Food and Recipes Recipes Classic Cranberry Salad 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review This crunchy cranberry salad is a riff on the traditional Thanksgiving staple. By Pam Lolley Pam Lolley Pam Lolley developed and tested recipes for Southern Living Magazine in the Souths most trusted Test Kitchen for 19 years. She worked closely with the editors planning and packaging stories, collaborating with art and photo teams on food styling and recipe reproduction to ensure reader satisfaction, content quality control, and recipe authenticity history and cooking. Her area of expertise was baking and and pastry development and she acted as the point person for these areas in the Test Kitchen. With 30+ years of experience in the culinary field, Pam created and tested 1000s of recipes for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 10, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 55 mins Servings: 12 A riff on the traditional cranberry sauces and salads that grace Southern tables every holiday season, our Test Kitchen's version of a classic cranberry salad is so good you'll want to whip up a batch all year long. Not only is this cranberry salad delicious all on its own, but it tastes just as amazing over turkey or any other protein you might serve, like ham, pork chops, or even roast chicken. Emily Laurae Classic Cranberry Salad Ingredients Fresh ingredients are key to making this easy recipe. In addition to cranberries, you'll need just six more ingredients to make a whopping 12 servings: light brown sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice, Bartlett pears, fresh pineapple, celery, and toasted pecans. More: 35 Vintage Southern Salads You'll Find in Any Church Cookbook The best cranberry salad recipes consist of ingredients that result in a well-balanced salad, and this version is no exception. The tartness of the cranberries—fresh or frozen work equally well—is mellowed by the use of brown sugar and sweet Bartlett pears, while sliced celery and toasted pecans give our Test Kitchen-approved recipe a surprising crunch. Emily Laurae The Best Cranberries for Cranberry Salad While we always recommend using fresh ingredients for the best flavor, this colorful salad works just as well with frozen cranberries, which are easier to find around the holidays. More: Why You Should Be Heating Up Your Cranberry Sauce Only have dehydrated cranberries on hand? Steep them in some boiling water for 20 minutes. Then, strain the mixture, discarding the water. You'll be left with rehydrated cranberries that are much softer, plumper, and juicier. How to Make a Classic Cranberry Salad Seven ingredients and under 30 minutes of prep time are all you'll need to whip up a batch of our Test Kitchen-approved favorite cranberry salad. Step 1. Boil the cranberries Add the cranberries, brown sugar, and freshly-squeezed orange juice to a large pot. Stir often as the mixture comes to a boil over medium-high heat. Emily Laurae Step 2. Simmer the cranberry mixture Reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened, and the cranberries start to pop. Remove from heat. Step 3. Add in the fruits, celery, and nuts Allow the saucepan to come to room temperature before adding in the pears, pineapple, celery, and toasted pecans. Transfer the cranberry salad to a serving bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Emily Laurae How to Serve Cranberry Salad Prepping for a Thanksgiving or holiday dinner can certainly be overwhelming, which is why easy recipes like this cranberry salad should become a part of your cooking repertoire—they're full of flavor, serve a large crowd, and result in plenty of leftovers. To take the stress out of all the holiday meal prep, you can make this cranberry salad in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days prior to serving. Here are a few recipes that pair perfectly with our Classic Cranberry Salad: – Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin– Perfect Beef Tenderloin– Garlic Parmesan Green Beans– Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables How to Store Cranberry Salad We love nothing more than the idea of making your Thanksgiving leftovers into something other than a sandwich, and these crunchy cranberry salad leftovers are the perfect example. More: 5 Reasons to Swap Canned Cranberry Sauce for Homemade A tablespoon or two is great over a bowl of vanilla ice cream for dessert or stirred into plain Greek yogurt for a slightly sweet breakfast the next day. Emily Laurae Tips for the Best Cranberry Salad Chopped toasted pecans give this classic cranberry salad a Southern flair—after all, pecan is considered to be the South's signature nut. Add whole pecans to a lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 325°F for about 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Let the toasted pecans cool completely before chopping them in the food processor. However, if you don't have any pecans on hand, you can easily swap them out for some walnuts. Cranberries are often thought of only around Thanksgiving or Christmas, but you can make this recipe any time of year—serve it with a great protein, or eat it as a snack during the later fall and winter months. Editorial contributions by Christabel Lobo. Ingredients 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (14 oz.) ¾ cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges) 1 cup peeled and chopped Bartlett pears (about 2 small pears) 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (from 1 pineapple) ½ cup thinly sliced celery (from 2 stalks) ½ cup chopped toasted pecans Directions Bring the cranberries, brown sugar, and orange juice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and mixture thickens, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in the Bartlett pears, pineapple, celery, and pecans. Transfer to a serving bowl; cover and chill salad 4 to 24 hours. Emily Laurae/Southern Living Tips Make It Ahead: The cranberry salads can be made 3 days in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Rate it Print Updated by Christabel Lobo Christabel Lobo Christabel Lobo is a freelance food writer and illustrator based between Washington, D.C., and India. She has contributed to Southern Living, Allrecipes, Zagat, OpenTable, EatingWell, Cooking Light, Insider, and more. learn more