This Thanksgiving Salad Dressing is perfect for salads, drizzled on top of roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes, or used as a dip for cornbread!

If you’ve been a long-time follower of Well and Full, you’ll know we’re all about the salads here. I love salad, and I love making fun, seasonal twists on recipes. But we all know that the dressing can make or break a salad. A good dressing can enhance the flavors of the salad, add more flavor itself, and create a satisfying mouthfeel. But a bad dressing can ruin the whole thing. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that with this delicious Thanksgiving Salad Dressing!

What I love about this dressing is that it has several facets of flavor that can complement a myriad of dishes. It’s got tanginess from the apple cider vinegar, so it can cut through rich, buttery mashed potatoes. It has thyme and garlic, so it will pair well with roasted vegetables. It’s also a little sweet, so it will enhance the delicata squash and the pomegranate arils. Basically, it goes with everything! I know you’ll love it, enjoy! :)

Try this Thanksgiving Salad Dressing…

1 // With The Best Thanksgiving Salad

2 // Drizzled over Herb-Mashed Potatoes

3 // Served with Roasted Green Beans

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Thanksgiving Salad Dressing

This Thanksgiving Salad Dressing is perfect for salads, drizzled on top of vegetables and mashed potatoes, or used as a dip for cornbread!

Course condiments

Keyword apple cider, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, Thanksgiving, thyme

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 3 Tbsp Apple Cider
• 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Clove Garlic grated
• 1/2 Tsp Salt or more, to taste
• 1 Tsp Dried Thyme

Instructions

• Combine all dressing ingredients into a bowl or jar. Grate the garlic clove directly into the dressing, then whisk or shake until dressing is completely combined.
• Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
• (Note that this recipe makes more salad dressing than is needed for the salad – save the leftover dressing for your next salad!)
• Serve, and enjoy!

Notes

• This dressing is great to make ahead of time! It can be kept in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Before serving, bring to room temperature and vigorously whisk until the dressing is incorporated again.
• This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of dressing.

Thanksgiving Salad Dressing FAQs

What’s the best apple cider dressing for Thanksgiving?

This one is, in my humble opinion! I love this dressing because it’s made with apple cider AND apple cider vinegar, doubling down on the tangy, apple-y flavor.

Is apple cider vinaigrette good for you?

Apple Cider Vinaigrette can absolutely be part of a healthy diet! ACV kind of went through a fad phase in the last three years where people were promising all sorts of health benefits. Of course, many of these purported benefits were not backed by science whatsoever. However, ACV has been shown in some scientific studies to help manage blood sugar, boost weight loss, and have antibacterial properties (source: University of Chicago Medicine).

Can you make apple cider vinegar dressing without mustard?

You can, but the mustard adds a ton of flavor! If you absolutely must make this recipe without mustard, try adding in an extra clove of garlic to boost the flavor.

What’s the difference between Thanksgiving dressing and Thanksgiving salad dressing?

Salad dressing and Thanksgiving dressing are NOT the same thing! Thanksgiving dressing is actually another name for stuffing that’s not cooked in the turkey. So if you make a stuffing that’s cooked on its own, it’s technically called dressing. Of course, this recipe is specifically salad dressing – not stuffing! :)

What is Thanksgiving dressing made of?

Traditional Thanksgiving dressing (aka stuffing) is made from bread, vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, broth, eggs, and seasonal spices like thyme and sage. Other stuffing recipes contain mushrooms, apples, craisins, and nuts. I have a Thanksgiving stuffing recipe here made with millet and herbs, and other option made with Wild Rice!

P.S.

For more plant-forward recipes and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!