I have been making this traditional cranberry salad for thanksgiving holidays for several year now and it’s always received really well. I get a lot of compliments at Thanksgiving holiday meal by people that say they don’t usually like cranberry salad but this one is really good, and asking for the recipe as well. I am also always a tad nervous of what picky little eaters (the kids) might think but they absolutely love it alongside with the adults. You can refrigerate the portion of this food overnight, then stir – you’ll get really good breakfast.

I got this recipe from my mother-in-low and she got it from her mom. The main ingredient for this recipe is cranberries. You can add ripe red or green apple or other fruit as well. Nuts could be additional ingredient if you want something completely crisp in your bowl.

 It is a quintessential holiday side that you can’t imagine your festive table without! It is a perfect complement to your ham or turkey.

Looks beautiful and colorful and tastes delicious. A perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors and soft and crunchy textures.

There are many variations of this old classic. Mine calls for fresh cranberries, oranges, granny smith apples and celery, crashed canned pineapples, sugar, raspberry jello and toasted walnuts. Fresh cranberries are usually widely available during the holiday season but if for any reason you can’t find them you can easily substitute for frozen kind.

I also like to use fresh oranges that I segment and dice but if this feels like a lot of work feel free to use canned mandarin oranges. A lot of people also use pecans in place of walnuts. It is just a personal preference. I would highly recommend toasting whatever nuts you end up making the salad with. It deepens the flavor and makes them extra fragrant.

For all my people with nut allergies don’t worry, you can completely omit the walnuts or pecans. Fresh celery will give you enough crunch so you won’t feel like you missing out on the texture.

It holds really well in the fridge as well and you can make it couple days in advance which is of course super convenient during all the holiday craziness.

I have been getting lots of praise on this holiday classic and happy to share this amazing recipe with you!