What you’ll need

• Large salad bowl. For tossing and serving
• Sharp knife. For chopping and slicing
• Cutting board. For prep work
• Salad servers or tongs. For serving
• Small bowls. For individual salad portions or dressing
• Measuring cups and spoons. For dressing ingredients

You only need one salad, and its job is to be the sharp, crisp thing on a plate of casseroles. Here are six that do that job, sorted by how much time you want to spend. Prep any of them ahead; the only rule they share is to dress at the last minute.

[Photo: three salad bowls on a counter — a full harvest salad, a shaved Brussels slaw, a simple arugula-pear]

Full production

Autumn Harvest Salad

Roasted squash and apple, pomegranate, pecans, goat cheese, maple-cider vinaigrette over sturdy greens. The most components, the most impressive, and every part holds for a day. This is the one if the salad is going to be looked at.

Medium effort, big payoff

Shaved Brussels sprout and apple slaw

Raw sprouts and a little cabbage shaved fine, tossed with a mustard-cider vinaigrette, sliced apple, dried cranberries and toasted hazelnuts. It actually improves after an hour dressed, which makes it the rare salad you can toss ahead. Feeds a crowd cheaply.

Kale and apple salad with cheddar

Massaged kale (rub it with a little oil and salt for a minute to soften it), thin apple, sharp cheddar shavings, toasted walnuts, a maple-Dijon dressing. Sturdy enough to sit dressed for 30 minutes.

Low effort

Arugula, pear and parmesan

Peppery arugula, sliced ripe pear, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts or almonds, lemon and olive oil. Five ingredients, five minutes, and the pepper cuts through anything.

Broccoli-cranberry salad

The potluck classic: raw broccoli florets, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and bacon in a creamy dressing. Better made a few hours ahead, and it holds all day — the one salad here that does not mind waiting.

Classic wedge

Iceberg wedges, blue cheese dressing, bacon, tomato, chives. Retro, easy, and the crunch and cold are exactly what the plate needs. Assemble at the last minute so the iceberg stays crisp.

Which to make

• If it is a formal table and you have time: the harvest salad.
• If you want to dress it ahead: shaved Brussels or broccoli-cranberry, both improve with a rest.
• If you have five minutes: arugula, pear and parmesan.
• If the crowd is traditional: the wedge or the broccoli salad.

Whichever you pick, prep the components a day ahead and hold the dressing until the table. It is the fresh element in our best Thanksgiving side dishes, and the more unusual options are in unique Thanksgiving side dishes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best salad for Thanksgiving?

Any salad that brings acidity and crunch to a heavy plate. A roasted squash and apple harvest salad if you want something impressive; a shaved Brussels slaw or arugula and pear if you want something simple.

Which Thanksgiving salad can I dress ahead of time?

Shaved Brussels sprout slaw and broccoli-cranberry salad both improve after an hour or more in the dressing. Leafy salads must be dressed at the last minute.

How do I keep a Thanksgiving salad from wilting?

Use sturdy greens, prep the components separately a day ahead, assemble the salad undressed a few hours before, and toss it with dressing only at the table.

How many salads do I need?

One. Its purpose is contrast, and a second salad just takes a spot another dish could use.

The bottom line

Pick one salad by how much time you have, prep it ahead, and dress it last. Its whole job is to be the crisp, sharp counterweight to everything else on the plate.

Save this so you can match the salad to the year you are having.