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Salad Is the Sleeper Side of Thanksgiving

Pick one of these 23 recipes—and watch it be the first dish to disappear.
23 Thanksgiving Salads Because Every Table Needs One
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

I know what you’re thinking: Salad is a desk lunch. Salad is a weeknight side. It has no place on a Thanksgiving menu. But I’m here to say it definitely does. Not for fiber, but for flavor. Not for virtue, but for verve.

Think of salad as a moment of relief, like the shade of a tree on a sunny afternoon. On a holiday table chock-full of dishes that are rich and richer, something raw and tangy is a welcome contrast. Salad tastes good on its own, but it also makes everything around it taste better. Its crunch peps up silky-smooth mashed potatoes. Its zing brightens gravy-smothered turkey.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated either. In fact, come Turkey Day, it should be the easiest dish you make. If you ask me, all you need are leafy greens and a zippier-than-usual vinaigrette, like this one you can shake up in the length of a song. But if you want to show off a little, show off a little! Try Broccoli Spoon Salad With Warm Vinaigrette or Roasted Squash Salad With Crispy Chickpeas.

Here are 23 salad recipes that prove this underdog deserves a seat at Thanksgiving. If your table is anything like mine, despite the skepticism, salad will end up on every plate—this year and for many more to come.

  • A macro shot of vinaigrette on lettuce
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni
    1/23

    Three-Minute Red Wine Vinaigrette

    This dressing comes together in a jar and gets along with any leafy green. Try shiny kale, crisp romaine, or one of those bags of prewashed mixed greens.

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  • Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop styling by Sophie Leng
    2/23

    Kale Salad With Pecan Vinaigrette

    Its nutty vinaigrette makes this salad especially fitting for Thanksgiving. If you can, use a mix of radishes for a range of shapes and colors.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    6/23

    Everyday Greens Salad

    A salad that brings the drama. It’s at its highest—and most delicious—with a variety of leaves, some mild and large (butter, Bibb, Little Gem), some spicy and small (like arugula). Need more salad ideas? We’ve got you covered.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminsky
    7/23

    Ice Water Salad

    Ice water means crisper, juicier vegetables in your salad. This step can also be done hours in advance, so there’s less of a scramble for Thanksgiving dinner.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou
    8/23

    Spicy and Creamy Slaw

    This super-flexible, all-purpose salad turns cabbage into luscious tangles of crisp leaves coated in a rich and bright dressing.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    9/23

    Cucumber and Onion Salad

    Cool, crunchy, and a bit sweet, this salad is meant to quench the fire from all the other dishes on the table.

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  • Photograph by Kelly Marshall, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    10/23

    Raw and Crispy Kale Salad With Ginger and Coconut

    In this refreshing Thanksgiving salad, half the kale gets crisped up in the oven like chips while the rest is tossed with a gingery soy-tahini dressing.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    11/23

    Roasted Squash Salad With Crispy Chickpeas

    Roasted vegetables can turn into salad too. This recipe features plush squash and crisp chickpeas, dropped onto yogurt and sprinkled with scallions.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Beatrice Chastka
    12/23

    Shredded Daikon Salad

    This salad is palate-cleansing and refreshing. A little spicy, a little tart—and you can prep it in advance.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    13/23

    Broccoli Spoon Salad With Warm Vinaigrette

    If you aren’t feeling lettuce on Thanksgiving, skip it. This spoonable salad features chunky broccoli florets, treated to a cozy spiced dressing.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    14/23

    Squash and Radicchio Salad With Pecans

    This squash-centric salad has an irresistible pecan dressing and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kay Boytsova
    15/23

    Sesame Caesar Salad

    Swapping tahini for the mayonnaise that you typically see in classic Caesar salads keeps things creamy but adds nutty earthiness to the tangy mustard and funk from Parmesan cheese.

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  • PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY YEKATERINA BOYTSOVA
    16/23

    Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad

    Here’s the answer to your question: “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my 10:30 a.m. desk lunch on Wednesday?”

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  • Photo by Laura Murray. Food Styling by Judy Mancini.
    17/23

    Celery, Apple, and Peanut Salad

    You can mix and match the types of apples with whatever you have on hand. Doing so brings out a more complex flavor as well as a more colorful salad.

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