Description
Bright, crunchy, and packed with color, this Thanksgiving Side Salad is the perfect way to bring freshness to your holiday spread. Featuring crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy feta cheese, crunchy walnuts, and zesty red onion rings on a bed of leafy greens, this salad is a celebration of textures and flavors. It’s quick to make, doesn’t require any cooking, and fits into countless menus—from easy dinners to healthy snacks, and even elegant Thanksgiving dinner ideas. If you’re looking for a vibrant, easy recipe that balances the heaviness of holiday dishes, this is the one.
Ingredients
4 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
0.5 small red onion, thinly sliced
0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese
0.5 cup walnut halves (toasted optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Wash and dry greens using a salad spinner to avoid excess moisture.
2. Slice cucumber into thin rounds, halve cherry tomatoes, and slice onion into thin rings.
3. (Optional) Toast walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Let cool.
4. Whisk olive oil with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper.
5. In a large salad bowl, layer greens, then cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
6. Add crumbled feta and toasted walnuts evenly over the top.
7. Drizzle the dressing over the salad right before serving.
8. Gently toss everything together with tongs and serve immediately.
Notes
Dry the greens thoroughly before assembling to avoid sogginess.
Toasting the walnuts enhances their nutty flavor—don’t skip it!
Add dressing just before serving to keep everything crisp and fresh.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: Thanksgiving salad, holiday side dish, healthy salad, quick salad, easy recipe, vegetarian side