The Real Unsung Hero of the Thanksgiving Table

There. I Said It. Salad Is the Real Unsung Hero of the Thanksgiving Table.

Ariel Knutson,
Associate Editorial Director

By now you've probably figured out what you're making for the Big Feast tomorrow. Your fridge may be stocked with fresh green beans for a traditional casserole, and maybe your freezer is filled with homemade rolls you're planning on thawing tonight. But let me suggest one more thing if you can afford to squeeze it in on the table: An easy thanksgiving salad.

Listen, it's unlikely that anyone is going to say that salad is their favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving. There's mac and cheese to eat, afterall—and pumpkin pie. And turkey! So much turkey. All that being said, salad is truly an unsung hero of the Thanksgiving table. It adds a touch of color to your otherwise white-and-brown palette, it can provide a punch of acid to counteract all of the other rich foods, and it brings a whole lot of texture compared to the usual mush. See what I mean?

So, let's talk about recipes. And not just any recipe—let's talk about easy salad recipes, because there's not a lot of time left for planning. One of my favorite salads to make on Thanksgiving is a colorful, vinegar-y slaw like this one with tart granny smith apples, or this gorgeous rainbow one. Both of those take less than 20 minutes to make. I love using seasonal produce in salads like in this shaved Brussels sprout number or this pear and greens salad. And I'm just a huge fan of adding pomegranate seeds to salads (it's like edible confetti) so this pomegranate apple salad is obviously a contender.

I hope that—salad or not—you have a delicious and restorative Thanksgiving.

Other Things I'm Thinking About Right Now

–	Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. I recommend that you read up on its history and perhaps say a land acknowledgment before digging into your meal.
–	If you're looking for a fun movie to watch, check out the new Julia Child documentary.
–	The Spruce Eats gift guide is basically a list of all the things I want right now.
–	Stuffed French toast. That's all I have to say about that.