No one in my family wants salad on Thanksgiving, but I do! I love salad anytime and for some reason, especially crave it on Thanksgiving. I started making this salad, inspired by an The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (I said Betty Crocker in the video and was wrong!), over twenty years ago and have made it every Thanksgiving since. Over the years I have added different veggies and this version has been going strong for at least five years.
Even though my family claims they don’t want to eat salad on Thanksgiving, they always eat some of this salad. They don’t eat much of it, but that leaves the rest for me, and I think that is ultimately my plan all along.
In addition to the delicious flavor and tons of “green”, I love this salad because I can make it the day before Thanksgiving and simply toss and serve the next day. This gives me one less dish to make on Turkey Day!
The other great thing about this salad is that you can customize it the way you like it. Use the greens you love the most. Add fewer mushrooms or add more mushrooms, use pancetta instead of bacon, broccoli instead of peas, or red onions instead of green. You are in control!
discover. cook. enjoy.
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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Victoria's 24-Hour Veggie Salad
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The Ingredients
The Veggies (and Bacon)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup baby spinach, or your favorite lettuces
- 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
- 6 oz peas, frozen, then thawed
- 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 3 green onions, greens only, sliced
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
The Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp dill, fresh, finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- dash Fish sauce
- green onions and chopped dill for garnish
The Process
Thaw the peas
- Add the peas to a bowl and let sit to thaw while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Cook the Bacon
- Cut the bacon into lardons and add to a skillet and cook until crispy. Remove from pan to paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Prepare the Veggies
- While the bacon is cooking, prepare the veggies. Tear the lettuce into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Slice the mushrooms, grate the carrot, and slice the green onions and place in separate prep bowls. Slice a lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of one half into a small bowl. Set aside.
Make the Sauce
- While the bacon is cooling, add all the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mix well with a whisk. Set aside.
Layer and Top the Salad
- Season the lettuce with kosher salt and pepper and mix together to blend. Add the veggies and other ingredients in this order: mushrooms, carrots, bacon, peas, green onions. Add as much or as little of each as you would like.
- Add the the sauce to the top of the salad, distributing as even as possible. Using a spatula, spread the sauce around the top of the salad, from edge to edge, covering the entire salad top. You will see some of the salad poking through and that is okay. Garnish with green onions and dill is desired. You can also add a bit of the bacon as garnish.
- Put a lid on the bowl, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Serving the Salad
- Gently mix the salad and dressing to together to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl or use the bowl it is in for serving. Enjoy!
