Gala Turkey Salad

Robin: Most of us don’t roast a turkey more than a couple of times a year at the most, so when we do, it’s a big deal and it’s important to use every last shred of the bird to the best advantage. What to do with all those itty bitty pieces of white and dark turkey meat that we end up with after picking the carcass clean? One great way to turn those scraps into treasure is to add them to a rich turkey broth for a comforting soup; another is this turkey salad that even sports holiday colors due to the use of dried cranberries and pumpkin seed kernels.

The combination of textures in this salad is very satisfying; the creamy mayo, crunchy shredded veggies and pumpkin seeds, and chewy cranberries all come together to keep my mouth fully engaged and interested. The flavors contrast nicely, too, from rich turkey to tart cranberries to mild celery and mayo, so the taste buds are just as delighted as the rest of the mouth. All in all, this is a simple dish that is, at the same time, quite complex.

As I stir up this salad, I am always reminded of its combination of uniquely American ingredients—and by American, I am referring to the whole continent. Turkeys are native to North and Central America, cranberries originated in relatively cool regions of what is now the USA and Canada, while “pumpkin” seeds come from most any type of winter squash, which also first appeared on the American continent.

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Gala Turkey Salad

Great over lettuce or as a sandwich filling, this salad has a wonderful variety of flavors and textures.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword salad, turkey

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours

Refrigerate 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 445 kcal

Author Robin Grose / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• ¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
• 1 carrot
• 1 small wedge of white cabbage
• 3 cups roasted turkey meat, shredded or cubed use white meat, dark meat, or a mixture
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced including leaves, if possible
• ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds to bring out their rustic flavor. This can be done in the oven, but for this small amount of seeds, I find it easier to do stove-top: Place the seeds into a non-stick pan over medium heat. Let them toast, stirring frequently with a rubber scraper, until most of the seeds show light brown spots. Pour the toasted seeds onto a plate or paper towel and allow them to cool to room temperature.

2. Shred the carrot and the cabbage; together they should measure about a cup and a half of shreds.
3. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, carrot and cabbage shreds, onion, celery, toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or raisins, mayonnaise, and salt. (If you like, save a small amount of pumpkin seeds and cranberries/raisins for decoration at serving time.) Stir in a folding motion until the ingredients are well mixed.

   Refrigerate the mixture overnight (or at least for several hours) to allow flavors to meld.
   

4. Serve your delicious turkey salad as a sandwich filling or plated over lettuce (shredded or in large leaves). Decorate it with the reserved pumpkin seeds and cranberries/raisins, and garnish it with sliced hard cooked eggs, green olives, or pickles, if desired.