I’m starting a Thanksgiving tradition that I hope you’ll try out as well. I’m making sure a really yummy, fresh leafy greens salad is on the table. Every year.
Here’s why I love this idea:
I surveyed my social media followers, asking if serving a salad on Thanksgiving was a yay or a nay in their opinion. An overwhelming majority gave a thumbs up to the idea. So, this is for you!
A salad adds variety and diversity to the Thanksgiving meal. It’s a cold, veggie-forward, lighter dish amongst all of the platters and trays of warm and heavier comfort foods.
Like the name implies, this recipe is an homage to the true spirit of what Thanksgiving is about—giving thanks to the bountiful Autumn harvest as we head into the winter months. This salad features kale, two kinds of winter squash (delicata and honey nut here) and apples, not to mention the maple syrup used to flavor the roasted squash and vinaigrette dressing.
Every Thanksgiving get-together is unique. Depending on what your holiday looks like, this salad can be served as an appetizer, as a first course before the turkey and sides, or as a side dish amongst all the others. Incorporate it however you see fit.
When you want to eat lighter for the rest of the holiday weekend, you’ll love having leftovers of this salad waiting in the fridge and requiring no prep.
And, needless to say, this salad can be enjoyed throughout autumn and winter.
Autumn Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
Serves 4 (can easily be doubled, tripled)
(Gluten-Free and Plant-Based; option to serve with cheese)
Salad Ingredients:
2 Tbsp high heat vegetable oil, such as avocado, almond or canola
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Delicata squash, halved and cut into half moon slices
1 honey nut squash, cubed
2 bunches Lacinto kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1/2 honeycrisp apple, skin on, cut into matchsticks
2 shallot bulbs, thinly sliced
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/8 cup currants or raisins***
4 oz Manchego cheese, sliced or diced (optional)****
Dressing Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup and cinnamon. Add the cubed and sliced squashes and toss to fully coat. Arrange the coated squash on the parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until tender, approximately 10 minutes.*
While the squash is roasting in the oven, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and vinegar until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the chopped kale into a large bowl. Toss the kale with just enough of the maple vinaigrette to fully coat the kale leaves.** Add about 1 cup of the roasted Delicata squash and 1/2 cup of the roasted honey nut squash to the salad—either warm or cold is fine. Add in the apples, shallots, walnuts and currants/raisins***. Toss all of the ingredients together and serve.
Notes:
Feel free to roast the squash ahead of time and keep in the fridge (up to 48 hours) before pulling the salad together just before serving.
You likely won’t use all of the dressing that is called for in this recipe so feel free to set the rest aside.
I call for currants or raisins in this salad, but feel free to swap in other dried fruits, like dried cranberries or chopped figs or dates.
While I’ve photographed this recipe without the Manchego cheese, if you want to make this more of an entree salad, or just like the addition of cheese, I recommend going with Manchego. It pairs particularly well with this combination of ingredients.