Leftover Turkey Great Plains Salad
intro
Hearty, harvest-forward Great Plains salad repurposing leftover Thanksgiving turkey, with nutty wheat berries, crisp fall produce, and tangy maple-cider vinaigrette for easy post-holiday meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Toast Pecan Halves
Place the small stainless steel skillet on the back-right induction burner over medium-low heat. Add ½ cup pecan halves in a single layer, and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently with the beech wood salad server fork, until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges. Do not leave unattended, as pecans burn quickly. Transfer pecans to the edge of the cutting board to cool for 5 minutes once done.
Mix Vinaigrette Base
In the small matte off-white ramekin, combine 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper. Use the small stainless steel whisk to stir until the mustard and maple syrup are fully dissolved and the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps.
Emulsify Vinaigrette
First measure 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil into the clear glass measuring cup. While whisking the vinaigrette base continuously in the ramekin, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Whisk for 30 seconds after all oil is added, until the dressing is thick, glossy, and fully emulsified with no visible separated oil. Stir in 1 tsp of the chopped fresh sage.
Shred Cooked Turkey
Place 3 cups of leftover roast turkey (mix of light breast and dark thigh meat, skin removed) on the empty central area of the maple cutting board. Use the 8-inch chef knife to pull the turkey into rough, bite-sized shreds (about 2-3cm wide), discarding any tough connective tissue or leftover skin. Pat the shreds lightly with the crumpled paper towel to remove any excess congealed fat if needed.
Chop Salad Add-Ins
On the empty section of the cutting board, use the chef knife to: dice the unpeeled Honeycrisp apple into 1cm cubes, finely dice the small shallot, chop the remaining fresh sage, and roughly chop half of the cooled toasted pecans (leave the other half whole for texture). Add the whole pecans, 1.5 cups cooked wheat berries, 1 cup roasted sweet corn, and ⅓ cup dried cranberries to the medium stainless steel mixing bowl.
Toss Salad Ingredients
Add the shredded turkey, chopped apple, shallot, sage, and chopped pecans to the mixing bowl with the wheat berries and corn. Pour ¾ of the prepared maple-cider vinaigrette over the top of the ingredients. Use the beech wood salad servers to toss all ingredients gently for 45-60 seconds, until every component is evenly coated in dressing. Taste and adjust with extra salt or pepper if needed.
Plate Finished Salad
Mound the tossed salad gently in the center of the matte off-white ceramic dinner plate, leaving a 2cm clear rim around the edge. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette lightly over the top of the salad. Scatter the reserved whole toasted pecans across the surface, and tuck 1-2 small whole sage leaves into the top of the salad as garnish. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Tips
2.Do not skip toasting the pecans: 3-4 minutes of dry toasting over low heat amplifies their nutty, buttery flavor and adds a shatteringly crisp contrast to chewy wheat berries and tender turkey, a difference pre-toasted store-bought pecans cannot match.
3.If prepping the salad more than 30 minutes before serving, toss diced apple in ¼ tsp of apple cider vinegar immediately after chopping: this prevents enzymatic browning and adds an extra bright tart note that pairs perfectly with sweet maple and earthy wheat berries.
OMG this was such a game changer for all the leftover turkey we had after Thanksgiving! I was so sick of turkey sandwiches by Saturday, threw this together in literally 5 minutes and my whole family devoured it. The crunchy sunflower seeds and tangy vinaigrette? *Chef’s kiss* SO good.
I make a big batch of this every Sunday after I roast a turkey breast for weekday lunches! It holds up so well in the fridge for 3-4 days, no soggy greens even when I dress it ahead. Total weeknight win.
Brought this to our neighborhood potluck last weekend after we had a ton of turkey left from my son’s birthday cookout, and people were begging for the recipe! Even the picky kids ate it, which is basically a miracle. 10/10
Made this last night for a quick dinner after work, it was so easy I didn’t even have to run to the grocery store – I already had all the veggies and leftover turkey in the fridge. Will absolutely be making this again, not just for leftovers!
Perfect light lunch to pack for day hikes! It’s filling but doesn’t weigh you down, and the 5 minute prep time means I can throw it together before I hit the trail at 6am. Game changer for my post-holiday meal plan.
So happy I found this! It’s naturally gluten free if you skip the croutons (I used roasted chickpeas instead for crunch) and it tastes absolutely incredible. My husband who hates salad even went back for seconds.
Super easy recipe for a college kid with barely any cooking skills and a mini fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers from going home. Didn’t even need any fancy equipment, just a bowl and a fork. Tasted way better than the dining hall food, lmao.
I added a little crumbled blue cheese on top because I had some leftover from a charcuterie board, and wow, that took it to the next level. Don’t sleep on adding a creamy cheese if you have it lying around!
Used homegrown kale and cherry tomatoes from my fall garden in this, plus leftover smoked turkey from our weekend smoke session. It tasted so fresh and hearty, I’ll be adding this to our regular fall rotation even when we don’t have leftovers.
Made this for my golf group lunch last week after we had turkey for our early Thanksgiving dinner, and all the guys raved about it. So quick to put together, no slaving over a hot stove which is perfect for this Florida heat.
I was skeptical a salad could be filling enough for my post-gym dinner, but with all that turkey and the sunflower seeds, this kept me full all evening. Way better than the boring protein shakes I usually choke down after workouts.
Made this for my daughter’s tailgate before the OSU game last weekend, it was the perfect portable dish that didn’t need to be kept hot. We ate it alongside burgers and brats and it was such a nice fresh contrast to all the heavy tailgate food. Go bucks!
As a single dad working 60 hour weeks, I’m always looking for fast, healthy meals my kids will actually eat. I threw this together with leftover turkey from our Sunday dinner, and all three kids asked for seconds. Even my 4 year old who refuses to eat anything green! Total win.
Made this after a long day of skiing last week, it was the perfect light but satisfying meal when I didn’t have the energy to cook something complicated. I warmed the turkey up a little before tossing it in, and it was chef’s kiss on a cold mountain night.
I added a handful of candied pecans instead of sunflower seeds because that’s what I had in my pantry, and it gave the salad the perfect sweet crunch. Will absolutely be making this again after Christmas dinner when we have a ton of leftover turkey!
Ordered takeout salads all last week and they were so sad and expensive. Made this for lunch today with leftover turkey from my family’s Thanksgiving visit, and it cost me basically nothing and tasted 10x better than any takeout salad I’ve had lately. 10/10, will be on repeat.