Thanksgiving Salad — a plant-based American recipe by BOSH!
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Thanksgiving Salad

This is the salad we make every single Thanksgiving and honestly, it steals the show every time. Warm roasted sweet potato with cinnamon, crispy bacon bits, toasted nuts and pumpkin seeds all piled onto fresh leaves. It's got that perfect thing going on where you get warmth and crunch and freshness all in one forkful. The kind of salad that makes people go back for seconds and then ask you for the recipe. If you're putting on a big spread this autumn, this one has to be on the table.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Large pan for boiling water
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small bowl for dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 1 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 500g sweet potatoes
  • 50g pecans roughly chopped
  • 50g pistachios roughly chopped
  • 70g plant-based 'bacon' bits optional
  • 200g green leaves - collard greens or cavolo nero works well
  • 1 sweet apple
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp French mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

For the oven part

  • Cut the sweet potato in good size rough chunks, about 2cm
  • Toss in the oil and ground cinnamon
  • Place in the oven for about 20 minutes, until just soft
  • At this point add to the tray the bacon bits, the nuts and the pumpkin seeds
  • Place back in the oven for five minutes
  • Once crisp and golden, turn the oven out and keep warm whilst you make the rest
2

For the rest

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil
  • Trim any hard stems or stalks from the greens and discard
  • Once boiling Blanche the greens for ½ minutes to wilted, then drain and place in a large bowl
  • Core the apple and finely slice, coat in the juice of the lemon half and add to the bowl with the cranberries and pomegranate
  • Add in the content of the oven tray and toss
3

To finish

  • In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients with a good pinch of salt and pepper
  • Add to the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated

Tips & Variations

  • Don't rush the roasting: Give the sweet potato a full 20 minutes on its own before adding the nuts and seeds. If you add them too early they'll burn and turn bitter, and trust us, you don't want that.
  • Season as you go: Taste the dressing before you add it and adjust the seasoning. A little extra salt or a squeeze more lemon can make a huge difference to the finished dish.
  • Make it a main: This works brilliantly as a main course if you pile it high and add some grains like farro or wild rice to bulk it out. We've done this loads of times when we want something substantial but still fresh.

Why This Works

The trick is roasting the sweet potato first and then adding the nuts and seeds to the tray for the last five minutes so everything gets golden and crispy together. That warmth from the cinnamon-coated potato hitting the fresh leaves is what makes this feel so special rather than just another salad. It's that contrast of hot and cool, soft and crunchy, that makes every mouthful genuinely exciting.