Vietnamese Inspired Turkey Salad

We all end up with leftover turkey at Christmas in which its fate is usually a Boxing Day curry. But after eating so much rich food during the Christmas period it’s nice to enjoy something lighter. This salad takes inspiration from a Rick Stein recipe in which he uses Chinese cabbage and Vietnamese mint leaves. This is a really fragrant and refreshing salad, and it is perfect teamed with the crispy, salty pancetta pieces. To add more crunch you could add some chopped peanuts.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

• Leftover cooked turkey meat, shredded
• Pancetta, diced (or bacon lardons)
• 1 Romaine lettuce (or similar crunchy lettuce), washed and sliced
• 2 carrots, grated

For the dressing:

• Small handful of fresh coriander
• Small handful of fresh basil
• Small handful of fresh mint
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 tsp caster sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 – 1 red chilli, diced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp Turkey juices (optional)

Serves 2-3 people

Cooking Method:

1. Prepare the meats

To begin, gently fry the pancetta pieces in a pan until crispy and golden, and set aside to cool. Next, shred the leftover cooked turkey and place into a large bowl.

2. Prepare the dressing

Add equal quantities of the chopped herbs to a bowl and add the rest of the dressing ingredients. Stir well and set aside.

3. Assemble the salad

Add the crunchy lettuce and grated carrots to the large bowl with the turkey and pancetta. Add half the dressing to the salad and toss. You can add more dressing as required.

Serve the salad straight away and enjoy.

What are your favourite turkey leftover recipes for the festive season?  We’d love to hear them – comment below or share them with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.