A tasty and creamy turkey salad is so easy to make. And it's probably the easiest way to use up leftover turkey!
The week after Thanksgiving is a challenge. Starting at the piles of leftover meat in the fridge, I sometimes despair. How are we going to finish it all off before it goes bad? Enter this salad!
This flavorful turkey salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover turkey. My entire family enjoys it, so it's become one of our week-after-Thanksgiving traditions. And it's so easy to make!
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty salad. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Mayonnaise: I like to use avocado oil mayonnaise. Sir Kensington's is a good brand.
Dijon mustard: This traditional French mustard is creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is the most flavorful.
Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use.
Cooked turkey meat: Make sure it's skinless. The skin will feel rubbery in a cold salad.
Veggies and herbs: diced celery, chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro.
Cheese: I like to use crumbled feta cheese.
How to make a turkey salad
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. It's as simple as mixing together a few ingredients in a bowl, adding a simple dressing, then allowing the flavors to meld. These are the basic steps:
Mix the dressing. Start by whisking together the first five ingredients - this will be your dressing.
Assemble the salad. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix in the dressing.
I make this tasty salad with a creamy dressing of avocado oil mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic. The celery adds a wonderful crunch. But if you're not a fan of celery, you can use cucumber instead.
How to serve turkey salad
In my high carb days, I used it in sandwiches and wraps. These days, I love it on a plate - a fork is all I need!
But it's also very good on cloud bread and on a low carb English muffin, serving in this case as a bun of sorts. Or you could spoon it into lettuce cups or roll it in a lettuce wrap sandwich.
But seriously, it's really good all on its own, without any special vehicles to carry it into your mouth except for a fork!
How long can I keep it?
You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. But if the turkey you use already spent some time in the fridge, you should take that into account. I find that the salad actually tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld.
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Turkey Salad
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
- ¼ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 2 cups cooked turkey meat, diced (10oz)
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, celery, red onion, cilantro and feta.
- Mix in the dressing.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill for an hour to allow flavors to meld. Mix again before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.