“Thanksgiving Slaw” Is the Only Vegetable I Make for the Holiday (No Salad Recipe Compares)

Like many, I’ve been to — and hosted — my fair share of Thanksgiving dinners. And every year, I eagerly await the big meal because it’s the one day I get to tuck into classic Thanksgiving fare. Roasted turkey! Green bean casserole! Herbed stuffing! But the one dish I tend to skip whenever it’s on the table? Salad. Don’t get me wrong; I love salad any other day of the year. However, come Thanksgiving, I want nothing to do with it. That’s because the salad generally on offer is either boring, wilted, or straight-up soggy. This year, I found the perfect solution to my wilty salad conundrum. Meet: Thanksgiving slaw! 

Get the recipe: Thanksgiving Slaw

A successful Thanksgiving hinges on planning and timing. Salad ends up suffering the day-of because it’s tossed too far in advance and ends up sitting on the table while guests mingle and find (or fight over) their seats. This year, I decided to eschew all that and go with a slaw because 1) it benefits from being tossed in advance, and 2) it will stay crunchy throughout the meal. 

Made with shredded green cabbage, toasty almonds, and sweet cranberries, Thanksgiving slaw is light, crunchy, and refreshing. The best part? With other dishes competing for your attention on the big day, this one makes the heavy lift so much easier. You can opt to make the dressing and shred the cabbage the day before, or toss it all together and let it sit for up to two hours before serving. And if you don’t want to bother with shredding any cabbage, store-bought coleslaw mix will work, too.

The dressing comes together just as easily. Simply whisk finely chopped red onion, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and salt together. Letting it sit for 10 minutes allows the flavors to meld. It’s bright, tangy, and the perfect accompaniment to this fall-forward slaw. No wilty lettuce here.

Get the recipe: Thanksgiving Slaw