The Thanksgiving Salad will be an iconic addition to your holiday tables featuring hearty kale, roasted squash, juicy pears and a hot honey infused toasted pecan vinaigrette. It’s a vibrant, showstopper of a side dish and will leave your dinner guests asking for the recipe!
Thanksgiving hot take: you need a really great salad as part of your spread.
When it comes to Thanksgiving I love it all. I also think the key to a memorable meal experience is a balance of flavors, textures and colors. This salad provides just that: something raw and fresh to counter the richness of the other dishes. It works so beautifully! It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and it’s easy to prep most of the components ahead of time.
The best Thanksgiving salad features all of the best flavors of the season and is tied together with a unique, flavorful homemade dressing. We’ve got it all.
Here’s what you need to make it.
Thanksgiving Salad Ingredients
- kale
- butternut squash
- red pear
- toasted pecans
- dressing ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, hot honey, garlic
- spices: salt, cinnamon
Tips for Prepping Ahead of Time
- Roast the butternut squash up to one day ahead
- Chop the kale up to one day ahead
- Toast the pecans up to two days ahead
I do not recommend making the dressing ahead of time because it will solidify in the fridge. Slice the pear just before serving to prevent browning.
Plating a Picture-Perfect Thanksgiving Salad
My favorite way to present this (just like with my holiday fruit salad!) is to serve it on a platter instead of in a deep salad bowl. This allows you to get a little of everything in each bite, with nothing sinking to the bottom. You can easily see everything and it won’t all clump together.
- Plate the dressed kale on a serving dish of your choice
- Top with the roasted butternut squash
- Fan the pears in a few groups
- Sprinkle with the pecans
- Top with additional dressing, as needed, just before serving
FAQs and Ingredient Substitutions
I hear you! First I’ll say that the kale in this recipe is pulsed in the food processor so it’s very finely chopped. This makes it a lot easier to eat and a little more approachable, even if you don’t tend to love it.
If you still aren’t sure, you can also sub in arugula with these changes: add a little water to the dressing to make it thinner, then very lightly toss the arugula in the dressing instead of massaging like you would the kale. Do this just before serving since the arugula is a lot more delicate.
Leave out the pecans and the dressing should still be great. Make sure to leave off the pecans from the salad too.
Yes and yes! I specifically made this salad to be free of dairy and gluten. I know it can sometimes be stressful to make a holiday dish that is delicious and works for a variety of dietary needs/preferences so hopefully this one is a winner for everyone.
I love contributing this salad when I’m a guest for Thanksgiving. It looks beautiful on the table, provides a welcome serving of extra vegetables and doesn’t take up any oven space from the host. It’s also dairy-free and gluten-free, providing a nice balance to a meal that often leans heavy on these ingredients.
Enjoy and remember to leave a comment and star rating if you give it a try!
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Pumpkin Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
- Bourbon Apple Cider
The Thanksgiving Salad
The Thanksgiving Salad will be an iconic addition to your holiday tables featuring hearty kale, roasted squash, juicy pears and a hot honey infused toasted pecan vinaigrette. It’s a vibrant, showstopper of a side dish and will leave your dinner guests asking for the recipe!ย
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1โ cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- โ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 large bunch curly kale with stems removed
- 1 red pear, sliced
Hot Honey Pecan Vinaigrette
- โ cup toasted pecans
- โ cup olive oil
- ยผ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot honey
- 1 clove garlic
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ยฐ F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add squash cubes to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Add salt and cinnamon and toss again. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and browned around the edges.
- Place the kale in a food processor and pulse a few times until lightly shredded (but not pulverized). Do this in batches if necessary.ย
- Make the dressing: transfer the kale to a large bowl and wipe out the food processor. Add pecans, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, hot honey, garlic and salt. Run until smooth and pourable (adding water one tablespoon at a time to thin if necessary).ย
- Drizzle โ of the dressing over top of the kale and massage with clean hands until bright green and slightly broken down. Transfer the kale to a serving platter and top with roasted squash cubes, sliced pears and pecans. Drizzle with remaining dressing just before serving.
Notes
- The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.
Nutrition
- Calories: 228 calories
- Fat: 19 grams
- Carbohydrates: 15 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
This post was updated in October 2025. Photos taken by Ashley McLaughlin.
Want More Plant-Forward Recipes?
Join my VIP list and I'll send you five reader favorites! Healthy, flavor-packed recipes. What's not to love about that?
Rachel l says
Delicious salad! Made this for our Thanksgiving meal and it was an elegant and classy addition to the regular Thanksgiving items. Also, a fresh and healthy contribution to the oftentimes heavy and rich holiday foods. Definitely making it again.
Leanne says
Thank you so much for making this Rachel, and for coming back to leave a comment! So glad this worked out well for you!
Jacob says
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was a hit! Quick to make, lots of flavors and a nice, light salad option to offset the Turkey and other starchy sides. You will want to make this!
Jacob says
Adding 5 stars!
Leanne says
So glad it was a hit for you!