Welcome to a recipe that celebrates the beauty of simplicity! This Turkey Salad with Pickled Onions is a hearty, flavorful dish inspired by traditional rustic cuisine, often reminiscent of a 'village wedding salad' where humble ingredients are transformed into something truly special. It combines tender, shredded turkey with the sharp, tangy bite of quick-pickled onions, all brought together with fresh herbs and a quality olive oil dressing. It's the perfect recipe for using up leftover turkey or for a planned meal that feels both comforting and refreshingly different. Let's dive into this easy-to-make yet incredibly satisfying salad!
Turkey salad with pickled onions.
Ingredients for Turkey Salad with Pickled Onions
- 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) turkey drumsticks
- 150 g (about 5.3 oz) sweet salad onion
- 1 teaspoon adjika (a spicy red pepper paste)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- small bunch of parsley and cilantro
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- root vegetables and spices for the broth
How to Make Turkey Salad with Pickled Onions
Boil the turkey in advance.
Cool the turkey drumsticks in the broth, then remove them.
Remove the skin from the drumsticks and separate the meat from the bones.
Boil the turkey in advance. This recipe uses drumsticks; the salad is tastier with dark meat. Place the drumsticks in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a carrot, an onion, a few garlic cloves, celery root, a bunch of parsley, green leek leaves, and a bay leaf. Salt to taste and cook for 1.5-2 hours after it comes to a boil. The cooking time depends on the size of the drumsticks.
Cool the turkey drumsticks in the broth, then remove them. Strain the broth through a fine sieve or a double layer of cheesecloth. This makes an excellent base for soup or sauce. You can freeze it for long-term storage or keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Remove the skin from the drumsticks and separate the meat from the bones. It’s important not to overcook the turkey; for drumsticks weighing 400-500 g, an hour and a half is sufficient.
Break the boiled turkey into large pieces or shred it.
Shred the boiled turkey into large pieces or pull it apart into fibers. You can also dice it, but a more rustic, shredded look is preferable for this recipe.
Slice the sweet salad onion into thin rings or half-rings.
Add red pepper adjika to the onion.
Pour in the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce.
Slice the sweet salad onion into thin rings or half-rings. The sweeter the onion, the tastier the dish. Red onion also works well in this recipe.
Add adjika (a spicy paste from the Caucasus region, typically made with red peppers, garlic, herbs, and spices) made from red pepper to the onion. If you don’t have pre-made adjika, finely chop half a chili pepper.
Pour in the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce. Add a small pinch of salt.
Mix and let it sit for a few minutes.
Mix and let it sit for a few minutes. I infuse my homemade apple cider vinegar with various spices like cinnamon, bay leaf, and allspice. This makes the vinegar very aromatic and perfect for salad dressings.
Add the pickled onions to the boiled turkey.
Chop a small bunch of parsley and cilantro.
Pour in delicious extra virgin olive oil.
Add the pickled onions to the boiled turkey.
Chop a small bunch of parsley and cilantro. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the chopped herbs to the salad. If you don’t like cilantro, you can use only parsley.
Pour in a delicious extra virgin olive oil. In a traditional village wedding salad, unrefined sunflower oil is often used. If you enjoy that type of oil, try dressing the salad with it.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave the salad in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.
Mix the ingredients well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for 5-6 hours to allow the meat to absorb the juices from the marinade.
The turkey salad with pickled onions is delicious with rye bread.
This Turkey Salad with Pickled Onions is delicious served with rye bread.
And there you have it—a simple yet profoundly flavorful Turkey Salad with Pickled Onions. The key is to let it marinate for a few hours, allowing the turkey to absorb all the wonderful flavors of the pickled onion dressing. Serve it chilled with a slice of hearty rye bread for a truly authentic experience. This salad is not just a dish; it's a taste of rustic tradition that's perfect for a family lunch, a picnic, or a satisfying light dinner. Enjoy the delightful combination of textures and tastes!
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