The Ultimate Leftovers Salad

A Thanksgiving-inspired Leftovers Salad with dark greens for a meal that’s rich in fiber, antioxidants, and a creative use for cranberry sauce.

Whether you enjoy leftovers or not, this simple salad is a great solution to being more resourceful with lovingly prepared dishes from the holiday season. Today, try this

If you’re like me, then wasting food doesn’t sit right and I’m always trying creative ways to use food or compost, especially when it’s from the Thanksgiving table. However, after a few days later, you may be tired of eating the same turkey-and-cranberry-sauce combo. I completely get it. That’s why today’s Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad can be your new go-to combination for using leftovers no matter what time of year.

I was hesitant to call today’s recipe a “recipe” because it’s so simple and incredibly versatile. To build the base of your salad, you’ll want any dark greens such as leftover sautéed kale, fresh arugula or spinach. I used fresh arugula, but all of these dark greens will pack a nutrient-dense punch and encourage your body to get back in sync, just in case you got off your routine. Once you have dark greens as the base, you’ll add in any other leftovers you have on-hand — cooked corn, sautéed green beans, fresh apples, diced vegetarian nut loaf, roasted squash, etc.

The beauty is in the variety, so don’t be shy about piling on the leftovers with any fresh fruit or vegetables you have, too. Lastly, to top it all off, I made a simple homemade dressing with my Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce—you can use any cranberry sauce here, but ideally, one that uses whole-food ingredients and not from a can—and olive oil, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. The best thing about this recipe is getting in those greens!