Thanksgiving Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

This Thanksgiving Salad recipe is great served as a side dish or as an accompaniment to a charcuterie board before the Thanksgiving meal is served.

My Thanksgiving Salad recipe serves 16 and costs about $15.01 to make. which is just $0.94 per serving.

This recipe is excellent served as a side dish alongside these classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes or as an accompaniment to a charcuterie board before the Thanksgiving meal is served.

Thanksgiving Salad

The inspiration for this recipe came from a salad served at the Wildflower Bread Company. I could make a meal of just this salad. It’s so flavorful and loaded with roasted butternut squash, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, and cranberry vinaigrette.

When Thanksgiving rolls around, and I start planning for Thanksgiving dinner, I always feel like my menu lacks healthier elements. A green salad on your Thanksgiving table is a vibrant addition that is the perfect accompaniment to your turkey.

I know, I know it’s Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean that the entire meal has to be completely glutenous. And that’s why I came up with this Thanksgiving Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette recipe.

We are all looking for Thanksgiving recipes that do not add stress to the busy kitchen day, and this salad is the perfect solution. The seasonal ingredients in this recipe are worthy of your holiday table this year!

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Let’s take a moment to talk about the fresh, cranberry vinaigrette for this harvest salad! The vinaigrette is the perfect complementto the field greens and roasted butternut squash. The fresh cranberries add a vibrant note to this vinaigrette and fall harvest salad.

What time should Thanksgiving dinner be served?

A recent survey shows that the most popular time for Americans to sit down for dinner is early! Most people serve Thanksgiving dinner between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. This is the time we eat with my family. What time do you eat?

What is the best thing to bring to Thanksgiving dinner?

If you are attending Thanksgiving dinner as a guest, you can bring several items to help the host. A few ideas include bringing some unique napkins, flowers, or a plant, to-go containers for the host to use for leftovers, a pre-made breakfast for the host to serve the next day (what a great way to give the host a break!), and of course my Thanksgiving salad!

What do cranberries represent?

Cranberries are a Thanksgiving staple. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? Many believe that cranberries were served at the First Thanksgiving because they were grown during that period of time.

We do not know for sure, but it is a nice thought! However, cranberries are a symbol of the earth’s abundance. In that regard, it only makes sense that we use them at Thanksgiving, a time we are showing our gratitude for all that we have been given.

Cook’s Note – Thanksgiving Salad:

• This harvest salad recipe calls for roasted butternut squash cubes and candied pecans. You can find those recipes here:
  • roasted butternut squash
  • candied pecans
• I like to pass the cranberry vinaigrette with the salad rather than dressing the salad so that leftovers of this salad will keep for longer.
• The Cranberry Vinaigrette recipe makes more salad dressing than you will need for this salad. Leftover dressing will keep for up to 1 month in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• To turn this salad into an entree salad, add some protein like turkey or chicken.

Cook’s Tools:

• salad dressing bottle
• salad bowl
• food processor
• salad serving utensils

How much will this Thanksgiving Salad recipe cost to make:

RECIPE COST: $15.01

PER SERVING COST: $0.94

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.

½ cup cranberries – $0.33

¼ cup balsamic vinegar – $0.37

2 Tablespoons red onion – $0.12

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar – $0.02

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard – $0.04

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil – $1.78

Salt and pepper – $0.03

12 ounces field greens – $3.68

3 cups roasted butternut squash cubes – $1.80

1 cup candied pecans – $2.84

4 ounces gorgonzola cheese – $4.00

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

• Frog Eye Salad
• Oven Roasted Broccoli
• Healthy Mashed Cauliflower
• Aunt Nancie’s Sweet Potato Souffle
• Turkey Gravy
• Best Baked Mac and Cheese
• Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
• Bacon Apple Stuffing
• Cornbread Casserole
• Three Bean Salad
• 3-Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin
• Pull-Apart Potato Rolls

How to make Thanksgiving Salad:

4.09 from 34 votes

Thanksgiving Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Author Jillian – a Food, Folks and Fun original!

Recipe Cost $ 15.01

Serving Cost $ 0.94

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

16 people

This Thanksgiving Salad recipe is great served as a side dish or as an accompaniment to a charcuterie board before the Thanksgiving meal is served.

See Also

The Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust + Sauce

Equipment

• food processor

• salad dressing container

• Salad bowl

• salad serving utensils

Ingredients

FOR THE CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE:

• ▢ ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries thawed if previously frozen
• ▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ salt & pepper

FOR THE THANKSGIVING SALAD:

• ▢ 12 ounces field greens
• ▢ 3 cups roasted butternut squash cubes
• ▢ 1 cup candied pecans
• ▢ 4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Instructions

FOR THE CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE:

• Add the cranberries, vinegar, red onion, sugar, and mustard to a food processor or high-powered blender and process until smooth, about 10-15 pulses.

  

• With the processor running on low, slowly pour in the oil until well blended.

• Transfer the dressing to a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve or cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It’s important to note that you should bring the vinaigrette to room temperature and give it a good whisk before serving.

  

FOR THE THANKSGIVING SALAD:

• place the field greens in a large serving bowl. Add the roasted butternut squash, pecans, and gorgonzola. Toss until the toppings are evenly distributed.

  

• Serve, passing the cranberry vinaigrette separately.

  

Notes

*The Cranberry Vinaigrette recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of dressing.

**The nutrition information for this recipe is approximate, depending on the prepared ingredients that you use in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 154mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3085IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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