Breakfast salad ideas?

All the in-laws are coming (12 people) for the holiday. I am planning breakfast for Thanksgiving morning. I am going to order in bagels, babka and cinnamon rolls. I cannot in good conscience serve all of that without something healthy on the side. In the past I've served fruit salad or asparagus, looking for something new. I'm also open to ideas about what else to serve for breakfast besides bagels. etc. The goal is to not cook much of anything.

Summer of Eggplant
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18 Comments

Nancy
Nancy November 13, 2014
Play off fall-produce and do something with apples, pears, walnuts, pecans, feta &/or cranberry (if you can bear to see them outside the turkey-day dinner. Depending on the recipe, you can boost breakfast protein by including some deli meat, roast beef, smoked fish, just not chicken.
 
gingerroot
gingerroot November 11, 2014
I'm not sure if it could stand alone as an additional dish, but I served the Fennel, Blood Orange and Olive salad for Christmas brunch last year. I know fennel is not for everyone (I am the lone fan in my immediate family), but it is such a light and refreshing salad. And easy.
 
TwoAprons
TwoAprons November 10, 2014
Giada has a really nice citrus salad with basil, walnuts and fennel that I often serve for brunch. It's really light and refreshing. A perfect complement to a carb-heavy brunch menu! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/citrus-salad-recipe.html
 
ChezHenry
ChezHenry November 10, 2014
Wow. That looks like an amazing salad! Thanks for sharing that!
 
ChezHenry
ChezHenry November 10, 2014
Broiled grapefruit, with a topping of brown sugar. An oldy but a goody,
 
creamtea
creamtea November 10, 2014
This is my own recipe for a refreshing cool-weather salad with breakfasty pink and red grapefruit and pomegranate seeds for color and crunch https://food52.com/recipes/15747-pink-grapefruit-pomegranate-mache-salad-with-lemon-ume-vinaigrette .
 
Nicole O.
Nicole O. November 10, 2014
My friend who runs a B&B has this great breakfast thing she serves. I think it's called, "eggs on the green." It's a spring mix, crumbled bacon, roasted fingerling potatoes and a fried egg on top. I'm not sure what kind of dressing but maybe a bacon vin. would be good? Hope this is helpful.
 
sydney
sydney November 10, 2014
Chopped salad of parsley, radish, cucumber, green onion and purple cabbage (finely chopped). Dress lightly, put more dressing on the side for people to add. The colours are gorgeous, so even if nobody eats it it'll still LOOK pretty and make people feel healthy/happy while chowing down on the white-flour carbs. And when nobody eats it it will keep for a week in the fridge (if lightly dressed), giving you something to eat to work off all the carbs you ate. Win-win.
 

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amysarah
amysarah November 10, 2014
I often serve this salad at brunches to offset the eggs & bread/bagel/general carb factor: any greens you like, tossed with thinly sliced orange (blood oranges look pretty, if available), red onion and black olives (the kind in olive oil,) with a simple vinaigrette - sherry vinegar works well. You can also add some crumbled feta or ricotta salata, but it's good without too. Not sure how it would play at 8 am, but later in the morning it blends in well with brunch-y items.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx November 10, 2014
Quiche is make-ahead and perfect for brunch. Any salad using apples and pears with cheddar or blue cheese and crunchy, glazed nuts is seasonal and delicious. I love an apple cider vinegar vinaigrette to dress the salad.
 
Pegeen
Pegeen November 10, 2014
Salad: “Yes We Can Have Sweet Potatoes for Dinner Salad” by Nicholas Day

https://food52.com/recipes/19441-yes-we-can-have-sweet-potatoes-for-dinner-salad?from_related=1&related_src_type=recipe

It’s delicious. Sweet potatoes, arugula, feta, walnuts, scallions with a sherry & mustard vinaigrette
 
Pegeen
Pegeen November 10, 2014
p.s. You might want to serve the vinaigrette in a pitcher on the side, so the salad doesn't become soggy.
 
Pegeen
Pegeen November 10, 2014
Salad: “Yes We Can Have Sweet Potatoes for Dinner Salad” by Nicholas Day

https://food52.com/recipes/19441-yes-we-can-have-sweet-potatoes-for-dinner-salad?from_related=1&related_src_type=recipe

It’s delicious. Sweet potatoes, arugula, feta, walnuts, scallions with a sherry & mustard vinaigrette
 
TobiT
TobiT November 10, 2014
I've made this and it's delicious. I actually thought it was even more delicious without the feta, so that omission might lighten it up a bit and make it more breakfast-friendly. Don't get me wrong - I love feta - I just thought this was better without it.
 
nashama
nashama November 10, 2014
I would do a mixed baby greens salad with a light vinaigrette. Really simple and always welcome with breakfast in our house!
 
HalfPint
HalfPint November 10, 2014
Too bad tomatoes are no longer in season because a bowl of cut up cucumber and tomatoes (no dressing) would go very well with your spread. Or a salad of baby greens or a crisp romaine with a simple vinaigrette.
 
Pegeen
Pegeen November 10, 2014
Basic frittata, both oven and stove-top methods. There are also plenty of recipes here on Food52. http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2012/06/classic-potato-cheese-fritata
You can add pretty much anything to a frittata: vegetables, ham, sausage...
 
Pegeen
Pegeen November 10, 2014
You're a generous person. (I hope they don't all have to sleep at your house!) You could make and bake a couple frittatas the day before and they would be fine, refrigerated overnight and then warmed up the next morning.

A helpful thing is that the eggs are filling. And it sits well at room temperature, so you can have some pickings out on the counter for snacks throughout the morning and into the afternoon before hors d'oeuvres start, so that you don't have to plan a lunch as well.
 
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