Thanksgiving Salad

This simple Thanksgiving Salad comes loaded with roasted butternut squash, fresh baby spinach, candied almonds, feta cheese, and dried cranberries. The salad is dressed with an easy three-ingredient balsamic dressing.

Looking for more holiday side dishes? Make sure to try these famous mashed potatoes, this classic Thanksgiving dressing, and our favorite roasted brussels sprouts.

The Best Thanksgiving Salad

In my opinion, a Thanksgiving Salad should always find its way to your table—not just on Thanksgiving! It adds color, freshness, and variety to a plate often filled with delicious but heavy side dishes. A good salad, especially one loaded with roasted butternut squash, is always a favorite of mine.

Making a salad with homemade dressing might seem daunting while preparing Thanksgiving dinner, but this salad is designed to be easy. The dressing requires only three ingredients, and the salad has just five main ingredients, most of which are store-bought and pre-prepared.

Ingredients In This Thanksgiving Salad

• Pre-cubed Butternut Squash: Adds a sweet, nutty flavor and a tender texture.Olive Oil: Used for roasting the squash and as a base for the dressing.
• Salt and Pepper: Season both the squash and the dressing.
• Baby Spinach: Provides a fresh, leafy base for the salad.
• Honey Roasted Almonds: Add a crunchy texture and a sweet, nutty flavor. Or try these Candied Pecans.
• Dried Cranberries/Cherries: Offer a chewy texture and a tart-sweet taste.
• Feta Cheese: Brings a creamy, salty contrast. Here are some other cheese options if you’re not a feta fan.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Gives the dressing a tangy, sweet flavor to this Thanksgiving Salad.
• Honey: Sweetens the dressing.

How To Make Thanksgiving Salad

1. Roast Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes, stir, then roast for another 10-15 minutes until tender. Let it cool.
2. Prepare Dressing: Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a jar. Shake well.
3. Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, add baby spinach. Drizzle half the dressing and toss gently. Add cooled squash, almonds, cranberries, and feta cheese. Toss lightly.
4. Serve: Plate the salad and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Enjoy immediately for best freshness.

A Good Thanksgiving Menu:

Pair roasted butternut squash Thanksgiving Salad with the following dishes for a great Thanksgiving menu!

• • Crockpot Turkey Breast
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Watergate Salad
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Cornbread Muffins
  • Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie

More Delicious Holiday Salads

• Roasted Veggie Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
• Wild Rice Salad
• Pear Salad
• Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 2 votes

Thanksgiving Salad

By Chelsea Lords

This simple Thanksgiving Salad comes loaded with roasted butternut squash, fresh baby spinach, candied almonds, feta cheese, and dried cranberries. The salad is dressed with an easy three-ingredient balsamic dressing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 -8 servings as a side dish

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 bag (16 ounces) pre-cubed butternut squash Note 1
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ 1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach
• ▢ 1/3 cup honey roasted (salad-ready) sliced almonds Note 2
• ▢ 1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
• ▢ 2-3 ounce crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• ▢ 2 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 and 1/2 teaspoons honey
• ▢ Pinch of fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Instructions 

• BUTTERNUT SQUASH: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the butternut squash and chop it into small bite-sized pieces. Place on a large sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper (to taste; I add about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Arrange the squash in an even layer on the tray. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes longer or until tender, but not mushy. Set aside and allow to cool for a bit before adding to salad. 
• DRESSING: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Taste and adjust to personal preference. (Add more honey if you like sweeter, season with additional salt as desired.)
• ASSEMBLE: Add spinach to a large bowl, removing any large stems and tearing large pieces if needed. Drizzle half of the dressing over the spinach and gently toss. Add roasted (and cooled to room temperature) squash, almonds, cranberries, and feta cheese. Very gently toss the salad ingredients.
• SERVE: Serve salad onto plates and drizzle the last bit of dressing onto individual servings. Enjoy soon after being prepared, since this salad doesn't sit well with the dressing and ingredients. If you want to save leftovers, only dress and combine the ingredients that will be eaten the same day.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Squash: If you prefer to peel and chop your own butternut squash, you'll need 1 small-to-medium-sized butternut squash, which will yield about 4 heaping cups of cut squash. 

Note 2: Almonds: I buy the "salad-ready" honey-roasted almonds for this salad. To candy your own almonds, combine 1 cup sliced almonds with 1/3 cup white sugar in a large skillet. Set the heat to medium high and stir constantly. The sugar will begin to melt and become a sticky liquid and then cling to the almonds. This takes about 3-4 minutes -- watch carefully and stir constantly to avoid burning the nuts. Spread the candied almonds on a sheet of parchment paper and let harden. Break apart and use in this salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 8servings | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.5g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 3.2mg | Sodium: 38.3mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 7.4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!