Thanksgiving Leftovers: Asian-Style Noodle Salad with Turkey, Veggies, Herbs, and Lime-Peanut Vinaigrette

Recipe video by Vic Chin

Looking for a light and healthy way to use up your turkey leftovers? Check out this amazingly easy noodle salad, which hits all the key notes: salty, crunchy, creamy, and delicious!

I admit it, I am not the best salad maker. Let me clarify: I make a mean pie, I can grill a gorgeous steak, and I love to make curries, but just a regular green salad seems to elude me. It seems simple enough, but it’s never as good as anything I get at say, Della Fattoria or another great little café. This has been vexing me for some time. But I finally realized something: I might not pull off the world’s best green salad, but I’m pretty good at hearty, entrée-style salads.

I’ll take what I can get. Throw me some hunks of chewy toasted bread and fresh summer tomatoes, and I’ll give you a killer panzanella. Grilled corn and avocado? No problem. Got some farro and roasted asparagus…I’ll make a Meyer lemon vinaigrette that will make those ingredients sing.

So, when I was trying to figure out a healthy, light salad that would utilize leftover turkey, I threw the whole idea of a green salad right out the door. Someone else can make that one—better than me! This salad was inspired by a truly amazing salad I had at the relatively new takeaway lunch spot, Lunchette, in Petaluma. Their salad is slightly different than this one, with poached shrimp, shards of coconut, and a red curry vinaigrette. But the basic premise was similar: rice noodles, shredded zucchini noodles, fresh herbs, and veggies.

It was with that delicious salad in mind that I came up with this recipe. The foundation of the salad is a mix of thin, vermicelli-style rice noodles and spiralized zucchini noodles. You can either use a vegetable spiral-cutter to create the zucchini noodles, purchase them already “noodled,” or just use a regular vegetable peeler and peel the zucchini into ribbons (down to the core). I added carrot, cucumber, a bunch of herbs, and some shredded leftover turkey breast. You can also just use chicken or do without it completely. Or add shrimp!

The dressing is a lime and peanut vinaigrette. If you want to make a vegetarian version, just omit the fish sauce. Sambal oelek is a yummy chile paste that adds flavor and heat, but again, you can do without it but you will lose a bit of flavor (or better yet, add more for a little more spice!); substitute siracha if you can’t find sambal oelek. You can easily make the dressing in advance up to a few days ahead, just store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Hands-down this is now one of my favorite salad recipes, and is definitely going in rotation in my house.

Recipe: Asian-Style Noodle Salad with Turkey, Veggies, Herbs, and Lime-Peanut Vinaigrette

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar, or to taste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (chile paste)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salad

• 4 oz vermicelli rice noodles
• 2 small zucchini (1/2 lb), trimmed
• 2 cups shredded leftover roast turkey
• 1 medium carrot, peeled
• 1 small (or 1/2 large) English cucumber, trimmed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions:

1. 1. To make the dressing, add all the ingredients except oil to a blender. With the blender running, gradually add the oil, blending until the dressing is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1. 1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain in a colander, rinsing well with cold water. Drain well again.

1. 1. Use a spiral vegetable cutter to cut the zucchini into “noodles.” You can also use a vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini into ribbons. Add to a mixing bowl with the noodles.

1. 1. Shred the carrot on the large holes of a box shredder. Add to the bowl with the noodles. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise then use a small metal spoon to scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice crosswise, then add to the bowl with the noodles. Add the shredded turkey meat. Add 1/3 cup dressing and toss gently to coat. Add half the herbs and toss again, then taste and season with salt.

1. 1. Arrange the salad on a serving platter. Top with the remaining herbs and roasted peanuts, and arrange the lime wedges around the salad. Serve, passing additional dressing on the side.