The Perfect Thanksgiving Salad (15 Minutes!)
The perfect Thanksgiving salad: fresh, bright, crunchy greens with sweet, crisp pear or apple, toasted hazelnuts or pepitas, and optional (vegan) goat cheese. An easy, beautiful, nourishing side ready in just 15 minutes!
Servings 4 (side servings)
Ingredients
GREENS & DRESSING
- 6 cups tender baby greens, torn into bite-sized pieces (we recommend gem lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or butter lettuce // or sub mixed greens)
- 3 cups chicories of choice, torn into bite-sized pieces (radicchio, endive, and/or frisée // or sub more mixed greens, but we prefer some bitter greens in this salad for flavor balance and digestive benefits)
- 1 ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or sub champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar)
- Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
FOR SERVING
- 1 small-medium Asian or Bosc pear, core removed, thinly sliced (or sub another sweet, crunchy apple or pear — Fuji, Honeycrisp, or D’Anjou)
- 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (or chopped hazelnuts or slivered almonds)
- Vegan goat cheese (optional // for store-bought, we like Treeline // if not vegan, regular goat cheese would also work)
Instructions
- If serving with homemade vegan goat cheese (optional), prepare it at least 30 minutes before serving. It adds extra decadence but isn’t essential, especially when pairing with a creamy or decadent meal!
- If you don’t already have toasted pepitas (or almonds or hazelnuts), toast them first. In a small skillet, toast over low-medium heat, stirring/tossing occasionally until the pepitas begin to pop and puff up — about 3-5 minutes — or until the hazelnuts/almonds become fragrant and lightly browned — about 6-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Roughly chop the hazelnuts if they’re whole.
- To a large serving bowl, add tender baby greens and chicories. See notes below if preparing the salad in advance to bring to an event. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar, then sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt (gently crushed between your fingers) and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the greens. Taste and adjust, adding more oil for richness or if dry, lemon juice for brightness, vinegar for sweetness, salt for overall flavor, or black pepper for kick.
- Add the sliced pear or apple and toasted pepitas (or nuts) and gently toss again, just a couple times. Immediately before serving, garnish with vegan goat cheese (optional) and more freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
- Best when fresh. If preparing in advance, store components separately. Not freezer friendly.
Notes
*If preparing in advance to bring to a gathering (we don’t recommend preparing more than 12 hours in advance), it’s best to keep the components separate (greens, apple or pear, dressing, salt, pepper, pepitas, vegan goat cheese) and assemble just before serving. If cutting the apple or pear in advance, toss the slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 dash each sea salt and black pepper and without optional ingredients.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 dash each sea salt and black pepper and without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 side serving Calories: 76 Carbohydrates: 5.5 g Protein: 2.7 g Fat: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 0.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 63 mg Potassium: 167 mg Fiber: 1.9 g Sugar: 2.6 g Vitamin A: 219 IU Vitamin C: 3 mg Calcium: 12 mg Iron: 0.8 mg