This is the Thanksgiving salad to make for your holiday meal — simple, festive, and easy to prepare. Make the nuts and dressing ahead of time so it won’t take away from the main dishes or add stress to your day.
This year I’m on team salad for Thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving house salad features baby arugula, a salted maple vinaigrette, dried cranberries, roasted pepitas, candied walnuts and shaved Parmesan. It’s bright, textured and festive — and most importantly, straightforward to make.
I’m often torn about serving salad on Thanksgiving. Some years I make one and only a few people touch it. Other years I skip it entirely in favor of all the classic, comforting sides. But I do appreciate a green component to balance the richer dishes — especially if it’s really good.
There are times a salad is essential: a more formal Thanksgiving where it’s served as a starter, a small family meal, or a Friendsgiving that calls for something different. For a traditional Thanksgiving spread, most guests gravitate toward the heavier sides, but a simple, well-made salad still belongs on the table.
I’m sharing this because it’s an easy fall salad I love and that complements holiday meals without stealing the show. It’s also flexible enough to enjoy throughout winter.
We’re keeping things unfussy: use store-bought candied walnuts if you don’t want to make them, skip elaborate roasted squash or pomegranate prep, and keep the focus on simple, quality ingredients.
What we are doing:
- Using fresh baby arugula for a peppery base.
- Tossing in shaved Parmesan and dried cranberries — both easy to buy prepped.
- Adding chopped candied walnuts for crunch.
- Sprinkling roasted, salted pepitas for extra texture and flavor.
- Finishing with a salted maple vinaigrette you can make a day or two ahead so it won’t take up time on the holiday.
The result is a salad that’s crunchy, slightly sweet, savory and tangy — a bright counterpoint to richer dishes and a great starter or side for the holiday table.
Feel free to customize: swap crumbled blue cheese for the Parmesan, change the nuts, or add pomegranate arils instead of dried cranberries. If you prefer, use a favorite store-bought dressing to keep things even simpler.
If a salad will be on your Thanksgiving table, make it this easy, crowd-pleasing one — it won’t replace any main dishes or add unnecessary hassle.
Thanksgiving House Salad with Salted Maple Vinaigrette
Thanksgiving House Salad with Salted Maple Vinaigrette
4 to 6
25 mins
25 mins
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups baby arugula greens
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup candied walnuts, chopped (recipe below)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup roasted, salted pepitas
Salted Maple Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Candied Walnuts
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Place the arugula in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the shaved Parmesan and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle on the chopped candied walnuts, dried cranberries and pepitas. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
Salted Maple Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, nutmeg, salt, fresh ground pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Store in a sealed container in the fridge; it keeps well for a couple of days.
Candied Walnuts
- Combine the walnuts, sugar and butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir and toss until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour onto parchment paper and let cool completely. Store in a sealed container or chop before using.
Did you make this recipe?
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I could honestly eat this salad every day.