thanksgiving

31 Cold Thanksgiving Side Dishes That Travel Well

updated Oct 25, 2024
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A bowl of Thanksgiving slaw with sliced almonds and cranberries
Credit: Lauren Volo

If your Thanksgiving involves hopping on the train or settling in for an hour-long car ride, fret not — there are plenty of cold side dishes that can stand up to the journey. If you need to bring a cold side that can be prepared in advance and ready to hit the table as is, we have plenty of options that travel well. From crunchy slaws and nutty grains to hearty roasted salads, these are the sides we reach for when hitting the road for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Slaws & Other Crunchy Salads

Crispy, crunchy slaws, cabbage salads, and shaved Brussels sprouts salads really round out a big Thanksgiving feast.

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Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Salad

Layer crunchy greens and Tuscan kale, sweet date-pickled onions, and crisp fried shallots up to a full day in advance for the ultimate Thanksgiving salad.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Hazelnuts & Brown Butter Dressing

The only thing we might like better than Brussels sprouts roasted to a crisp are thinly sliced raw Brussels sprouts dressed with a bright vinaigrette and toasted nuts. This salad takes a little more time to make than the usual shaved sprouts salad, but the extra work is worth the flavor and texture combination of brown butter vinaigrette, Brussels sprouts, crisp apple, and hazelnuts.

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Thanksgiving Slaw

The name says it all: If you're looking for a crunchy, refreshing side that's fits perfectly among everything else on your Thanksgiving table, you can do no better than this hearty salad.

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing

Great slaw can upstage salad whenever it gets a chance. This one, full of sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill.

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Chopped Broccoli Salad with Warm Honey Vinaigrette

Chopped broccoli, chewy sweet dates, nutty toasted walnuts, aged cheddar, and crunchy shallots in a warm lemon-honey vinaigrette, topped with a flurry of fresh mint. It would be right at home alongside your holiday spread, at a potluck dinner, or even just for you with some rotisserie chicken.

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Kale Slaw with Honey-Mustard Dressing

If you’re in need of a vibrant, crunchy slaw for your Thanksgiving feast, this is it. It’s packed with crunchy smoked almonds and tart dried cherries and tossed in a dressing made entirely from pantry staples. And, best of all, it can hang out on your table for an hour or two without wilting.

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Ginger Cabbage Slaw

Whip up this quick & simple red cabbage slaw for your Thanksgiving feast.

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Apple-Bacon Slaw

Welcome fall with this easy slaw of crispy bacon, crunchy cabbage, and sweet apples.

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Shredded Cabbage and Sweet Potato Slaw

The base of this Thanksgiving slaw is a mix of red cabbage and julienned sweet potato, bejeweled with orange segments and pomegranate arils.

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Apple Cabbage Salad with Brown Sugar Cider Vinaigrette

This vibrant combination of sweet apples and cabbage is made for fall comfort classics, which is precisely why it makes a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving spread.

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Thanksgiving Grain & Bean Salads

Bulk up your Thanksgiving salads with nutty farro, lentils, green beans, and more.

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Thanksgiving Lentil Salad

This salad is a perfect choice for your Thanksgiving meal because it's also hearty enough that it can act as the main dish for any vegetarians or vegans at the table. It's filled to the brim with fall flavors like caramelized roasted butternut squash and red onions, hearty kale, toasted pecans, and sweet golden raisins, all dressed up in a roasted garlic-sherry vinaigrette.

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The Ultimate Fall Salad

This roasty, toasty salad celebrates everything you love about autumn. It's packed with sweet apples, squash, and chewy farro, and tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette.

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Herby French Lentil Salad with Carrots, Goat Cheese, and Pistachios

This satisfying French lentil salad is the ultimate make-ahead option for Thanksgiving dinner. Carrots and pistachios lend crunch and color, while crumbles of goat cheese provide creaminess with every bite.

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Green Bean Salad with Farro, and Crispy Shallots

Adorned with toasty nuts, fried shallots, nutty farro, and radicchio, this green bean salad is a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving dinner spread.

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Fall Harvest Freekeh Salad

This freekah salad is part dark leafy green salad and part whole-grain salad — plus it's full of seasonal goodies like crisp apples and roasted butternut squash.

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Crunchy Cabbage Slaw with Farro, Pecorino, and Dates

A make-ahead friendly salad made with crunchy red cabbage, shredded kale, dates, chewy farro, and Pecorino cheese.

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Warm Sesame Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad

Thin shavings of Brussels sprouts and nutty lentils are tossed in a creamy sesame dressing for an easy, no-wilt Thanksgiving side.

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Farro and Broccoli Salad

This hearty make-ahead salad that's perfect for Thanksgiving has nutty farro, broccoli, smoked almonds, aged cheddar, golden raisins, and dried cranberries is served with a quick pickled shallot viniagrette.

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Warm French Lentil Salad with Bacon & Herbs

French lentils are cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor, then tossed with cooked bacon, fresh herbs, and a mustard vinaigrette.

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Grain Salad with Use-It-All-Up Pesto

This hearty, satisfying Thanksgiving side can be made with rice or whatever grain you have in the pantry: nutty farro, millet, quinoa, etc. Orzo or couscous are also great options.

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Thanksgiving Hearty Roasted Salads

Want something heartier on your Thanksgiving table? These salads with roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cauliflower are just as delicious as the main dishes, plus they travel well.

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Autumn Sheet Pan Salad with Chickpeas and Butternut Squash

Roast butternut squash, hearty chickpeas, and croutons, then build a delicious, filling fall salad — directly on top!

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Roasted Cauliflower Salad

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but salads are not just an assortment of raw vegetables! One of the most common misconceptions with salads is that you have to eat a little pile of leaves. This roasted cauliflower salad says otherwise. Roasting vegetables — cauliflower, shallots, and a lemon here — make the whole thing immediately feel more substantial while adding a lot of textural variety.

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Radicchio Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Manchego, and Crunchy Seeds

This topping-heavy salad is designed so that it's all good parts: roasted sweet potato keeps the radicchio's bitterness in check and toasted sunflower seeds add crunch.

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Kale Salad with Crispy Roasted Potatoes

With crispy roasted potatoes and a flavorful dressing made with shallots, whole grain mustard, maple syrup, golden raisins, and a little soy sauce, this hearty kale salad is perfect for Thanksgiving.

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Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

Whether you eat it warm, cold, or at room temperature, this roasted butternut squash pasta salad is perfect for your Thanksgiving feast.

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Harvest Roasted Apple Kale Salad

Made with a base of fresh kale, sliced onions, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds, this Thanksgiving salad is topped with an easy, creamy lemon-garlic dressing.

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Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Maple Vinaigrette

Roasted beets mixed with argula, pumpkin seeds, and crumbled feta makes for the perfect Thanksgiving side salad.

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Crispy Sheet Pan Potato Salad

Crispy smashed potatoes tossed with arugula, crispy bacon, red onions, and a whole grain mustard vinaigrette.

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Sheet Pan Salad With Crispy Chickpeas and Feta

Roast sweet potatoes, croutons, and hearty chickpeas, then build a flavorful, satisfying salad — directly on top!

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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chorizo and Almonds

This hearty Thanksgiving salad has a little bit of everything: crunchy greens, roasted sweet potatoes, salty cheese, spicy dried chorizo, and toasty nuts.

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