This Thanksgiving green salad is the perfect light and fresh holiday side dish!
With a simple white balsamic dressing, fresh fruit, creamy crumbled Feta, and crisp candied walnuts, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Sometimes you need a gorgeous green salad to lighten up the holiday table. Whether you’re planning the Thanksgiving menu or just looking for a delicious fall salad or Christmas salad, this Thanksgiving green salad is a beautiful addition for any gathering.
Even if you’re not planning Thanksgiving dinner or holiday dinner, this simple salad is something you need in your life! Whip it up for a weeknight meal sometime and it will become part of your regular rotation. The seasonal ingredients and delicious combination of textures can’t be beat!
You can even add chicken or bacon and make it a main dish. This Thanksgiving green salad is also the perfect accompaniment to pork tenderloin, salmon, or steak.
This simple green salad recipe is based on one my mom used to make for the holidays. It is full of seasonal produce like mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds, and then it’s topped with creamy Feta and candied walnuts. It’s all tossed in a white vinaigrette, so every bite is bursting with flavor!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Perfect holiday side dish
- Homemade white balsamic vinaigrette
- Creamy and crunch textures
- Sweet and savory flavors
- EASY salad recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Salad
- Lettuce: I’m using a mix of spring mix and romaine lettuce for this Thanksgiving green salad, but feel free to use any salad greens that you like — spinach, arugula, butter lettuce, etc.
- Candied walnuts: Candied walnuts add a delicious crunch to this Thanksgiving green salad. Candied pecans, candied pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or slivered almonds would also work.
- Mandarin oranges: Oranges add a bit of sweetness and acidity to the Thanksgiving green salad. Canned mandarin oranges are a great shortcut! You could also add fresh apples, if you’d like.
- Feta: Feta adds a salty creaminess to the salad. If you aren’t a fan of Feta cheese, swap it for creamy goat cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, Parmesan cheese, or even blue cheese.
- Pomegranate: Pomegranate arils add a bit of tart crunch to the salad. Plus, they have great color to your Thanksgiving meal! Swap them out for dried cranberries, if you prefer.
You also might like these roasted sweet potatoes or roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts. Or try this arugula pear goat cheese salad or gluten-free green bean casserole.
For the Dressing
- Olive oil: Olive oil adds richness and substance to the dressing. I recommend a good neutral-flavored olive oil.
- White balsamic: I love the sweetness and subtle flavor of white balsamic for this Thanksgiving green salad, but you can also use regular balsamic as well.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme adds a subtle herbaceousness to the salad that pairs really nicely with the garlic, feta, and walnuts. Rosemary would also be delicious in this Thanksgiving green salad recipe. If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried will work.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon helps add a bit of tang and emulsify the dressing so you have a delicious creamy dressing.
- Honey: Honey adds a bit of sweetness to enhance the natural sweetness of the balsamic.
- Garlic: Garlic adds delicious flavor to the dressing. If you don’t have fresh garlic, ½ teaspoon garlic powder will work too.
- Salt and pepper: Salt and pepper bring out the flavor of the dressing. Season to taste!
You also might like this Thanksgiving Punch.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Green Salad
For the Dressing
Add the balsamic, honey, dijon, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to a small jar and use an immersion blender to blend for 15 seconds. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a small regular blender or with a whisk!
With the blender on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Set aside until ready to pour over the Thanksgiving green salad.
(Optional) This is a thick dressing. If you would like a thinner vinaigrette for your Thanksgiving green salad, add a tablespoon of hot water and blend to combine.
For the Salad
In a large serving bowl, combine the spring mix and romaine lettuce. Toss gently to mix them together.
Sprinkle the mandarin oranges, pomegranate aerials, crumbled feta, and candied walnuts evenly over the Thanksgiving green salad.
Drizzle about half of the dressing over this Thanksgiving green salad and serve the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy immediately.
Storage Instructions
This healthy Thanksgiving green salad tastes best when prepared right before serving. Only add dressing to the amount you plan to eat. If you want to save leftovers, store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Add dressing when ready to eat.
You can easily make the dressing in advance and store it for up to 3 days.
FAQs
A fresh salad makes a great addition to any Thanksgiving table. It’s a light, fresh side dish that can be a welcome contrast to heavier Thanksgiving side dishes, like stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and green bean salad. A salad with a sweet dressing can also be the perfect complement to other savory Thanksgiving dishes, like turkey and gravy.
There are many ways to improve the taste of a standard green salad. Start by seasoning the lettuce with salt and pepper before tossing it with other ingredients. It’s also important to make sure all of the toppings are chopped into small, bite-sized pieces before tossing. Finally, enhance the flavor and texture by toasting any nuts before you add them to the salad. These tips can help take a good salad to the next level!
Mixed green salad is typically made from a blend of leafy greens, including baby lettuce, baby spinach, frisée, radicchio, and arugula. A standard spring mix blend is usually made from red or green romaine, chard, spinach, endive, and heirloom lettuces.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- I love the sweetness and subtle flavor of white balsamic vinegar, but this Thanksgiving green salad is delicious with regular balsamic as well.
- Take a shortcut by using canned mandarin oranges and store-bought candied walnuts. No one will notice the difference!
- If you don’t like Feta, try adding crumbled goat cheese to this Thanksgiving green salad.
If you’re in charge of salad for a holiday meal this season, let this colorful salad be the one you bring! It’s a crowd-pleaser every time and is sure to become a Thanksgiving staple!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try this Thanksgiving green salad, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES
Thanksgiving Green Salad (Crowd-Pleaser!)
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 5 ounces spring mix
- 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup mandarin oranges drained
- ½ cup pomegranate aerials
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup candied walnuts
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Add the balsamic, honey, dijon, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to a small jar and use an immersion blender to blend for 15 seconds. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a small regular blender or with a whisk!
- With the blender on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
- (Optional) This is a thick dressing– if you would like a thinner vinaigrette, add a tablespoon of hot water and blend to combine.
For the Salad
- In a large serving bowl, combine the spring mix and romaine lettuce. Toss gently to mix them together.
- Sprinkle the mandarin oranges, pomegranate aerials, crumbled feta, and candied walnuts evenly over the salad.
- Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and serve the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- I love the sweetness and subtle flavor of white balsamic vinegar, but this Thanksgiving green salad is delicious with regular balsamic as well.
- Take a shortcut by using canned mandarin oranges and store-bought candied walnuts. No one will notice the difference!
- If you don’t like Feta, try adding crumbled goat cheese to this Thanksgiving green salad.
Salads with sweet mandarine oranges, crisp apples, and crunchy pecans! Always on our holiday menu!