40 Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
We know what you're thinking: Why take up precious Thanksgiving plate real estate with veggies, you ask? Because these 36 easy Thanksgiving salad recipes are out-of-control delicious and seasonal, that’s why. From roasted squash and farro salad to the autumn grain bowl, there are so many different options out there. And best of all, many of them can be made in minutes, meaning you can get back to more important things (like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade).
The 23 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes in the Universe
1. Caramelized Brussels Sprout Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
Bacon? Blue cheese? Now this is a Thanksgiving salad even veggie haters can get behind.
2. Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula with Turmeric-Honey Mustard Yogurt Dressing
Ambitious Kitchen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free
Add some color to your plate with this seasonal stunner by Coterie member Monique Volz.
3. Roasted Squash and Farro Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, no bake
The squash adds a little sweetness, the farro makes the salad more substantial.
4. Chicken Waldorf Salad
The Modern Proper
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: dairy free, gluten free
A modern twist on a classic.
5. Maple Mustard Kale, Quinoa and Toasted Pecan Salad
The Full Helping
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, crowd-pleaser
Thanks to Coterie member Gena Hamshaw, here’s a tasty way to use up those leftover pecans from your pie.
6. Toasted Bread and Parmesan Kale Salad
Pinch of Yum
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
Psst: This salad only takes 10 minutes to prepare.
7. Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly
And you thought pasta salad season was over.
8. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Roasted Beets, Pecans and Goat Cheese
Foodie Crush
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, high fiber
Lettuce, schmettuce. (Coterie member Heidi Larsen has the right idea.)
9. Autumn Grain Bowl
Plays Well with Butter
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free
Thanks for keeping us secretly healthy during the holidays, Jesse Reilly.
10. Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Scallions and Sweet Chili Dressing
Feed Me Phoebe
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, Whole30-approved
Spice up the buffet with this dish by Coterie member Phoebe Lapine.
11. Citrus Fennel Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, vegan
Tangy, bright and refreshing.
12. Harvest Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Lexi's Clean Kitchen
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, high fiber
Warning: That tangy-sweet dressing will disappear quickly. And you'll want to drizzle it on everything, turkey included.
13. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser
All the crunch with none of the gluten.
14. Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
It’s like the farmers market opened a stand on the dining room table.
15. Lemon-Tahini Salad with Lentils, Beets and Carrots
Aubrey Pick/Great Tastes
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, low carb
Add some color to your Turkey Day spread.
16. Black Fig, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Ryland, Peters & Small/Cucina Siciliana
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, vegetarian
Get in, we're going to Sicily. What better way to make the most of fig season?
17. Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Apple Salad
JACQUI MELVILLE/APPLE
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free
Crisp Granny Smith apples and pomegranate arils bring a pop of tartness to nutty tahini dressing and roasted cauliflower.
18. Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad
Nicole Franzen/Food: What the Heck Should I Cook?
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free
Isn't she lovely? Wait until you taste the citrus-thyme dressing.
19. Radicchio, Lentil and Apple Salad with Vegan Cashew Dressing
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 35 minutes + soaking time
Why We Love It: vegan, crowd-pleaser
Soaked, blended cashews + pantry staples = the creamiest plant-based dressing you've ever tasted.
20. Spicy Carrot Salad with Chickpeas and Parsley
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, no cook, vegan
Not a leaf of lettuce in sight. Brace yourself for the hot harissa dressing.
21. Julia Turshen's Radicchio and Roasted Squash Salad
David Loftus/Now & Again
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan
Prep it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until your relatives arrive.
22. Yotam Ottolenghi's Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad
Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegan
Starring both grated *and* roasted cauliflower. It'll taste great with turkey.
23. Crispy Goat Cheese Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients
A bed of arugula crowned with a medallion of pan-fried cheese? That's our kind of salad.
24. Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
Let's Stay In
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Don't peel the squash—it's stripy skin is totally edible and gets crispy when roasted.
25. Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook
Forget your favorite serving bowl. A pretty cutting board turns salad into a work of art.
26. Black Fig and Tomato Salad
Matt Russell/Provençal
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, ready in <15 minutes
You can never have too many 10-minute recipes in your back pocket.
27. Roasted Winter Vegetable Platter With Miso Aioli and Romesco Sauce
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
Who said the Thanksgiving salad course has to be...well, salad? This roasted take on crudités is way more elegant and surprising.
28. Roasted Squash Salad with White Beans, Bread Crumbs and Preserved Lemon
Aran Goyoaga/Cannelle Et Vanille
Time Commitment: 1 hour + soaking time
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthhy
Never worked with preserved lemons? They're tart, briny and floral—just the match for buttery beans and nutty squash.
29. Winter Citrus and Pomegranate Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian
A salad is only as good as its toppings, and this one's got everything from chopped hazelnuts to shaved Parmesan.
30. Harvest Cranberry, Persimmon and Burrata Salad
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients
Come on, tell us it doesn't fit your Thanksgiving tablescape perfectly.
31. Warm Freekeh Salad
A House in the Hills
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients
Feta provides just the right salty tang to savory freekeh, a chewy grain similar to bulgur.
32. Super Cleansing Slaw with Rosemary Dressing
Minimalist Baker
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, crowd-pleaser, ready in <30 minutes
Holy veggie, Batman. This salad's made with a ton of produce, including green cabbage, fennel, apples and beets.
33. Blood Orange and Beet Salad Over Honeyed Yogurt
Spoon Fork Bacon
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
And the best dressed award goes to...
34. Harvest Fall Salad
Grandbaby Cakes
Time Commitment: 18 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
We just know the best part of this salad is the bits of bacon coated in sticky apple cider vinaigrette.
35. Winter Deconstructed Borscht Salad
Healthfully Ever After
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly
Not only is it topped with goat cheese, it's loaded with hash browns. Hash browns.
36. Abundance Kale Salad with Savory Tahini Dressing
Minimalist Baker
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan
Gorgeous enough to steal the turkey's spotlight.
37. Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
Recipetin Eats
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegetarian
Pumpkin for all three courses — let's make it happen.
38. Shaved Spring Vegetable and Apple Salad with Ginger-Dijon Dressing
Kirsten Buck/Buck Naked Kitchen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, no cook, vegetarian
Lighten things up at the dinner table with this healthy number.
39. Roasted Carrot and Parsnip White Truffle Salad
This Mess is Ours
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, gluten free
Truffle? Count us in.
40. Meal-Prep Creamy Kale Caesar Salad
100 Days of Real Food
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, vegetarian, no cook
Honestly, this might be inducted into our weekly rotation.
