15-Minute Cranberry Orange Relish
Thanksgiving Side | No cook
Can we talk about cranberry sauce for a second? Every Thanksgiving, it shows up on the table, everyone takes a polite spoonful, and somehow there’s still a giant bowl of it sitting in the refrigerator three days later.
This no-cook cranberry orange relish is my answer to that situation. Fresh cranberries, juicy oranges, ginger, and a little maple syrup come together in 15 minutes. Then we add crunchy salted pistachios and fresh mint for something bright, tart, sweet, and completely different from the usual cranberry sauce.
And did I mention there’s no cooking involved? Because when you’re juggling six Thanksgiving sides, that’s a pretty big selling point. Plus its freaking delicious.
The Cranberry Sauce Alternative Your Thanksgiving Table Needs
I love a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but sometimes the sides could use a little shaking up.
This cranberry orange relish is fresh and slightly tart rather than cooked down into a sweet sauce. The ginger adds a little warmth, the orange brings natural sweetness, and the salted pistachios give it a crunch you don’t usually find next to the turkey.
It’s also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, so it’s one of those Thanksgiving sides that works for just about everyone at the table.
A No-Cook Thanksgiving Side That Takes 15 Minutes
Here’s my favorite part: the food processor does nearly everything.
Pulse the fresh cranberries until finely chopped, then add the orange, ginger, sugar, maple syrup, and seasonings. A few more pulses and you’re done.
No saucepan. No stirring. No wondering if the cranberry sauce is thick enough.
The hardest part might be remembering to take it out of the refrigerator before dinner.
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Don't Skip the Ginger and Pistachio Crunch
The fresh ginger gives this relish a little bite without making it spicy. Combined with the sweet orange and tart cranberries, it’s exactly the kind of flavor I want alongside rich Thanksgiving food.
And those salted pistachios? They might be my favorite part.
They add crunch, color, and just enough salt to balance everything out. I fold most of them in right before serving and scatter the rest over the top.
It looks beautiful on the table without requiring any actual decorating skills.
Make This Cranberry Orange Relish Ahead of Thanksgiving
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from cooking holiday meals, it’s that anything you can make ahead is worth its weight in gold.
This no-cook cranberry orange relish can be made up to two days ahead. In fact, I prefer giving it some time in the refrigerator so the sugar dissolves and the flavors settle.
Just keep the pistachios separate until you’re ready to serve.
One less Thanksgiving side to think about while the oven is full and someone is asking when we’re eating.
Chef's Note
- Remove all the white pith from the orange before adding it to the food processor. It’s bitter, and nobody needs bitter cranberry relish.
- Also, don’t overprocess the cranberries. You want a chunky relish with some texture, not cranberry-orange purée.
- And save those pistachios until the very end. The crunch is what makes this recipe different.
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Bright Cranberry-Orange Relish with Ginger-Pistachio Crunch
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8+ 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This no-cook cranberry orange relish with ginger and pistachios is a fresh cranberry sauce alternative and easy make-ahead Thanksgiving side.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried
- Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- 1 large orange, peeled, all white pith removed, and cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the cranberries in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not puréed.
- Add the orange zest, orange chunks, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and black pepper. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles a coarse relish.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness. Add a little orange juice if it needs more brightness or another tablespoon of sugar if the cranberries are especially tart.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to develop.
- Just before serving, fold in three-quarters of the chopped pistachios. Spoon into a serving bowl and finish with the remaining pistachios and fresh mint.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: raw
- Cuisine: American
Hi, I'm Kat.
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Hi, I’m Kat, a Colorado-based personal chef, soccer mom, and the heart behind White Sparrow Food Company. I share easy, wholesome, gluten-free recipes inspired by the meals I cook for my clients and made simple for real life at home.
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