50+ Christmas Salad Recipes

Crunchy, creamy, tangy slaws aren't just for summer; they add a welcome contrast to the heartier dishes of fall--and free up much-needed oven space on Turkey Day.

A big, colorful salad is a welcome sight at Thanksgiving. The rich cheese and ginger-apple cider dressing unites the fruit with the greens.

A big, colorful salad is a welcome sight at Thanksgiving. The rich cheese and ginger-apple cider dressing unites the fruit with the greens.

This salad is a feast for the eyes, and a welcome relief from the brown and gold tones on the Thanksgiving table. Sweet-tart blood oranges and a honey vinaigrette offset the bitter edge of the endive and radicchio (you can also use milder romaine lettuce hearts). If you can’t find blood oranges, try ruby red grapefruit or pretty pink Cara Cara oranges.

Of all the cranberry salad recipes, this is one tried and true Thanksgiving staple that deserves a spot at your holiday table. Our traditional cranberry salad has a gorgeous ruby color that brightens up any gravy-covered plate, and the variety of tastes and textures will satisfy every family members’ preferences. Maraschino cherries balance the tartness of the cranberries without altering the flavor profile, so you still get the familiar flavor you love to enjoy this time of year. This whole cranberry salad recipe has a lot of flexibility, but make sure it marinates long enough for all the ingredients to meld together naturally.

Play with different citrus here, such as tangelos, blood oranges, or clementines.

Create a fresh, flavorful citrus salad with our favorite slow-cooked salmon, seasoned with an aromatic blend of lemongrass, fennel, scallions, and dry white wine. Our homemade citrus vinaigrette steals the show with its crisp combination of orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and orange zest. Tender, baby soft butter lettuce pairs perfectly with the light dressing and simple ingredients. Avocado adds a lovely creaminess to each bite, while the salmon and orange segments mingle for a moist, hearty meal. We love serving this up for an impressively tasty weekday lunch or for dinner with some extra roasted veggies on the side. You’ll find that this salad is the perfect transition to the warm months ahead.

You can have this filling salad ready in just 15 minutes, making it a no-brainer for weekday lunches. Use our Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast recipe to get the protein ready and on hand for this hearty salad. Unlike roasting, slow-cooking locks in moisture, creating juicy and flavorful meat, which is so important when cooking a healthier, leaner protein like turkey breast. If not kept under the correct conditions with proper pampering, it becomes dry and tough. The creamy blue cheese-buttermilk dressing that accompanies this crisp wedge salad combines buttermilk, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, blue cheese, and paprika for a flavorful topping to this simple salad of just iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, and turkey (in lieu of the usual crumbled bacon). This recipe makes for a perfect lunchtime or dinner salad.

If you like everything bagels, you should try this salad. 

The whole family will love this easy-to-prepare chopped salad, especially because you can substitute any fresh vegetables you like. Swap out the tomatoes for cucumbers, or replace the avocado with carrots. The lettuces can be any combination of leafy greens—try Bibb, arugula, spinach, romaine. The creamy dressing, which is similar to ranch, tastes great and can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. To easily transport this salad to a party, toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and make the dressing in a glass jar with a lid (such as a Mason jar). Shake the jar until the dressing is combined, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This beautiful fall salad makes a tasty meal on its own or a nice addition to any menu. The tangy Dijon mustard-apple cider vinaigrette is a great match for the sweet roasted pumpkin and sharp baby kale leaves.

Add sweetness and color to your usual cabbage slaw with this creative side dish that includes green apple, asparagus, basil, and carrots. A vegetable peeler is the best tool to get super thin slices of asparagus. (Buy thicker spears to make this job easier.) We love using angel hair cabbage in this easy salad because it’s delicately shredded and breaks down quickly in the vinaigrette while still maintaining a nice crunch. Unlike other slaw recipes, this one needs to be served immediately, although you can prep the fruit and vegetables a day or two in advance and store them, covered, in the refrigerator.

If you think turnip greens are only edible if they are simmered in a pot of liquid and seasoned with a ham hock, check out this recipe. This summer salad makes delicious use of abundant produce such as fresh turnip greens, heirloom grape tomatoes, and colorful watermelon radishes. Ideal as a side dish for a summer cookout, the hearty greens and cauliflower lend enough bulk to make this salad a main dish. Feel free to add other summer vegetables to the recipe, such as chopped zucchini, yellow squash, or cucumbers. We've topped this salad with Green Goddess Dressing for even more flavor.

Hearts of romaine pack this family-friendly Chopped Salad with Chive Vinaigrette with tons of nutrients, including vitamins B1 and C, potassium, copper, iron, and folate.

The beans, chicken, and dressing can all be made a day ahead in your slow-cooker. Assemble this meal in minutes and round out this light summer salad with a loaf of crusty bread. If you have any leftover, it will make a great lunch the following day. Slow cooking requires little fat, so trim the excess from meats and poultry. Preserve the flavor of fresh herbs by adding them to the dish once it comes out of the slow cooker. Removing the slow cooker lid while cooking releases valuable heat, so resist the urge to check on the dish as it cooks.

This recipe captures all of the bright, fresh appeal of a salad in a pretty, portable bite. Sturdy endive leaves have a nice cup shape for filling; you also could use Little Gem or small Bibb lettuce leaves. To get a head start, make the filling (minus the pears) up to a day in advance. About an hour before guests arrive, gently stir in the pear and fill the leaves.

If you make the vinaigrette and slice the oranges and onions in advance, this becomes a fast throw-together side on Turkey Day. Though we love the texture and flavor variety of three kinds of greens, you could use all of one type if you’d rather.

If barley isn’t a pantry staple for you, this Mexican-spiced mushroom dish will change that. For this fast-fix recipe, be sure to pick up pearl barley; it cooks in almost half the time of regular barley.

If you can’t find golden or Chioggia beets, just use red beets; wear gloves to prevent stains on your hands. Once tossed with the dressing, the vegetables wilt slightly to a crisp-tender texture. You can make the dressing a day ahead and reheat just before tossing with the salad; shave the vegetables (but not the apple) up to a day ahead.

This Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad is colorful, seasonal and has a beautiful presentation. Not only does it look pretty, this dish tastes light and fresh. The beetsand citrus elements also offer different textures for a more interesting experience than your everyday green salad. One of our test kitchen professionals said “the citrus segment and the orange-zest-spiked vinaigrette pair well with the earthy sweet of the beets.” (Jarred citrus ingredients are available in the refrigerated section of the fruit and vegetable department at the grocery store.) The mixture of red and yellow beets will add a pop of color to your dinner table.

Give your favorite fall salad a hearty boost by swapping grilled purple cabbage in place of the traditional iceberg. It's crunchy, and rich, and chock-full of Vitamin C. Losing the bacon keeps this starter vegetarian. And sumac—a purple spice with a bright, tart flavor—is well worth finding and keeping on hand. Look for it in Mediterranean groceries or specialty spice shops. It shouldn't be too difficult to find.

Thanksgiving fare is delicious and comforting—but all too often it's also an overwhelmingly heavy meal. To offset all those deep rich flavors, you want something bright and fresh, with enough flavor to cut through those other dishes. This salad is like a breath of fresh air at the table: The tangy yogurt and bold citrus will ensure it quickly becomes a favorite.

Fruity and just slightly spicy, Aleppo pepper teams up with grapefruit juice in a knockout vinaigrette, providing the perfect balance for the raw turnips. Turnips are high in vitamin C and have a good amount of fiber, to boot.

Getting your hands on a Y-shaped vegetable peeler is the secret to long and beautiful carrot ribbons. Although we used regular carrots here, multicolored carrots would make a vibrant addition to this salad. To save time, make the dressing and carrot ribbons ahead of time. Pro tip: Soak the ribbons in ice water to get a nice distinct curl.

While it might not be the best-looking dish on the holiday table, it will be incredibly popular. Super sweet and creamy, this dish will work just as well as a side as it will as a dessert. We guarantee there won't be leftovers. 

Whether you consider it a salad, side dish, or dessert, ambrosia is a holiday classic. It's quick and easy to make and can sit overnight if you like. 

Hearty and filling, this easy Instant Pot side dish was an instant hit in our test kitchen. For a vegetarian option, omit the bacon, saute the Brussels sprouts in olive oil, and cook the farro in vegetable stock.

This stunning beet salad is a looker for sure, but don’t be fooled—it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s a perfect pick for holiday entertaining; with a sprinkle of Duck Fat Granola, this opening course is dressed to impress. 

Filling lentils tag team with a garden’s bounty of vegetables to add fiber and color to this bright, seasonal salad. On the flavor playground, basil and tomatoes are best friends, so it’s no surprise this herb-loaded dressing is the perfect way to tie all of this salad’s vegetables together.

Ethereal squash ribbons plus a simple vinaigrette combine for a salad that takes the edge off soaring summer temperatures. Customize this no-cook side with a generous handful of your favorite herbs—we love the combination here, but sneaking in some cilantro or tarragon would add a flavorful twist. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, toss the squash mixture with some cooked whole wheat penne for a summery pasta supper.

There’s only one thing better than the juicy watermelon and peaches in this salad—the outstanding fig vinaigrette. Jammy and sweet with a subtle savory essence, fig preserves provide a flavor foil for tart vinegar and act as an excellent thickener for this dressing, which helps it cling to all the ingredients in this salad. Peppery arugula adds the perfect spicy bite that stands up to the sweet summer fruit. Make a double batch of the vinaigrette and use it to marinate chicken or brush over salmon before grilling.

Here’s a great dinner template to keep in your back pocket when you get to the end of the week and you don’t think you have anything stocked for dinner. A couple pantry staples, a little cooked whole grain, some bold-flavored condiments, a few crunchy veggies and you’re done. Here, we get inspiration from Thai flavors for the dressing—cilantro, lime juice, and garlic—but feel free to riff on it with whatever you might have on hand.

Greek yogurt and sourdough bread lend a natural dose of probiotics to our riff on Caesar salad. Alliums such as garlic offer prebiotic fuel to help the good bugs thrive. (This is the difference between pre- and probiotic foods.)  Keep the sourdough croutons whole if you don’t want to dirty the food processor, or you can lightly crush them in a ziplock bag.

To make this salad ahead of time, pour the dressing into the bottom of a portable container, and arrange the kale and all the toppings (except for the chickpeas) on top without mixing. When you’re ready to eat, combine all the salad components with the dressing. Bring chickpeas in a separate container so they’ll stay crunchy, and toss them on at the last minute.

Chickpeas, goat cheese, and walnuts pump up the protein in this arugula salad, making it a hearty meatless main. Dried figs add a big fiber boost—more per serving than any other fruit.