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–+ servings
A vibrant Thanksgiving salad recipe with mixed greens, sliced pears, goat cheese, red onion, and pumpkin seeds.

Thanksgiving Salad Recipes Recipe Everyone Asks For

Discover a vibrant salad that will impress your guests and become a holiday favorite. This recipe balances fresh greens with sweet and crunchy elements, perfect for a healthier yet flavorful Thanksgiving feast.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 side servings
Course: Salad, Thanksgiving
Cuisine: American
Calories: 76
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Greens & Dressing
  • 6 cups Tender baby greens torn into bite-sized pieces (gem lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or butter lettuce, or sub mixed greens)
  • 3 cups Chicories of choice torn into bite-sized pieces (radicchio, endive, and/or frisée, or sub more mixed greens)
  • 1.5 tsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar or sub champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • to taste Flaky sea salt
  • to taste Freshly ground black pepper
For Serving
  • 1 Asian or Bosc pear core removed, thinly sliced (or sub another sweet, crunchy apple or pear — Fuji, Honeycrisp, or D’Anjou)
  • 1/4 cup Toasted pepitas or chopped hazelnuts or slivered almonds
  • optional Vegan goat cheese or regular goat cheese

Equipment

  • Small skillet
  • Large serving bowl

Method
 

  1. If serving with homemade vegan goat cheese (optional), prepare it at least 30 minutes before serving.
  2. Toast pepitas or nuts if not already toasted. In a small skillet, toast over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until pepitas begin to pop and puff up (3-5 minutes), or until hazelnuts/almonds become fragrant and lightly browned (6-10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside. Roughly chop hazelnuts if whole.
  3. To a large serving bowl, add tender baby greens and chicories. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Sprinkle with flaky salt and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  4. Add the sliced pear or apple and toasted pepitas (or nuts). Gently toss a couple of times. Immediately before serving, garnish with vegan goat cheese (optional) and more black pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 5.5gProtein: 2.7gFat: 5.4gSaturated Fat: 0.9gSodium: 63mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 1.9gSugar: 2.6gVitamin A: 219IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.8mg

Notes

If preparing in advance for a gathering (no more than 12 hours ahead), store components separately (greens, apple or pear, dressing, salt, pepper, pepitas, vegan goat cheese). Assemble just before serving. If cutting the apple or pear in advance, toss slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning. This salad is best when fresh and is not freezer friendly.

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