The Best Colorful Salad for Your Thanksgiving Dinner
This colorful, crunchy salad is perfect for adding to your Thanksgiving menu! And you can make it ahead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: salad
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces shredded Brussels sprouts (I use about 1 1/2 bags from Trader Joe’s that are 10 ounces each)
- 2 ounces pancetta (I used the package kind and used about 1/2 of the package)
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (broken into good size pieces)
- 1/4 cup pinenuts
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- one shallot, sliced thin
- zest of one orange
- one teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped
- one tablespoon of fig jam
- salt and pepper
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pancetta until crisp and remove to a plate with a paper towel.
- Prepare the brussels sprouts or use those prepared in a bag to save time. Pour into a bowl.
- Add the pomegranate arils, parmesan cheese, and pinenuts. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the dressing:
- Add the olive oil to a saute pan and cook the thinly sliced shallots, stirring to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and pour into a jar and allow to cool slightly before adding the apple cider vinegar, fig jam, orange zest, thyme, salt, pepper, and a little crushed red pepper. Stir and add to the salad or leave it at room temperature for a few hours while preparing the meal.
- When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing at room temperature or heat a little if preferred.
Notes
This salad is great as a meal or as a Thanksgiving side. I love that I can buy everything at Trader Joe’s, and it comes together so easily, but it’s so delicious! A crunchy, colorful salad to go with all that Thanksgiving food we love so much!