Homemade Turkey Cobb Salad With Killer Balsamic Dressing

Turkey Cobb Salad (Our Favorite Way to Use Smoked Turkey)

One of my favorite ways to stretch a smoked turkey is to turn it into multiple meals.

When my husband Greg smokes a turkey, we enjoy several meals from that one cooking session.

The first night, we sit down to a smoked turkey dinner with a few favorite side dishes (see below). Then I use the carcass to make rich turkey bone broth, which becomes the foundation for a big pot of Smoked Turkey Soup later in the week.

And then, for one of my favorite easy lunches, we’ll break out all the fixings for this turkey cobb salad.

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Three Go-To Turkey Methods

While smoked turkey is hands-down my favorite choice for both this turkey cobb salad and smoked turkey soup, any cooked turkey will work.

If you have a smoker, I highly recommend one of these methods:

• Brined and Smoked Turkey: My favorite option for maximum flavor and juicy meat. The smoky flavor really shines in leftovers and makes this turkey cobb salad extra delicious.
• No-Brine Smoked Turkey: A simpler smoked turkey method that still delivers excellent flavor with less prep work.

Don’t have a smoker? No problem.

• Brined and Roasted Turkey: A wonderful oven-roasted turkey that works beautifully for both this salad and turkey soup. You’ll still end up with flavorful meat and a carcass perfect for making homemade bone broth.

While I reach for smoked turkey whenever possible, roasted turkey is absolutely a delicious option for these recipes.

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What to serve with smoked turkey:

A few favorites, pictured below, from left to right:

1. Paleo Bacon Broccoli Salad
2. Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cornbread
3. Home-Canned Green Beans
4. Savory Oven Roasted Potato Wedges
5. Creamy Paleo Broccoli Slaw
6. Charred Broccoli with Garlic
7. Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Veggies
8. Perfect Baked Potatoes
9. Paleo Classic Potato Salad
10. Maple Glazed Kale with Red Onion
11. Honey-Sweetened Apple Slaw
12. Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes
13. Potato Zucchini Skillet Hash (not pictured)

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A Meal Prep Shortcut We Use All Year

This turkey cobb salad has become a staple around here, especially when we have smoked turkey tucked away in the freezer.

Often, Greg smokes two turkeys at once, and we’ll stash the leftovers for future meals. I love pulling out that freezer stash throughout the year for soup and this delicious turkey cobb salad.

I usually divide the leftover turkey into quart-size freezer bags. This makes it so easy to pull out just what we need for a turkey cobb salad, anytime!

Ideally, I pull the freezer bag out the night before we plan to eat turkey cobb salad, and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight.

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Everyone Builds Their Own Bowl

Did I mention that my entire family loves this salad? #momwin

The beauty of this meal is that it’s endlessly customizable. Ideally, we include all of the toppings listed below, but we often work with whatever we have on hand.

I don’t let the absence of summer-ripe tomatoes keep us from enjoying this salad. But when tomatoes are in season, you’d better believe this meal shows up on our menu much more frequently.

Sometimes I even toss in extras that need to be used up. Recently, we added surplus chickpeas leftover from another recipe.

I lay everything out buffet-style and create a colorful salad bar. Yes, it’s a lot of chopping. But there is something deeply satisfying about seeing all those fresh, vibrant ingredients lined up and ready for my family to build their own bowls.

At first, I had to make ahem… gentle requirements regarding certain vegetables for certain children.

Over time, though, everyone came around. Now each person happily customizes his own bowl and genuinely looks forward to this meal.

Ingredients

Salad Base

• Chopped greens — A mix is our usual choice, but any salad greens work well.
• Chopped smoked turkey — The star of the show. We use our homegrown turkey, but any leftover smoked turkey works great. I recommend sourcing local, pasture-raised meats whenever possible.

Ideal Toppings

• Chopped bacon — We use our homegrown bacon. Again, I recommend sourcing local, pasture-raised meats whenever possible.
• Tomatoes — Best when they’re in season and bursting with flavor. Otherwise, skip!
• Carrots — Julienned, if possible, for color and crunch. Or shredded.
• Cucumbers — Diced or sliced, depending on what you’re in the mood for.
• Blue cheese crumbles — I keep these on hand almost all the time. They add incredible flavor.
• Avocado — Creamy, rich, and one of my favorite additions.
• Sweet bell pepper — Diced for sweetness and color.
• Chickpeas — Optional, but a great way to use up extras and add even more staying power.

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How to Make Turkey Cobb Salad

1. Prep the Ingredients

Cook and chop the bacon, chop the turkey, and prepare any vegetables you’re using.

Pro tip: Whenever we have bacon for breakfast, I’ll often cook a double batch and stash the extras in the refrigerator for streamlined salad prep later in the week.

And if you haven’t tried this hands-off method of cooking bacon, you’re missing out.

2. Create a Salad Bar

Arrange all of the ingredients on a large cutting board and add multiple tongs.

This is my favorite way to serve turkey cobb salad because everyone gets exactly what they want.

3. Build Your Bowl

Start with greens and smoked turkey.

Then pile on your favorite toppings.

Some of us go heavy on the avocado. Others load up on blue cheese. Everyone has their own strategy.

4. Add Dressing and Enjoy

Finish with your dressing of choice and dig in.

It’s simple, fresh, filling, and an excellent way to turn leftover smoked turkey into an entirely different meal.

Dressing Ideas

This is another area where everyone in our family does their own thing.

• Greg and I love the homemade balsamic vinaigrette below.
• Malachi often uses plain balsamic vinegar, sometimes paired with hummus. (We buy a wonderfully thick and fruity balsamic from a local health food store.)
• Creed prefers just hummus.
• And Haddon is a diehard ranch fan. We make our own ranch dressing at home.

To each his own! That’s the beauty of a customizable salad bar.

Killer Balsamic Vinaigrette

This simple balsamic vinaigrette is my favorite dressing for turkey cobb salad.

I typically double the recipe and keep it in the refrigerator, which makes future salad prep even easier.

Ingredients

• Balsamic vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic, pressed or finely minced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine everything in a mason jar or dressing bottle.
2. Shake or stir until well combined.
3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Why We Love This Turkey Cobb Salad

• A delicious way to use leftover smoked turkey
• Easy to customize for different tastes
• Packed with protein and fresh vegetables
• Great for meal prep and leftovers
• Works year-round with seasonal ingredients
• Family-approved

Whether you’re using freshly smoked turkey or pulling some from the freezer, this turkey cobb salad is one of those meals that feels both nourishing and effortless.

And around here, that’s a winning combination.

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Homemade Turkey Cobb Salad With Killer Balsamic Dressing

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• Author: Kathleen | Roots & Boots

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Description

Easy, customizable lunch or dinner made with smoked turkey, fresh vegetables, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, and your favorite dressing. Perfect for using up leftover smoked turkey and creating a family-friendly salad bar meal.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Salad Base

• Chopped greens — A mix is our usual choice, but any salad greens work well.
• Chopped smoked turkey — The star of the show. We use our homegrown turkey, but any leftover smoked turkey works great. I recommend sourcing local, pasture-raised meats whenever possible.

Ideal Toppings

• Chopped bacon — We use our homegrown bacon. Again, I recommend sourcing local, pasture-raised meats whenever possible.
• Tomatoes — Best when they’re in season and bursting with flavor. Otherwise, skip!
• Carrots — Julienned, if possible, for color and crunch. Or shredded.
• Cucumbers — Diced or sliced, depending on what you’re in the mood for.
• Blue cheese crumbles — I keep these on hand almost all the time. They add incredible flavor.
• Avocado — Creamy, rich, and one of my favorite additions.
• Sweet bell pepper — Diced for sweetness and color.
• Chickpeas — Optional, but a great way to use up extras and add even more staying power.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Prep the Ingredients

1. Cook and chop the bacon
2. Chop the turkey
3. Prepare vegetables

Pro tip: Cook extra bacon for breakfast and stash the extras in the refrigerator for streamlined salad prep later in the week. Try this hands-off method of cooking bacon.

2. Create a Salad Bar: Arrange all of the ingredients on a large cutting board and add multiple tongs.

3. Build Your Bowl

1. Start with greens and smoked turkey.
2. Then pile on your favorite toppings.

4. Add Dressing and Enjoy: Finish with your dressing of choice and dig in.

To make balsamic dressing, combine everything in a mason jar or dressing bottle and shake or stir until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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