Green Salad and Ranch Dressing (Whole30)

It’s that time of year…to gather and celebrate! What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish to contribute to the mix? Today I’m sharing one of mine! And, I’m partnering with 7 of my blogger friends to share an Ultimate Friendsgiving Menu to inspire your next gathering (full menu at end of the post)!

Tis’ the season to indulge, but there are ways to be smart about it! One of my go-to’s is a beautiful green salad with delicious homemade dressing. Fresh and healthy, it provides a nice balance to the rest of the spread. It’s perfect to enjoy with the meal and after, with leftovers, too!

When creating a salad for everyone to enjoy, keeping it simple is key! My strategy; start with crisp greens and then pile on the colorful veggies! Add what you know your family will eat. You can always place extras like cheese, bacon, and croutons on the side for those who want them.

Green Salad with Whole30 Ranch Dressing

Classic Salad with the most amazing homemade Whole30 ranch dressing!

For Salad:

make as large as you wish for your group!
Approx 6 cups chopped romaine (or buy 3-4 bags washed/pre-chopped)
Pre cut carrot match sticks
Diced yellow bell pepper
Sliced and quartered cucumber slices
Halved cherry tomatoes
3-4 hard boiled eggs

For Dressing:

1 cup “light tasting” olive oil (you can also use avocado or safflower oil, just don’t use EVOO!)
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (stirred/blended!. I like Thai Kitchen or Native Forest.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves (you can also use parsley, but I think cilantro tastes better!)

Make the Salad:

Fill your serving bowl with greens of your choice. (For this salad I chose chopped romaine, but spinach is great too!)
Add rows of diced/chopped fresh veggies

Make the Dressing:

Add all ingredients as listed to a large measuring cup or mason jar.
Using an immersion blender, blend starting from the bottom and work your way up to the top as you see it thickening.
Blend for approx. 1 minute.
If it isn’t as thick as you’d like, cover and refrigerate. It should thicken right up! (Also see my note about whisking or stirring the coconut milk before adding to recipe. It tends to separate in the can. Making sure its smooth before adding it makes a difference!)

Be sure to stir/whisk/blend the coconut milk before adding it. It tends to be separated in the can.
This recipe can be doubled easily. I almost always make a double batch!
Original Recipe: https://www.whole-sisters.com/dump-ranch/

This salad appeals to all ages, especially since it includes the best (dairy free) ranch dressing. (See this post for more of our favorite dressing recipes.) One year I made a lovely Thanksgiving salad with fennel and beets and I’m pretty sure only two guests touched it (including me!). We live and learn! Be on the lookout for more holiday recipes coming soon. I’m putting a healthy spin on a few of my tried and trues…

Our entire Ultimate Friendsgiving Menu is listed below. Be sure to pin this image on Pinterest so that you can easily reference all these fabulous recipes!

The Ultimate Friendsgiving menu includes:

Sweet Potato Crostini with Blue Cheese and Honey from Desiree at Beautifully Seaside
Spiced Ginger Orange Cranberry Baked Brie from Alicia at The Lush List
Swiss Green Bean Casserole from Brooke at KBStyled
Cinnamon Apple Cider Margarita from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place
Cranberry Lime Tart from Kristin at INK Foods
Whole30 Salad with Homemade Ranch from me!
Mama Mary’s Apple Pie from Sara at Haute and Humid
Smoked Turkey “Pate” from Elizabeth and Lolli at Lolli and Me