Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad Recipe

This Thanksgiving leftovers salad recipe was developed because there are ALWAYS leftovers after a Thanksgiving meal (which we aren't mad about). Traditional Thanksgiving foods leave us feeling full and sleepy (thank you, carbs 🙂 ). We love the flavors of this holiday meal but wanted to find a way to enjoy them without needing a nap right after!

How to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

There are so many ways to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers, even just by reheating them as is! But the dishes typically served at this meal can be heavy and we get tired of eating the same thing over and over. This led us to create our Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad recipe! It's full of goodies like turkey, pear (or apple), pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, stuffing croutons (yes, those are a thing), and a cranberry red wine vinaigrette! So many fall flavors in this salad and we are obsessed.

Best Way to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

This Thanksgiving leftovers salad recipe is the best way to use leftovers for two reasons. One, you're cutting back on food waste! By repurposing leftovers, your taste buds don't get as tired of eating the same thing over and over. Second, the health benefits. Starting with a base of dark leafy greens like kale gives this recipe a huge nutrition advantage. Kale is full of vitamins A, B6, C, and K, fiber, and has some calcium and folate! Turkey adds protein (and some fat if you're using dark meat or skin on), which keeps us fuller longer and provides essential amino acids. We get some healthy fats from the pumpkin seeds and cranberry red wine vinaigrette, fiber from the fresh pear, tangy flavor from the goat cheese, and a flavorful crunch from the stuffing croutons! Making a tart homemade dressing from the cranberry sauce provides a little more vitamin C while using those leftovers (we recommend homemade cranberry sauce - check out our recipe here)!

Ingredient Highlights

• Leafy greens - we used kale and butter greens but you can use whatever greens you prefer! We recommend mixing a dark leafy green for nutrition benefits and a crunchier lettuce for texture.
• Turkey - you have to have some turkey since this is a Thanksgiving leftovers salad! If you finished the turkey already, you can substitute chicken.
• Fruit - since pears are in season in the fall and winter, we opted to use them. Apples would be great here too!
• Pumpkin seeds - pumpkin seeds are also a food that just feels like fall. They provide unsaturated fats, magnesium, and zinc!
• Cheese - any low-fat cheese will work. We opted for goat cheese because it's just so good but you can use feta, white cheddar, or regular cheddar!
• Stuffing croutons - if you haven't had these, you NEED to try them! They go sooo well in this salad and add so much flavor and crunch. See the next section for directions on how to make them!
• Cranberry red wine vinaigrette - if you can't tell, we love repurposing food! Making a homemade dressing that uses leftover cranberry sauce is super easy and delicious. A balsamic vinaigrette would be great too!

Recipe FAQ

Other Recipes You May Like

If you enjoyed our Thanksgiving leftovers salad recipe, you may enjoy these:

• Fresh Cranberry Sauce - this is what we use to make our cranberry red wine vinaigrette!
• Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
• Festive Fall Salad
• Pecan Crust Pumpkin Pie
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries & Pecans

Rate & Review

If you made our Thanksgiving leftovers salad recipe, please rate and review our recipe below! We would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag us on insta @theperfectpearr so we can see your creation!

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