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Saturday, March 28, 2026

Thanksgiving Bowls – Finances Bytes


I like a hearty salad with quite a lot of scrumptious toppings and a selfmade dressing…and these Thanksgiving Bowls are simply that! They’re one in all my favourite salads to make after the vacations and are the finest method to make use of up leftovers and odds and ends of components. Throw some harvest veggies and sides on prime of contemporary greens and wild rice, and provides your physique a break from the heavy meals (till Christmas!). This Thanksgiving salad is the right base so as to add something your coronary heart wishes and is nice for meal prepping, too!

Overhead view of thanksgiving salad in two bowls.

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What’s a Thanksgiving Bowl?

This recipe is among the best salads you’ll ever make. It’s additionally one in all my favourite ideas for making one thing contemporary, wholesome, and scrumptious after Thanksgiving utilizing components you have already got available! Thanksgiving salad bowls are easy to throw collectively and an incredible vessel for all of your vacation leftovers. And you actually can add something you want to those salads—the extra toppings, the higher!

For my bowls, I roast sliced candy potato and turnip, then pile them onto a mattress of leafy greens and wild rice with diced apples, shaved Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and no matter else I’ve within the fridge. Then, I prime all of it off with a tangy selfmade maple cinnamon dressing. It’s contemporary and flavorful, and as written, this recipe can also be completely gluten-free and vegan!

Right here’s what I take advantage of to make my straightforward Thanksgiving salad bowls:

  • Wild Rice: These little grains are full of protein, fiber, and important vitamins. Additionally they add a nutty taste and barely chewy texture. Nonetheless, do you know that “wild rice” isn’t truly rice!? It’s a kind of grass seed, however it will get its title from its rice-like look! You prepare dinner it the identical method, although, and I’ve shared some ideas beneath for completely cooked wild rice.
  • Candy Potato & Turnip: Slice them into skinny medallions, coat them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast till tender. I like the creamy candy potato and barely earthy turnip mixture, however any roasted veggies will work right here.
  • Celery: Provides a pleasant crunch and refreshing taste.
  • Brussels Sprouts: A traditional Thanksgiving aspect dish, however additionally they work nice on this salad. I wish to finely shave them for a extra delicate texture.
  • Dried Cranberries: These are the right festive contact and add a sweet-tart taste.
  • Frozen Peas: What do you do with the leftovers from a bag of frozen peas? You add them to this salad! See the recipe card notes for preparation ideas.
  • Gala Apple: Provides a crisp, juicy sweetness. You should utilize any apple selection you want!
  • Purple Onion: I julienne (finely slice) half a purple onion and toss it on this salad for additional zing.
  • Candied Pecans: You should purchase pre-made ones, however I used our candied pecan recipe and skipped the egg whites/oven step to avoid wasting time.
  • Child Greens Salad Combine: Purchase a bundle of combined child greens (or your favourite salad combine) for a fast and simple base.
  • Maple Cinnamon French dressing: Combine Dijon mustard, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil to make THE most scrumptious dressing. I’ll be drizzling this on all my salads this season!

What Else Can I Add?

You actually can’t go incorrect with this salad. Any leftovers or random components you may have in your fridge might be added to this already scrumptious combine. Simply bear in mind some leftovers may have reheating first for security and style, e.g., sausage stuffing. However that stated, listed below are a number of concepts to get you began:

  1. You don’t have to soak wild rice, however I do advocate rinsing it earlier than cooking.
  2. Wild rice will both triple or quadruple in quantity as soon as cooked. The ratio of untamed rice to water is often 1:4. I take advantage of ½ cup of wild rice on this recipe to yield round 1 ½ cups cooked.
  3. You’ll know your wild rice is finished when it seems to be cut up down the middle. I normally style a number of grains right here and there in the direction of the tip of the cooking time, so I can take it off the warmth as soon as it’s achieved to my liking.

Meal Prep It!

I like meal prepping an enormous, hearty salad with a lot of toppings like this. They’re already a whole meal in themselves (my Niçoise salad is one other instance of this!), and, relying on what you add, they don’t want reheating. As written, these Thanksgiving bowls will last as long as 3-4 days in an hermetic container within the fridge. Nonetheless, this timeframe is completely depending on how contemporary your components/leftovers are once you make them.

I wish to preserve my toppings and dressing separate till simply earlier than serving. The dressing will separate because it sits, so give it an excellent shake or whisk earlier than drizzling it over your salad. I additionally advocate tossing your diced apples in lemon juice to decelerate the browning course of!

Overhead view of Thanksgiving bowls in meal prep containers.Overhead view of Thanksgiving bowls in meal prep containers.


Thanksgiving Salad Bowl

These Thanksgiving Bowls are the right salads for utilizing up all of your vacation leftovers. Contemporary, wholesome, and nice for lowering meals waste!

Side view of thanksgiving salad bowl.Side view of thanksgiving salad bowl.

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Salad Substances

  • ½ cup wild rice (yield is slightly over 1 ½ cups cooked) ($1.24)
  • 1 turnip ($0.82)
  • 1 candy potato ($1.06)
  • 4 stalks celery ($0.32)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries ($1.09)
  • 1 cup frozen peas, cooked and chilled** ($0.49)
  • ½ cup Brussels sprouts, shaved or finely chopped* (about ¼ lb entire) ($0.74)
  • ¼ cup candied pecans*** ($1.60)
  • 1 gala apple ($0.69)
  • ½ purple onion (about ½ cup when finely sliced) ($0.53)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.19)
  • ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
  • 6 oz bag of child greens salad combine ($2.73)

Maple Cinnamon French dressing Substances

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.02)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.08)
  • ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.01)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.09)
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup ($0.24)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ($0.14)
  • ½ cup olive oil ($1.55)

  • Preheat oven to 400 levels. Prepare dinner wild rice in accordance with bundle instructions. Fluff and let cool.****

  • Put together greens: peel and slice turnip into medallions, slice candy potato into skinny medallions, cube celery, collect dried cranberries, candied pecans, and shaved Brussels sprouts, prepare dinner and funky peas, small cube apple*****, and julienne (finely slice) purple onion.

  • Toss potatoes and turnips with olive oil, salt and black pepper.

  • Switch to parchment-lined baking sheets and roast within the oven for 20 min or till tender (however not mushy!)

  • Take away turnips and candy potato medallions from oven and allow them to cool when you make your dressing.

  • Whisk collectively Dijon mustard, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar, streaming the olive oil final to create a brief emulsion.

  • As soon as candy potatoes and turnips have cooled, toss all salad components along with the lettuce combine. Both portion it out for meal prep with the dressing on the aspect, or scoop equally into bowls and gown to serve.

See how we calculate recipe prices right here.


*The leftovers from my shaved Brussels sprouts salad are wonderful added to any combined greens salad like this one!
**The FDA recommends all frozen greens be totally cooked earlier than consuming. I wish to scoop out the quantity of frozen peas I would like and put them in a microwave protected bowl within the microwave on excessive for 2-4 minutes with slightly little bit of water added, so they’re simply lined.
***I used the Finances Bytes recipe however omitted egg whites and skipped the oven time!
****I wish to prepare dinner till the rice is tender however nonetheless has some resistance once you chew it. I additionally like so as to add 1/8 tsp of cinnamon to the cooking water or veggie broth, however that’s utterly elective!
*****To maintain your apples from browning, you possibly can toss them in slightly lemon juice when you’re prepping the opposite elements for this salad.

Serving: 1servingEnergy: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 6gFats: 27gSodium: 582mgFiber: 8g

Learn our full diet disclaimer right here.

easy methods to make Thanksgiving Bowls – step-by-step images

Sliced onions, shaved sprouts, chopped apple, dried cranberries, cooked wild rice, candied pecans, and frozen peas on a chopping board.Sliced onions, shaved sprouts, chopped apple, dried cranberries, cooked wild rice, candied pecans, and frozen peas on a chopping board.

Preheat oven to 400 levels. Prepare dinner ½ cup wild rice in accordance with bundle instructions. Fluff and let cool.

Put together greens: peel and slice 1 turnip into medallions, slice 1 candy potato into skinny medallions, cube 4 stalks celery, collect ½ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup candied pecans, and ½ cup shaved brussels sprouts, prepare dinner and funky 1 cup frozen peas, small cube 1 gala apple, and julienne (finely slice) ½ a purple onion.

Sliced turnip and sweet potato in a bowl with salt and pepper.Sliced turnip and sweet potato in a bowl with salt and pepper.

Toss potatoes and turnips with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.

Sliced potatoes and turnips on a baking sheet.Sliced potatoes and turnips on a baking sheet.

Switch to parchment-lined baking sheets and roast within the oven for 20 min or till tender (however not mushy!)

Baked slices of sweet potato and turnip on a baking sheet.Baked slices of sweet potato and turnip on a baking sheet.

Take away turnips and candy potato medallions from oven and allow them to cool when you make your dressing.

A whisk mixing ingredients for maple cinnamon vinaigrette in a bowl.A whisk mixing ingredients for maple cinnamon vinaigrette in a bowl.

Whisk collectively 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, streaming ½ cup olive oil final to create a brief emulsion.

Side view of thanksgiving salad bowl.Side view of thanksgiving salad bowl.

As soon as candy potatoes and turnips have cooled, toss all salad components along with 6 oz bag lettuce combine. Both portion it out for meal prep with the dressing on the aspect, or scoop equally into bowls and gown to serve.

This straightforward Thanksgiving salad is a contemporary and scrumptious technique to scale back meals waste and nourish your physique on the similar time!

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