you out, use this guide as your day-by-day game plan. And here are some menu ideas for six different healthy eating plans.
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