Looking for a unique salad to add to your Thanksgiving menu? Try this Cranberry Almond Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette! This healthy recipe is easy to make, light, and refreshing. This Thanksgiving slaw is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish to complement the typically rich and heavy sides! It's a great make-ahead recipe!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Thanksgiving Slaw Ingredients
- Making the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Prepping the Cranberry Almond Slaw
- Serving the Cranberry Almond Slaw
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Top Recipe Tip
- What to Serve With Thanksgiving Slaw
- Recipe FAQs
- Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts
- Still Hungry? Subscribe Here!
- Recipe
- Comments and Ratings
Why You'll Love This Recipe
TamaM says: "Made this for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! Easy to make, nice crunch and a perfect dressing. Definitely will make again."
When it comes to Thanksgiving, we often find ourselves indulging in rich and comforting side dishes like instant pot mashed potatoes, gluten-free sage and onion stuffing, or gluten-free sweet potato casserole. (Well, maybe your sides aren't gluten-free, but mine have to be since I have celiac disease.)
While these classic dishes are undeniably delicious, there's something to be said for introducing a fresh and vibrant element to your Thanksgiving table.
Enter Thanksgiving slaw, a refreshing and crisp side that perfectly complements any Thanksgiving menu! Made with basic ingredients that are easy to find!
Unlike the traditional creamy cole slaw, Cranberry Almond Slaw shines with its unique character. It's tossed with a homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette that's simply irresistible, offering a blend of sweet and tangy flavors. This slaw cuts the richness of the other sides and is satisfyingly light.
What makes this easy salad truly special are the reviews it receives year after year. Give it a try, and we're confident that this refreshing slaw will become a treasured addition to your holiday table, right next to the cranberry sauce, green beans, and sweet potatoes!
For more great Thanksgiving side dishes, check out all of my gluten-free Thanksgiving side dish recipes. There are great options like, gluten-free cornbread stuffing, gluten-free corn casserole, fluffy gluten-free dinner rolls, and gluten-free cornbread muffins.
Prefer store-bought stuffing mix? Check out my guide to gluten-free stuffing mix brands.
Thanksgiving Slaw Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Provides a rich, fruity base for the vinaigrette.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor to balance the dressing. You could substitute red wine vinegar if needed.
- Maple Syrup: Infuses a delightful natural sweetness that complements the tartness of the vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard: Brings a zesty and slightly spicy kick to the vinaigrette.
- Garlic: Gives a subtle but aromatic depth to the dressing.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the overall flavor and helps balance the sweetness.
- Black Pepper: Adds a touch of heat and a hint of earthiness to round out the vinaigrette.
Slaw Ingredients:
- Green Cabbage: The crisp and sturdy base of the slaw, offering a fresh and slightly peppery flavor.
- Red Onion: Provides a mild onion flavor and a vibrant splash of color.
- Dried Cranberries: Infuse a sweet and tangy burst of flavor and a pop of red color.
- Sliced Almonds: Bring a satisfying crunch and a nutty flavor to the slaw. Sunflower seeds or crunchy pecans would also be good!
- Flat Leaf Parsley: Fresh Italian parsley leaves add a touch of herbaceous freshness and a bright green accent.
Making the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Making homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette is so easy. Simply add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar, screw the lid on tight, and shake it up! After you make the vinaigrette, store it in the refrigerator.
You can make this a day or two in advance of Thanksgiving, just give it another shake before you're ready to use it because it will separate.
Prepping the Cranberry Almond Slaw
To prep the slaw, thinly slice the cabbage with a sharp knife. I only used half of a small head of cabbage for this recipe, which was about 8 cups of shredded cabbage. I prefer to slice my own cabbage as opposed to buying the pre-shredded kind, but either will work. Put the sliced cabbage in a large bowl.
Then slice the red onion and chop the parsley. Add the red onion, parsley, cranberries, and almonds on top of the cabbage in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. This can be done about 1 day in advance.
Serving the Cranberry Almond Slaw
When it's time to serve the Cranberry Almond Slaw, all you need to do is take the bowl out of the refrigerator and toss the slaw together. Drizzle the Apple Cider Vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss again. You can use as much or little of the Apple Cider Vinaigrette as you prefer.
Serve the slaw immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour. I prefer to serve it as fresh as possible to ensure everything is still crunchy.
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Make Ahead and Storage
- This slaw can be prepped 1-2 days in advance of Thanksgiving.
- Prep the salad and vinaigrette separately and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Toss the slaw together with the vinaigrette just before serving.
- Once tossed, the salad is fine to sit out at room temperature for several hours. Since it is not a mayonnaise-based slaw, there is nothing that will spoil.
- Refrigerate any leftover slaw for about 1 day. After that the slaw tends to get a little soggy.
Top Recipe Tip
Keep it fresh! Dress the shredded cabbage just before serving. This helps to maintain the crispness and freshness of the coleslaw, preventing it from becoming soggy if it sits too long with the dressing. Wait until you're ready to serve before mixing in the dressing for the best texture and flavor.
What to Serve With Thanksgiving Slaw
Recipe FAQs
Salad can be a refreshing and healthy addition to a Thanksgiving meal, offering a balance to the typically rich and hearty dishes.
Green cabbage is used for traditional coleslaw, but you can also incorporate some red cabbage for added color and flavor.
You can shred the cabbage for coleslaw up to 2-3 days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal and find that this Cranberry Almond Thanksgiving Slaw is a great addition!
Recipe
Cranberry Almond Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive OIl
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 small clove Garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
Cranberry Almond Slaw
- ½ head Green Cabbage
- ½ small Red Onion
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 cup Sliced Almonds
- ½ cup Flat Leaf Parsley
Instructions
Make the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper to a small mason jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake to combine. Refrigerate until serving.
Prep the Cranberry Almond Slaw
- Slice the cabbage into wedges and remove the core. Thinly slice the cabbage and place it in a large bowl.
- Thinly slice the red onion and chop the parsley. Add to the bowl with the cabbage.
- Next, add the cranberries and almonds to the bowl. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
To Serve the Cranberry Almond Slaw
- Shake the vinaigrette and pour over the slaw. Toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Terri Weatherby says
I make this every holiday ❤️🎄
Terri says
I was wondering if the sliced almonds will turn soggy if I mix in the cabbage a day before serving. I won’t put dressing on until ready to serve.
Katie Olesen says
I tend to play it safe and mix them in the day of!
Jen says
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was so good that my mom and sister requested it for Christmas. Love it and it's going in my regular rotation.
Jamie Minton says
I used this recipe for a local appreciation event for our police department. This dish, which has become a family favorite, received many compliments. While we typically don't have cranberries until late fall, I usually stock up throughout the year to be sure we have some just for this dish. Happy cooking!
karen says
Very popular at our place! Yummy.
Mary says
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup? I really don’t care for maple.
Katie Olesen says
Honey would be just fine!
TamaM says
Made this for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! Easy to make, nice crunch and a perfect dressing. Definitely will make again. Thanks for sharing!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
So glad you enjoyed it! I love this recipe too. It's the perfect light crunch with all the heavy sides.
Janet says
Love this! So refreshing and healthy with all those carbs.
Diane says
Where do you find dried cranberries?
Are they the ones that are sweetened?
Jessica F says
Dried fruit is usually located with the canned fruit in the store, or the nut aisle. I’m making this for thanksgiving and just picked up a bag of Craisins.
Jo says
Can cilantro be used in place of parsley?
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
I haven't personally done that but if you like cilantro, I think it would be fine.
Allison says
That was so good and so easy to make. I did use a bag of slaw, but everything else was to the recipe. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Teresa says
Did you use one bag in place of a half head? I'm trying to determine the measurements...
Jen says
I used a 10 ounce bag of angel hair shredded cabbage and it turned out beautifully. I have found the angel hair shredded cabbage at both Walmart and Kroger.
Angie says
This is fabulous. A new favorite. Made it again a couple days after Thanksgiving because I wanted more! Thank you.
Amanda says
I’m excited to make this - could the almonds be toasted or raw? Thanks!
Katie Olesen says
Either works!
Kathy says
We love this slaw. It’s become a favorite veggie on Thanksgiving. Light. Crispy. And good for you too.