Brighten up the holiday table with any one of these crisp, seasonal Thanksgiving salads to balance all the cozy, rich classics. These easy recipes add freshness, color, and texture to your menu without creating extra work for you (or heaviness in your stomach). From apple-forward favorites to hearty harvest bowls, there’s something here for every Thanksgiving menu.
What Makes a Great Thanksgiving Salad?
Thanksgiving is a marathon of comforting, heavy dishes, which is exactly why a good salad should have a spot on your table. The best ones lean on fall seasonal produce like apples, fennel, carrots, beet, squash, citrus, and pomegranate.
You want something that adds crunch, acidity, and freshness, and ideally something that won’t turn into a sad, wilted mess by the time you sit down. As long as you have balanced flavors, a variety of texture, and easy ingredients, you’ll have something that will pair nicely with everything else on your Thanksgiving plate for the big day.
My Favorite Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
Apple Fennel Salad
This easy apple fennel salad recipe is a crisp, no-cook side dish that’s ideal for fall gatherings, holiday dinners, or a light weekday lunch. The combination of tart apples, fragrant fennel, chewy cranberries, and a tangy-sweet dressing makes this a standout addition to your seasonal menu.
Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberries and Arugula
This goat cheese salad has warm, crispy goat cheese rounds, peppery arugula, sweet strawberries, fresh herbs, red onions, and a tangy hot honey balsamic dressing. You can even add a little feta! Fresh, flavorful, and downright irresistible, this recipe is perfect for lunch, or dinner in under 30 minutes.
Bacon Cranberry Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Bacon Cranberry Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad is a colorful, bright simple salad that is a perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving dinner, no matter what you are serving! Tons of different textures and flavors (thanks crunchy almonds!) and an easy citrus dressing that’s to die for. This savory, tart and nutty salad will win everyone over.
Avocado Fennel Salad
Avocado Fennel Salad is a wonderful way to start off any of your upcoming holiday meals. All throughout the holidays, this salad is a refreshing and bright starter that everyone will love.
Mandarin Kale Salad
This bright, hearty kale salad brings together sweet mandarin oranges, crispy bacon, toasted pecans, and a citrusy vinaigrette that tastes like sunshine in November. It’s the kind of easy side that feels fresh next to a Thanksgiving spread but still holds its own as a full lunch the next day.
Thanksgiving Salad with Apple and Goat Cheese
This fall-forward salad layers crisp apples, creamy goat cheese, and plenty of crunch for a dish that instantly wakes up your Thanksgiving plate. It’s festive without trying too hard and adds a lighter bite to all the cozy classics on the table.
Fall Harvest Salad
A salad that doubles as dinner? Yes please. This harvest bowl has sweet, savory, crunchy, and creamy in every forkful — plus shredded chicken if you want something more filling. It’s packed with fall flavors and works as a main dish or a simple side for your holiday meal.
Smoked Turkey Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
This colorful autumn salad leans into all the cozy flavors — smoky turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, and toasted hazelnuts — all tied together with a dreamy maple-cider vinaigrette. It’s a great way to highlight leftovers and bring something fresh to the holiday table.
Fall Apple Salad
Think of this as the ultimate “everyone will ask for the recipe” apple salad. You’ve got juicy Honeycrisp apples, smoky bacon, maple-candied pecans, tangy shallots, creamy blue cheese, and pops of pomegranate that make it look instantly festive. It’s fall in bowl form.
Kale Butternut Squash Salad
This gorgeous salad mixes roasted butternut squash, fresh greens, sweet fruit, and a knockout maple-ginger dressing. It looks fancy but is surprisingly simple, making it perfect for entertaining without adding another stressful recipe to your lineup.
Apple Radicchio Gorgonzola Salad
This bold, beautiful salad balances tart apples, bitter radicchio, quick-candied walnuts, and creamy Gorgonzola for a flavor combo that hits sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy all at once. It comes together fast but makes your table look like you tried.
Need more inspiration for your Thanksgiving menu? Check out all of my Thanksgiving recipes!
How to Choose the Right Salad for Your Thanksgiving Menu
You don’t need ten green salads on the table, so no need to go overboard here. All you need is one or two fall salads that complement everything else that you are serving. The recipes above are packed with autumn flavors and fall vegetables, so they will pair with all of the classic holiday flavors.
Pick something crisp if your menu leans heavy, or something hearty if you want a dish that stands up to turkey and gravy. I like to look for a different texture profile than other sides on the menu, while also matching the flavors of the mains. Plus the added color is always a bonus. Salads are an easy way to add brightness and freshness to a plate that’s… well, mostly beige.
Make-Ahead Tips so Salads Stay Fresh
What You Can Prep the Day Before:
- Mix the dressing and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Toast nuts or seeds for the crunch element.
- Chop hearty produce like fennel, kale, or Brussels sprouts.
- Roast squash or sweet potatoes. You can reheat them later if you want them warm or add them to the other cold elements before serving.
- Rinse and dry greens (store in a container with a paper towel in the refrigerator).
What to Prepare Right Before Serving
- Slice ingredients that tend to brown, like apples, pears, and avocado.
- Toss with dressing just before serving (or serve it on the side) to avoid soggy greens.
- A quick seasoning of salt and freshly cracked pepper can elevate those savory salads!
everyday seasonal: fall
With seasonal fall recipes, a comprehensive produce guide, and more, this is the cookbook to help you celebrate the season.
faqs
How do I Keep Apples from Browning?
All apple slices need is a quick dip in lemon juice (or even adding a splash of citrus in the container you are storing the fruit in. This keeps apple slices looking fresh and bright. Don’t use too much citrus juice or it will overwhelm the flavor of the apples.
Do people really serve salad at Thanksgiving?
Absolutely! A crisp, seasonal salad is the palate cleanser the meal needs.
What’s the best salad to pair with turkey?
Anything with acidity works beautifully: apple-based salads, citrus-forward dressings, or harvest bowls with bright vinaigrettes.
Can I make Thanksgiving salads ahead of time?
Yes! Most components can be prepped up to a day in advance. Keep the dressing separate until right before serving.
How do I keep greens from getting soggy?
Dry them well and store them in a container with a paper towel to soak up the excess moisture. Make sure you wait to dress the salad until just before serving. You can also serve a simple dressing on the side if you are transporting it to another location or it will be sitting out for a potluck.
What’s a good no-lettuce Thanksgiving salad?
Shaved Brussels sprouts salads and fennel-forward salads hold up incredibly well and don’t wilt like traditional greens.
What dressings work best for Thanksgiving salads?
Maple, mustard, citrus, apple cider, and balsamic vinaigrettes all pair well with fall produce.
More Thanksgiving side dishes to try: Sweet Potato Souffle | French Parmentier Potatoes | Sage and Onion Stuffing
Am I missing a recipe or do you have something to add? Leave a comment below! I do take the time to respond to every single comment. Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
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about meghan
Meghan Yager is the recipe developer, food photographer, and creative force behind Cake ‘n Knife, where everyday moments are celebrated with bold, flavor-forward recipes. From cozy cocktails to bold appetizers and indulgent desserts, her approachable style brings people together around food worth sharing. Meghan’s work has been featured by Good Housekeeping, Oprah Daily, Today, Woman’s Day, and The Huffington Post. She lives in Denver, where she brings big flavor and a little sass to every bite.
