Thanksgiving Green Salad
If you’re looking for a bright and fresh Thanksgiving Salad, this is the one with the best seasonal ingredients that you can prep in advance!
Get Ready for the Best Thanksgiving Salad
For me, Thanksgiving dinner usually isn’t complete without a salad, and I’ve made this same really good Thanksgiving green salad recipe year after year.
This salad for Thanksgiving is a combination of sweet and savory flavors using seasonal ingredients, and it’s easy to prep a lot of it in advance. Simply toss it together right before dinner!
Why You Will Love This Thanksgiving Salad Recipe
- Make the dressing and roast the squash in advance, so all you have to do before dinner is toss everything together!
- Since there are usually lots of rich, heavier dishes on the holiday table (hello corn casserole with cheese and Cajun style turkey), I find that a light and fresh salad with an acidic dressing like this one really helps to balance everything out.
- It’s a good place in your menu to incorporate seasonal ingredients that you may not want to dedicate an entire side dish to. Fall squash can be highlighted in this salad, or even roasted sweet potatoes instead if you’re not serving them as their own dish.
Salad for Thanksgiving Ingredients
- mixed greens – forms the base of the salad.
- acorn squash – adds a hearty, sweet flavor and a seasonal touch to this salad. You can also use roasted delicata squash, butternut squash or sweet potato.
- pear – adds a seasonal sweetness and juicy, crisp texture. You can also use a chopped or sliced apple!
- pomegranate arils (seeds) – add a pop of sweetness and make the salad visually stunning. You can also use dried cranberries here.
- Parmesan cheese – brings a savory, nutty and salty flavor to the salad. Pecorino Romano is also great here.
- candied pecans – add a crunchy, sweet and indulgent note to this green salad for Thanksgiving. You can also use plain pecans, or candied or plain walnuts or almonds.
- olive oil – used for roasting the squash as well as the base of the salad dressing.
- apple cider vinegar – the tangy, slightly sweet and fruity pairing for the olive oil that makes the dressing.
- maple syrup – provides a natural sweetness and balances the tartness of the vinegar in the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – gives the dressing a bit of a kick and helps emulsify the oil and vinegar together for a smooth, creamy texture.
- salt and pepper – seasons the squash and the salad dressing (thus, the entire salad) to perfection.
What lettuce is best for salads?
I keep this best Thanksgiving salad recipe simple by starting with a big bowl of mixed greens. They provide a medley of flavors and textures, and they’re pretty.
You could also use baby spinach, arugula, thinly sliced kale or even butter lettuce.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Salad
- Preheat the oven, cut the squash and season it, and roast the squash.
- Make the dressing using the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and salt and pepper.
- Place the salad greens in a large bowl and add half the dressing. Toss the greens until they are lightly dressed, then taste and determine if you need to add a bit more dressing or not.
- Pile the dressed greens onto a serving platter and top with pear, pomegranate arils, cheese, pecans and squash.
Home Chef Tips for Thanksgiving Green Salad
- To cut half moons of acorn squash, simply cut a raw acorn squash in half lengthwise (stem to base), scoop out the pulp and seeds, and then slice the squash crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces.
- If you’re not feeling the maple dressing, homemade citrus vinaigrette or my best honey mustard dressing are other salad dressing options.
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How to Serve This Green Salad for Thanksgiving
This salad is an ideal first course if you serve your Thanksgiving dinner in courses, or it can be served alongside all the traditional Thanksgiving sides.
Serve it in a large bowl or platter, or if it works better for your setup, serve it in individual bowls or on small salad plates.
Thanksgiving Salad Storage (Prep Ahead)
I’m a BIG fan of prepping for Thanksgiving in advance, so there’s less to do the day of, and this best Thanksgiving salad recipe is no exception.
The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance, and kept in the fridge.
In addition, you can roast the squash in advance. I would under-roast the squash (roast it just 20 to 25 minutes instead of 30). Allow it to cool and then keep it in a covered container in the fridge.
When you’re ready to serve the salad, you can microwave the squash or pop it into the oven for a minute or two to finish cooking it.
If you’re using a fresh pomegranate for this Thanksgiving green salad, you can de-seed the pomegranate in advance, and refrigerate the seeds (but personally, I usually just buy the little cups of pomegranate seeds, because it’s so much easier).
On the day of the big feast, slice the pears and toss everything together and you’re ready to go!
Best Thanksgiving Salad FAQs
Yes, a thoughtful salad can be a refreshing and welcome addition to heavier Thanksgiving dishes. Thanksgiving fruit salad is another great lighter side dish.
Aim for a variety of dishes for different preferences and seasonal ingredients, but don’t overwhelm yourself or your guests. A balanced menu of 6 to 8 dishes is typically enough.
Traditional Thanksgiving fare includes roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy from scratch, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, grandma’s old fashioned dressing, pumpkin pie and apple pie, and a Thanksgiving salad if you’re lucky!
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Green Salad for Thanksgiving
Ingredients
- 1 medium acorn squash halved from stem to end, seeded, and cut into 1-inch slices
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus a pinch for dressing
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 package mixed greens 5 ounces
- 1 pear cored and thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup candied pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place squash slices on large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss until well combined and oil is coating all sides of squash.
- Arrange squash slices in evenly spaced single layer. Transfer to oven and cook 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and tender, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until all oil is incorporated.
- To serve, place greens in large bowl and add half of dressing. Toss until well combined and greens are lightly dressed. Taste and add additional dressing if needed.
- Transfer greens to serving platter and top with pear, pomegranate arils, cheese, pecans and squash. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To cut half moons of acorn squash, simply cut a raw acorn squash in half lengthwise (stem to base), scoop out the pulp and seeds, and then slice the squash crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces.
- If you’re not feeling the maple dressing, homemade citrus vinaigretteor my best honey mustard dressing are other salad dressing options.
Not to sound weird, but I’ve never eaten squash skin. It looks pretty, but is it really edible?
Hi Nancy! That’s actually a great question, and I totally get it! All squash skin IS technically edible, but some are more enjoyable to eat than others. Larger squashes like butternut, maybe not so tasty (the skin is tougher). But, the acorn squash used here has a thin skin that becomes tender and tasty when it’s cooked. I hope that helps!
Can’t wait to try this for our friends Thanksgiving feast! I’ll let you know how it goes. Cheers!
How many people does this salad serve
Hi Tatiana – this salad should serve 8 as a side dish.
Thank you for this yummy salad recipe. I already always! Use Organic Girl salad mixes. My favorite is Organic Girl Super Greens.
You’re welcome, Pamela! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m excited to make this for a Friendsgiving this week! Do you have any recommendations for how to prepare this a day in advance?
Hi Delilah! You can roast the squash and make the dressing in advance, for sure. I would under roast the squash by a few minutes, so that when you’re ready to serve, you can microwave the squash for a minute or two to take the chill of the refrigerator off. Good luck!
This salad looks delicious. I am definitely trying this one. So glad I found your blog! Thanks. 🙂
I’m also so glad you found it, Heather. Thanks for stopping by!
Lori, I think you are wise to leave the majority of Thanksgiving cooking for your family on the day of. Holidays should hold as much enjoyment for us as we can muster out of them. AND I personally am happy to not find Thanksgiving recipes absolutely everywhere, since I don’t cook Thanksgiving dinner (and/or have given up on trying to do anything resembling a traditional dinner for just two people). IMHO, your blog is made better by doing what’s best for you.
Hmmm, I could have sworn I responded to your comment yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared! Thank you for understanding, Susan 🙂 And I can see how cooking “Thanksgiving Dinner” for two isn’t really possible. Heck, there’s “only” six of us for dinner here, and even then, I can’t really go crazy on making a ton of different side dishes, or we’d all be eating leftovers for a week. I think Thanksgiving is just all about doing whatever is best for your family, whatever the size. Have a great holiday, Susan!
Lori, if you did reply to my comment, it did not reach me yesterday. So your sanity is intact. I wish you a great holiday, too.