Turkey, baked mac-and-cheese, and stuffing are all Thanksgiving dinner showstoppers. But real talk: Unless you add some fiber to your plate, you may not be feeling all that festive the next day. And while fiber-rich Thanksgiving salad recipes rarely get the same level of accolades as other starring dishes, they really 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, but they're also quite delicious. Whether loaded with greens; made with other types of veggies, such as sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts; or even served warm, the following Thanksgiving salad recipes are sure to make for a table of thankful eaters.
The Best Healthy Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
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!
Get the recipe: Harvest Thanksgiving salad
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.
Get the recipe: Thanksgiving salad with wild rice
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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.
Get the recipe: Pomegranate, pears, and pecan salad
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.
Get the recipe: Harvest salad with pumpkin goddess dressing
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?
Get the recipe: Kale salad with cranberry cinnamon vinaigrette
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.
Get the recipe: Thanksgiving salad with goat cheese, pears, pecans, and maple-balsamic dressing
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.
Get the recipe: Roasted Thanksgiving salad
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!
Get the recipe: Thanksgiving salad with thyme balsamic vinaigrette
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.
Get the recipe: Apple pecan arugula salad
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.
Get the recipe: Spinach salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and goat cheese
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.
Get the recipe: Roasted vegetable Thanksgiving salad
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.
Get the recipe: Apple pomegranate harvest salad
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.
Get the recipe: Roasted pear salad with lemon vinaigrette
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.
Get the recipe: Roasted Brussels sprouts and cinnamon butternut squash salad
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.
Get the recipe: Pomegranate avocado salad
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.
Get the recipe: Balsamic broccoli salad
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.
Get the recipe: Thanksgiving kale salad with maple-lemon tahini dressing
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!
Get the recipe: Roasted pumpkin salad with kale and wild rice
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.
Get the recipe: Cranberry apple Brussels sprouts salad
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!
Get the recipe: Poached pear Thanksgiving salad
21. Arugula Salad
Looking for a new way to use an acorn squash? Try adding it to a salad, like this arugula and squash salad recipe, which Mariah Gladstone, founder of Indigikitchen, says in an episode of Cook With Us, is "a great way to use acorn squash for something other than a hot, roasted dish." It features a half-and-half blend of spinach and arugula, pre-cooked acorn squash, and a few other easy ingredients (hint: one of them is everyone's favorite fruit).
Watch the full video here to get the full recipe.
22. Roasted Beet and Squash Salad
This roasted beet and squash recipe is a Thanksgiving salad that is so complex on the palate and yet simple to assemble. In an episode of Cook with Us, chefNyesha ArringtonofTop Cheffame uses seasonal ingredients, including its namesake roasted beets and delicata squash.
Watch the video to get the full recipe.
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Tags: Eating Vegetarian, Food and Nutrition, Healthy Eating Tips
