Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Recipes The Best Thanksgiving Salads—from Vintage Throwbacks to Fresh New Recipes By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 17, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Move over mashed potatoes, there's a new side in town. Salad might not be the first thing you think of when your Thanksgiving feast comes to mind, but felt it was necessary to highlight a few of our favorites that surely deserve a spot on your table. While most of us are loading up on cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, and of course turkey—some of your guests might be looking for the salad. In the South, "salad" is a bit of a loose term—so, whether it's a pile of fresh greens, scoop of old-fashioned fluff, or a slice of retro congealed salad, we have something for everyone. These medleys are loaded with seasonal produce, from acorn squash, sweet potatoes, and cranberries to collard greens and kale. Not only are they delicious, but they also showcase the vibrant colors of fall. This holiday season, try adding one of these easy, flavorful recipes to your Thanksgiving menu. 01 of 20 Autumn Salad with Maple-Cider Vinaigrette Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely This hearty fall salad tastes as good as it looks on your sideboard. The secret to this recipe? Take the time to massage the kale which tenderizes it just enough for the perfect bite. 02 of 20 Classic Cranberry Salad Emily Laurae/Southern Living With a perfect balance of sweet and tart, this simple spin on a traditional congealed cranberry can be served as a side or relish. 03 of 20 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree It's hard to beat a good crunch, so we went all in with shaved Brussels, crispy apple slices, and toasted pecans. This dish makes for a light side to accompany your casseroles or serve it up as a base for leftover turkey at a later meal. 04 of 20 Sweet and Tangy Roasted Pumpkin Salad Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christina Daley This recipe might just change your mind about salad on your Thanksgiving table. It's studded with the flavors of fall—sugar pumpkin, roasted pumpkin seeds, and a hint of sweetness from dried cranberries. Best of all: Use the seeds of your pumpkin to save on buying an extra ingredient. 05 of 20 Cranberry Fluff Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Though it might not be the prettiest dish on the table, we're honoring tradition with this vintage-inspired, tasty treat. Whether you're using fresh or frozen cranberries, we know adults and kids alike will enjoy this ultimate fruity, fluffy salad. 06 of 20 Harvest Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Brimming with roasted veggies and fresh greens, this salad is the ideal complement to roasted turkey and mashed potatoes. Better yet, make the dressing ahead of time for easy assembly. 07 of 20 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez According to Grandma, no Thanksgiving in the South is complete without a jell-o mold salad—and this timeless cranberry dish still shines. 08 of 20 Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad Recipe Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith This bright salad has a can't-be-beat festive presentation featuring an array of colorful beets. 09 of 20 Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Salad Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Looking for a new take on a traditional sweet potato casserole? Cue this delicious recipe all of your guests will love. 10 of 20 Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Keep it simple with this fall twist on a Caesar salad that uses fall's bounty of kale. 11 of 20 Spiced Coconut-Cherry Mold Hector Sanchez This old-school dish just might be worth adding to your dessert lineup this year. 12 of 20 Roasted Acorn Squash Salad with Sorghum-Tahini Vinaigrette Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller When fall rolls around, all the squash varieties deserve some attention. You might already be serving up a squash casserole, but don't let that stop you from adding this acorn squash salad as a fresh, seasonal side. 13 of 20 Simple Beet Salad Jennifer Davick Need a last-minute side to complete your holiday menu? This three-ingredient salad is a cinch to throw together. Simply bake, slice, and garnish for a vivid dish. 14 of 20 Collard Green Salad with Oranges and Port-Soaked Cherries Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Instead of a big pot of bacon-flavored collard greens, try serving up this fresh, slightly boozy salad topped with sweet oranges, port-soaked cherries, and tangy goat cheese. 15 of 20 Ranch Tomato Aspic Jennifer Causey This unexpected rendition of tomato aspic first graced the pages of Southern Living in 1983. Though a dish only some can truly appreciate, make a statement this year by displaying this forgotten classic on your Thanksgiving table. 16 of 20 Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans Sheri Giblin These smoky candied pecans are so irresistible you'll want to double the batch to keep some on hand for snacking. 17 of 20 Turkey-And-Persimmon Salad JAMES RANSOM; FOOD STYLING: RUTH BLACKBURN; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY Skip adding turkey and serve this seasonal salad right alongside your Thanksgiving day bird. The persimmons give it a slightly-sweet, slightly-tart flavor. 18 of 20 Spiced Cranberry Mold Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a dish from Grandma. Whether you classify this dish as a salad or replace your cranberry sauce with it, we promise everyone will love this mold. 19 of 20 Turkey Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Wondering what to do with all that leftover turkey? Here's the recipe you'll be making the day-after–and year-round. 20 of 20 Marshmallow Fruit Salad JESSICA FURNISS This one might be more fitting in the desert category, but in the South we are generous when it comes to what is considered a salad—especially with nostalgic recipes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit