Turkey and Celery Salad with Cinnamon-Citrus Dressing

Turkey salad with celery and clementines

What do you do when you have a bunch of leftover turkey and a boatload of clementines? Make salad, of course! This beautiful salad uses an exotic spice blend to completely transform holiday leftovers into something quite exceptional. It’s creamy and crunchy and satisfying with sweet little bursts of clementine that bring the sunshine back to any winter-weather day. If you don’t have any turkey left, just use any leftover poultry. You might even want to quickly poach or grill some just so you can try this recipe!

I used a mandoline to slice my celery really thin, very quickly. I love having a mandoline, but then again, I love all of my kitchen gadgets. If you don’t have one, you can easily slice the celery with a knife.

Turkey and Celery Salad with Cinnamon-Citrus Dressing

Dressing

2 T. paleo mayonnaise

Juice from 1/2 a lemon, about 2 Tbsp.

1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. salt

3-4 grinds of pepper

Salad

6 clementines

6-8 oz. of cooked turkey or chicken breast, chopped

5-6 celery stalks, thinly sliced, about 2 cups

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. toasted walnuts, chopped

A few toasted coconut flakes to garnish, optional

Directions

1) In a large salad bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, spices, salt and pepper.

2) Peel the clementines, cut them through the middle at the “equator”, and then break off each little half-section. Place in the bowl with the dressing.

3) Add the chopped turkey, sliced celery, scallions, and walnuts to the clementine pieces in the bowl.

4) Toss everything together very well to combine. Top with coconut flakes if you like and any additional salt and pepper.

Serves 2

Celery Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

We had lunch with some friends today and I wasn’t sure if there were going to be any side dishes that were Whole 30 compliant. When you’re following something quite structured like I am, you can’t expect that people will know what to have on hand or even if that’s something they can do. One of the best ways to be sure you’ll have something to eat is to bring it yourself. You can’t go wrong as long as you bring enough to share!

I made this celery salad which has been a favorite of mine lately. It’s got a great combination of crunchy, sweet, bitter, and sour that I really love. It’s super quick to put together too and can go beside countless mains. So go ahead and make a batch to share – or make it just for you. Leftovers are great!

Celery Salad with Grapes and Walnuts 2013

Celery Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

6-7 celery stalks

1 c. grapes

1/4 c. walnuts, toasted

1/4 of a lemon, about 2 tsp.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

Directions

1) Slice the celery as thinly as possible and place in a bowl. If you have a mandolin, now’s the time to break it out. Cut the grapes into quarters and add them to the celery.

2) Add toasted walnuts, lemon juice from 1/4 of a lemon, and olive oil. Salt to taste and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.