Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you’re already thinking about what’s going to be on the menu. This year, I’m here to help you switch things up a bit. If you're looking to add a fresh, vibrant twist to your Thanksgiving table, how about giving some love to the salads?
These 24 vegetarian Thanksgiving salad recipes will totally change your mind. They’re packed with fall flavors, seasonal veggies, and a whole lot of goodness that’ll make you and your guests feel great while enjoying all those festive feasts. Whether you’re looking for a lighter option to balance out the rich dishes, or just want to sneak in some extra greens, these salads will do the trick.
So grab your favorite salad bowl and let’s dive into the ultimate Thanksgiving salad lineup! Trust me, these recipes are so good, they might even steal some of the spotlight!
1. Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette & Fall Peach Salad
This Fall Peach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette is fresh, hearty, full of flavor, and so easy to make! It’s got juicy peaches, roasted potatoes, tomatoes, and mixed greens, all tossed together with spiced pecans and a vinaigrette that’s just the right balance of sweet and tangy. And the dressing? Oh, you’re going to want to put it on everything!
2. Best Broccoli Apple Salad
It’s fall and it’s apple season, but we’re not done with the crispy crunchy salads of summer. So let’s do this Broccoli Apple Salad in honor of all the warmish coolish days of fall. This healthy, crispy, crunchy salad fits into every kind of day the sky brings. The crispy textures and vibrant colors make it a tantalizing side dish.
3. Roasted Squash Salad
I love the flavor combination of this recipe. The greens are dressed in a tart and sweet dressing topped with dried cranberries, toasty nuts, and salty, shaved parmesan cheese. It’s all rounded out with the caramelized and buttery quality of the roasted acorn squash.
This is perfect because it helps offer a different vegetable option for the party, and keeps well when made in advance. You can make this salad ahead of time and let it hang out in the fridge until mealtime, which is perfect considering all the day of Thanksgiving cooking that often needs to happen.
4. Fall Roasted Sweet Potato Beet Salad with Feta
This Sweet Potato Beet Salad is full of color, flavor, and texture! Feta cheese, crunchy walnuts, and caramelized onions take it to the next level, and the honey balsamic dressing brings it all together! This roasted vegetable salad has so many layers of flavor, once you try it you'll want to make it again and again!
5. Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
This flavorful, crunchy Greek kale salad with tahini dressing is as delicious as it is hearty and healthy. Loaded with crisp romaine and kale, crunchy radishes, creamy feta cheese, and drizzled with a creamy tahini Caesar dressing, it is wonderfully tasty without being too heavy. Try it for lunch, as a side, or even as a satisfying vegetarian dinner!
6. Grilled Vegetable Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette & Feta
This grilled vegetable salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette and feta is packed with smoky, charred veggies, tangy feta, and a sweet balsamic glaze that takes it over the top! The roasted garlic vinaigrette is so rich and flavorful, you’ll want to pour it on everything. Whether you're keeping it veggie or adding grilled meat, this is the perfect meal to impress your family or your guests.
7. Taboule Oriental Salad
Taboule oriental salad is a perfect symphony of freshness and tradition in a bowl. The refreshing salad, a medley of finely chopped fresh herbs, plump tomatoes, zesty onions, and sweet raisins, all mingling with the nutty goodness of soaked bulgur and a crescendo of a lemon dressing, quickly became famous all over the world.
8. Arugula and Spinach Salad
This arugula and spinach salad is bursting with bright flavors! It's made with fresh greens, sweet cherry tomatoes, creamy feta, and crunchy pecans. The salad is tossed in a honey dijon vinaigrette that adds the perfect amount of sweetness and tang. It's easy to make and will complement any meal!
9. Arugula Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Pecans
This easy arugula pear salad recipe is a delicious fall salad that comes together in minutes. The combination of crisp pears, peppery arugula, and a light blue cheese vinaigrette makes a flavorful salad perfect for a quick lunch or a holiday side dish. Serve with a gluten-free crescent roll to sop up the delicious dressing. Or pair it with your favorite gluten-free soup.
10. Goat Cheese Salad with Apples & Cherry Tomatoes
This Apple and Cherry Tomato Salad with goat cheese is a perfect blend of crunch, natural sweetness, and creamy bites. You might wanna try it 'cause each bite of cherry tomato bursts in your mouth, almost making you forget you are eating lettuce! I hope you make this salad, and that you enjoy the natural sweetness of the cherry tomatoes and apples brightening up your day.
11. Sweet and Spicy Kale Apple Slaw
This vibrant and refreshing Kale Apple Slaw is a crisp and delightful salad that's a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Served with a creamy cashew dressing you can make this recipe in under 15 minutes, including the salad dressing! Perfect for fall, I have added my favorite spicy cashew butter dressing but you could also try this poppy seed dressing as an alternative if spicy isn't your thing.
12. Traditional Greek Salad
Made with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and briny black olives, this salad is a refreshing and flavorful meal. Top it off with a drizzle of homemade Greek salad dressing for the perfect finishing touch. It’s so delicious that you will want to make it again and again.
13. Sweet Potato Potato Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Move over white potatoes, this Cold Sweet Potato Potato Salad is a delicious twist on the classic! This healthy potato salad recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and savory; it's gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free! This quick and easy side dish is ready in 15 minutes making it great for weeknight dinners or a make-ahead dish for potlucks and cookouts!
14. Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad
This easy orzo pasta salad is so quick to make, perfect to take to a picnic or get-together. Made with all the fresh summer flavors, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella pearls, and a basic balsamic vinaigrette, along with orzo pasta, this is a delicious and filling salad.
15. Quick Heirloom Tomato Salad, With Feta & Crispy Oregano
This quick Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta & Crispy Oregano comes together in just 10 minutes but tastes like you’ve been planning it all day! It’s bright, it’s fresh, and it’s so easy to make. Pair it with crusty sourdough bread for a perfect light meal or serve it alongside your grilled favorites for a summer feast. So, if you’ve got heirlooms on hand, give this salad a try!
16. Fall Fruity Wild Rice Salad
Wild Rice Salad with apples and pomegranates is a celebration of fall flavors. Containing pine nuts, dates, and a tangy vinaigrette, it's wonderful for lunch or as a holiday side. And this whole grain salad is perfect for meal prep since you can cook the wild rice in advance either on the stove or in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.
17. Walnut Pear Salad
Try a tantalizingly tangy and rich Walnut Pear Salad if you are looking for a myriad of fantastic flavors! This scrumptious salad provides an incredible series of different and distinctive flavors. You will taste the creamy, strong feta, the rich walnuts, sweet pears, and tangy red wine vinaigrette. The combination of flavors is something that will be so different to everything else that you make!
18. Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad
This satisfying sweet potato spinach salad is a delightful side dish or light meal. Featuring roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, quick-candied pecans, and creamy white beans, all drizzled in a fresh lemon vinaigrette, your taste buds and tummy will love this beautiful autumn salad! The recipe is vegan and gluten-free with an oil-free option.
19. Apple And Tomato Arugula Salad
This Apple and Tomato Arugula salad is easy to make, delicious, and very customizable. I added some Latin flair by using hearts of palm and corn and it gives the salad sweetness and different kinds of texture. Since the tomatoes are cherry, there’s not much chopping involved so you can assemble this salad in a flash.
20. Candied Pecan Pear Salad With Pomegranates
This amazing Pear Salad has candied pecans, pomegranates, arugula and is dressed with a simple Dijon mustard dressing. With every bite, you will get a little crunch, sweetness, and tanginess.
21. Gurkensalat (German Cucumber Salad with Vinegar)
German Cucumber Salad is an easy way to use up your cucumbers and add a healthy, light side dish to your lunch or dinner. This beloved German dish, known as Gurkensalat, is characterized by a tangy vinegar dressing and lots of fresh dill. This is quite a simple salad recipe. There aren’t too many ingredients, and cucumbers are pretty much available year round.
22. Fall Harvest Salad with Apple Vinaigrette
Kale Salad with apples, roasted sweet potatoes and figs plus a delicious fall salad dressing makes this harvest salad recipe tasty, cozy, and super satisfying. It’s easy to make and impressive to serve, mouthwateringly good too, and perfectly at home on your holiday buffet or your weeknight kitchen table.
The best part? That dressing creamy apple Dijon dressing. I could just sit and dip everything in it, or maybe just eat with a spoon? Naturally sweetened with dates and apple cider, you’re going to just love this homemade salad dressing!
23. Fall Harvest Salad and Creamy Mustard Tahini Dressing
Our fall harvest salad is made with kale, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and seasonings. It’s topped with a creamy mustard tahini dressing that’s bursting with flavor, protein, and nutrients. Rich in nutrients and protein, this crunchy fall harvest salad is an easy to make dish. It’s perfect for dinner, a light lunch, or you can serve it as an appetizer.
24. Butternut Squash Salad
This cozy Butternut Squash Salad features hearty quinoa and seasonal fall ingredients like roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sliced apples.
Dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette, it’s as delicious as it is beautiful and the perfect addition to any table. Worthy of your holiday table or weeknight dinner table, the whole family will love this wildly delicious and nutritious salad.
I hope these 24 vegetarian Thanksgiving salads have inspired you to bring something fresh and colorful to your holiday table. Whether you're a seasoned salad lover or just looking to mix things up this year, these recipes are sure to impress. And who knows? One of these might even become a new family favorite!
So go ahead, give one (or a few) of these recipes a try and let me know which one steals the show at your Thanksgiving feast!
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