Need easy Thanksgiving salads or simple holiday dinner sides this year? Our most popular Thanksgiving recipes for side dishes or even if you need easy vegetarian ideas for Thanksgiving dinner, lunch, or brunch recipes. Includes make ahead holiday recipes and make and take recipes.
Best Thanksgiving Salads For Your Holiday Dinner This Year!
Ideas For Quick Salads For Thanksgiving:
- Orzo Salad
- Veggie Wheat Berry Salad
- No Cook Corn And Black Bean Salad
- Italian Cold Pasta Salad
- Easy Asparagus Salad
- Sweet Thanksgiving Dessert Salad
See the full recipes for salads below!
- DON’T MISS OUR EASY SIDE DISHES FOR TURKEY AFTER THE SALAD RECIPES!
Easy Thanksgiving Salad Side Dishes
Orzo Salad
I start with this one because it’s one of my favorite salads EVER!
This salad recipe uses grilled chicken, but if you want vegetarian salads it’s also just as good if you leave out the chicken.
If you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey, this recipe is perfect to use up those turkey leftovers the next day!
To make orzo salad, you’ll need:
- Orzo pasta
- Grilled chicken (optional)
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Cherry tomatoes
- Toasted pine nuts
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Capers
- Kalamata olives
- Green olives
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Garlic
- Basil
- Shaved parmesan cheese
GET THE FULL ORZO SALAD RECIPE
Vegetable & Wheat Berry Salad
This salad with wheat berries is one of the go-to recipes for my daughter and me and it makes a great side salad with turkey, holiday ham, or roast – or even a vegetarian dish on its own!
If you’ve never cooked with wheatberries (or eaten wheat berries), they’re somewhere between the texture of rice and orzo. (They are chewier than rice and not as soft as pasta.)
Wheat berries make a really hearty fall salad!
- I’ve included our regular wheat berry salad recipe, but if you’re making it for Thanksgiving you can add fall roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts, rainbow carrots, roasted sweet potatoes slices, and even dried cranberries.
To make wheat berries salad, you’ll need:
- Cooked wheat berries
- Onion
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Feta
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR WHEAT BERRY SALAD
No Cook Corn And Black Bean Salad
This cold side dish is way more flavorful than you think and it makes a great addition to your holiday side dishes.
I like to make it for holiday recipes — especially if I need an easy make and take recipe for a potluck party — because it’s a unique recipe that you won’t see at every party.
To make black bean and corn salad, you’ll need:
- Black beans
- Sweet corn kernels
- Red bell pepper (or other bell peppers)
- Garlic
- Green onion or red onion
- Fresh Cilantro leaves (optional)
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper or chili powder
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Limes (fresh lime juice)
- Avocados (optional)
- Sea salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR BEAN CORN SALAD
ALSO TRY THIS FALL SALAD: Easy Cranberry Apple Salad Recipe
Italian Pasta Salad
This is another salad recipe that I use as an easy dinner side dish for Thanksgiving because everyone loves this salad.
If you need a make ahead Thanksgiving dish, this easy recipe is it!
RECIPE TIP: Make this ahead and refrigerate it. It becomes more flavorful as it sits!
To make cold pasta salad, you’ll need:
- Penne pasta – or any short to medium pasta — even bow tie pasta, fusilli spiral pasta, or tri color tortellini (or, honestly, any shaped pasta you have in your pantry!)
- Pepperoni
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Mozzarella
- Black olives
- Zesty Italian vinaigrette (the dressing for this pizza pasta salad can be any favorite Italian dressing!)
- Parmesan
GET THE FULL PASTA SALAD RECIPE
Easy Asparagus Salad
This asparagus vegetable salad drizzled with an easy balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, no matter if you’re doing a casual Thanksgiving brunch or a more formal Thanksgiving dinner.
If you have leftover asparagus from your Thanksgiving meal, us it for this salad the next day!
To make asparagus salad, you’ll need:
- Asparagus
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar (or favorite store bought vinaigrette)
- Fresh parmesan (shaved parmesan or grated parmesan)
- Nuts (optional, sometimes we make asparagus salad with walnuts, pecans, or toasted pine nuts, but you can leave them out and it’s just as good)
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR ASPARAGUS SALAD
Sweet Dessert Salad For Thanksgiving
This sweet salad (aka: dessert fluff) is an easy dessert for Thanksgiving.
It is a mix of crunchy apples and chocolate and caramel from the candy bars, but the whipped cream makes it a light dessert for your Thanksgiving dessert table or sides for Thanksgiving.
This dessert salad is another family favorite recipe at our house!
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR SWEET DESSERT SALAD
MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES: Easy Side Dishes To Serve With Turkey
Happy Harvest and Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you enjoy these easy Thanksgiving salads!
