Description
Every holiday table needs an over-the-top salad, and this recipe is my favorite for Thanksgiving. I’ve brought it to every Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving dinner I’ve attended since my early 20s and it always steals the show!
This Thanksgiving Salad is designed to balances the richness of a traditional Thanksgiving with fresh and festive fall flavor. It’s made with beautiful in-season ingredients, like roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, and jewel-toned pomegranate arils. Round it out with salty-sweet maple spiced nuts for crunch, wild rice for the best hearty texture, and a little goat cheese for creaminess, and it’s truly the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish.
Like any over-the-top salad, there’s a bit of prep involved in getting all of the components ready, but you can prep most of them up to 5 days in advance and since it’s such a hearty salad it’s super make ahead friendly. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for meal prep tips and make ahead guidance! ♡ Happy Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large bunch kale, destemmed and finely sliced or shredded (roughly 6 cups shredded)
- ⅓ cup dry wild rice or grain of choice, cooked according to package directions
- maple spiced roasted sweet potatoes, below
- maple spiced nuts, below
- ½ cup pomegranate arils (about ½ medium pomegranate fruit)
- 2 ounces goat cheese or feta, crumbled
- cider cinnamon vinaigrette, below
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the maple spiced roasted sweet potatoes:
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- optional: pinch cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the maple spiced nuts:
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- optional: pinch cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the cider cinnamon vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped or grated
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Set aside. Cook wild rice or grain of choice according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Roast the Maple Spiced Sweet Potatoes: Meanwhile, as the grains cook, prep the salad components. Place the diced sweet potatoes on one of the prepared baking sheets. Season with olive oil, pure maple syrup, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne (if using), 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Toss to coat well. Arrange the seasoned sweet potatoes on the baking sheet such that they’re not crowded together and have plenty of room to roast. Roast 25-30 minutes, stirring/flipping the sweet potatoes halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Toast the Maple Spiced Nuts: Once the sweet potatoes finish roasting, prep the maple spiced nuts. Place the chopped nuts on the second prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven to toast for 4 minutes. While the nuts toast, prep the maple spiced coating. Add the pure maple syrup, olive oil, chili powder, ground cinnamon, and cayenne (if using) to a small bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Whisk to combine well. Once the nuts are toasted, pull them from the oven and carefully pour the prepared maple spiced coating over the nuts, using a spatula or wooden spoon to stir and coat the nuts well. Return to the oven for another 4 minutes, stirring/flipping the nuts halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Prep the Cider-Cinnamon Vinaigrette: Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, water, fresh herbs, cinnamon, and garlic to a small bowl or jar. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Whisk or shake to combine well. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Thanksgiving Salad assembly: Place the shredded kale in a large bowl. Drizzle a couple spoonfuls of the prepared cider-cinnamon vinaigrette over top. Use your hands to massage the kale, working the vinaigrette into the kale until the kale softens and becomes vibrantly green. Transfer the massaged kale to a serving bowl or platter. Top with the cooked wild rice or grains, maple spiced sweet potatoes, maple spiced nuts, pomegranate arils and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra cider-cinnamon vinaigrette as desired. Enjoy! [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="23127,23653"]
Notes
- Portions: As written, this Thanksgiving Salad recipe feeds a crowd of 6 generously as a side dish with a few other options on the table. If you’re feeding a larger crowd, feel free to double the recipe to serve 10-12 generously as a side dish. If you’re enjoying it as a main dish (we often do in the fall!), plan on it yielding 3-4 servings as written.
- Make-ahead/meal prep. A little meal prep goes a long way in pulling this festive salad together on Thanksgiving day! Between roasting the sweet potatoes, toasting the maple spiced nuts, cooking the wild rice, and mixing up the vinaigrette, there are many steps that can be prepared 5-7 days in advance. Pick and choose from the below list, or do it all ahead of time and all you have to do on Thanksgiving is toss it all together – easy!
- Destem and finely shred kale: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place a piece of paper towel in the container to soak up any condensation or moisture. (10 minutes active prep)
- Chop and roast sweet potatoes: Prep according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)
- Wild rice: Cook wild rice or your grain of choice according to package directions. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (5 minutes active prep)
- Candied nuts: Prep according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Make the Cider-Cinnamon Vinaigrette: Prep according to Step 4 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.