25 Salads For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving isn’t just about the turkey and stuffing; it’s a time to enjoy a variety of flavors. Our collection of salads offers something for everyone, blending traditional tastes with a few non-traditional options for those seeking something different. These salads add a fresh and vibrant touch to your feast, balancing out the rich, hearty dishes with their crisp greens and zesty dressings.
Seafood Pasta Salad
This Seafood Pasta Salad is a real crowd-pleaser, with its colorful mix of ingredients and delicious, tangy dressing that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds. Loaded with succulent shrimp, juicy crab meat, crisp veggies, and a creamy, flavorful dressing, it’s a dish that promises to wow at any gathering.
Get the Recipe: Seafood Pasta Salad
Steak And Squash Salad
If you’re looking for something different to make for fall or Thanksgiving, why not try a steak and squash salad? It certainly changes from turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. This savory salad has a wonderful apple maple dressing as a nod to the fall season, while squash and cranberries also play their part. This is one of the best fall salads!
Get the Recipe: Steak And Squash Salad
Shrimp Salad
Shrimp Salad is a delightfully light and refreshing salad. It’s made with perfectly cooked shrimp, onion, celery, cucumber, dill, and mayonnaise.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Salad
Waldorf Salad
Enjoy our version of a classic Waldorf Salad, the perfect easy-to-make dish that brings a fresh and crunchy twist to your table. Crunchy apples, grapes, and celery tossed in a creamy dressing and topped with candied walnuts. Simple and delicious!
Get the Recipe: Waldorf Salad
Amish Macaroni Salad
If you like quick and easy cold pasta salads, you’ll love this sweet and tangy Amish Macaroni Salad. It’s one of our favorite recipes for parties, picnics, and potlucks.
Get the Recipe: Amish Macaroni Salad
Fall Fruit Salad
This fall fruit salad is filled with fresh apples, blackberries, grapes, and
Get the Recipe: Fall Fruit Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a delicious, easy-to-make, cold, creamy pasta salad. It’s the perfect side dish for barbecues, potlucks, and cookouts. It has all the ingredients everybody loves: crispy bacon, creamy ranch, cheese, and tender pasta.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Zoodle Salad
Make this Asian zucchini noodle salad recipe, and enjoy a healthy, nutritious dish that boasts incredible flavor in every mouthful. You need to dice and spiralize some vegetables and combine tangy Asian dressing ingredients to make the best Asian zucchini noodle salad you ever had.
Get the Recipe: Zoodle Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
This easy Italian Pasta Salad is a true delight, offering a burst of fresh, tangy, and savory flavors in every bite! With its crunchy veggies, hearty pasta, creamy mozzarella, and salty olives, this salad becomes a real feast when drizzled with a tangy Italian dressing.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad
Oma’s German Cucumber Salad
This tangy and sweet German Cucumber Salad is a delicious side salad that takes only minutes to make. It’s a perfect side dish for many German recipes, such as Schnitzel and Krautfleckerl, and American favorites, such as Taco Casserole and our Lazy Lasagna.
Get the Recipe: Oma’s German Cucumber Salad
Pear And Gorgonzola Salad With Candied Pecans
This Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Candied Pecans is an autumn staple! It’s one of my go-to entertaining salads because it’s easy to prep in advance, and it tastes amazing.
Get the Recipe: Pear And Gorgonzola Salad With Candied Pecans
Thanksgiving Salad With Butternut Squash And Lentils
If a Thanksgiving salad could be cozy and comforting, it would be this butternut squash and lentil spinach salad with roasted butternut squash, red onion, lentils, raisins, and toasted pecans.
Get the Recipe: Thanksgiving Salad With Butternut Squash And Lentils
Burrata Caprese Salad
This burrata caprese salad has all the delicious flavors of a traditional caprese salad with a twist. Fresh tomatoes and fragrant basil with creamy burrata cheese, topped with sweet balsamic glaze and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Get the Recipe: Burrata Caprese Salad
Italian Rice Salad
Reminiscent of a salad you might enjoy in Italy or Greece, every mouthful of this Mediterranean brown rice salad bursts with fresh ingredients such as tasty salad vegetables. In Italy it is called Insalata di Riso.
Get the Recipe: Italian Rice Salad
Harvest Bowl
This harvest bowl is filled to the brim with fresh, seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, apples, kale, and more! It epitomizes the essence of a hearty, healthy, and wholesome meal. Serve it with nuts, seeds, and your favorite sauce for the perfect fall and winter lunch or dinner.
Get the Recipe: Harvest Bowl
Spinach And Mushroom Salad
Sometimes, simple is just the best, and this simple spinach salad with mushrooms is no exception. This spinach and mushroom salad has few ingredients (spinach, mushrooms, dijon mustard, and lemon), but they all work well together.
Get the Recipe: Spinach And Mushroom Salad
Sweet Potato Salad
Each bite of Sweet Potato Salad has varying flavors and textures that make it SO satisfying! Tender bites of sweet potatoes are tossed with fresh arugula, crisp apples, bold red onions, crunchy pecans, chewy dried cranberries, and the best sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Salad
Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
This healthy harvest salad is packed with roasted butternut squash, apples, pomegranate seeds, prosciutto, arugula, candied pecans, avocado, and a delicious homemade, tangy fall salad dressing! Topped with creamy goat cheese, this salad has all the flavors of the season & is sure to leave you feeling satisfied for hours.
Get the Recipe: Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Pear Blue Cheese Salad
This Pear Blue Cheese Salad combines the flavors of juicy pears with sharp blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and a tangy walnut oil vinaigrette. Your new go-to salad will be this intense flavor combination atop a bed of mixed greens sprinkled with dried cranberries.
Get the Recipe: Pear Blue Cheese Salad
Beet And Cucumber Salad
Refreshingly crisp and vibrant, this beet and cucumber salad is packed with flavor. The combination of pickled beets and cool, crunchy cucumbers creates a perfect harmony of flavors. It’s tossed with a zesty lemon dijon and honey dressing, then garnished with fresh dill. This salad is a colorful and healthy addition to any meal.
Get the Recipe: Beet And Cucumber Salad
Strawberry Chicken Salad With Creamy Maple Dressing
This EASY Strawberry Chicken Salad and the Creamy Maple Dressing that goes with it are SO addictive you’ll be craving it every day!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Chicken Salad With Creamy Maple Dressing
Mediterranean Bean Salad
Simple, flavorful ingredients combine to make this Mediterranean Bean Salad a wonderful light dinner on its own or a fresh side dish served alongside your favorite protein.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Bean Salad
Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad With Pears And Walnuts
This quick and easy arugula salad has grilled chicken, chopped walnuts, and a simple lemon vinaigrette with fresh pear slices. This is a great side salad recipe or main dish on busy weeknights, but elegant enough for entertaining.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad With Pears And Walnuts
Italian Pasta Salad With Balsamic
This delicious Italian pasta salad has fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, fresh mozzarella, and penne pasta. It has the most delicious and simple balsamic and olive sauce to pull it all together, and it is so easy to make.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad With Balsamic
Waldorf Salad With Yogurt
Creamy, crunchy, sweet, and tangy, this Waldorf Salad with Yogurt is a healthy twist on the classic side. Best of all, this simple, kid-friendly recipe requires just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep, making it the perfect addition to your holiday table.
Get the Recipe: Waldorf Salad with Yogurt
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.