About this Recipe

By: Rachel

If you have at some point (likely in November or December) wondered what to do with leftover turkey, you have come to the right place! Leftover turkey salad is a great way to use up your holiday extras when you can’t face another microwaved bowl of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. This Turkey Salad with Dried Cranberries also makes a great workday lunch.

High Tea: Turkey Salad With Cranberries At Its Most Elegant

Something I love, and do not do often enough, is going out to high tea. Generally served in lovely settings (often a beautiful and refined hotel, or a charming little tea shop), high tea always feels so special. It is a tradition I have with a dear friend every time I visit my former home of Seattle. Tea seems to taste especially delicious when served in impossibly thin and beautiful teacups nested in matching saucers. A table set with tiny silver spoons, perfect sugar cubes, and little pitchers of cream never hurts, either.

On this particular occasion, after a start of scones with clotted cream and jam, we moved on to the little finger sandwiches. There were crustless, miniature bites of cucumber and watercress; smoked salmon and cream cheese… and turkey salad with dried cranberries.

I was a little surprised by this not-very-traditional choice, but I do love turkey. It was simple and delicious, punctuated by sweet little bites of dried cranberry and the unique, anise-y flavor of tarragon, an herb that is underutilized, especially with poultry.

How To Enjoy Turkey Salad With Dried Cranberries

You can use any bread to serve this turkey salad. I like to use challah bread here, which lends a bit of sweetness. You can also serve it simply over some fresh lettuce leaves.

I flavor this turkey salad with fresh tarragon bright lemon, and sweet, dried cranberries (also known as craisins). You can substitute another fresh herb, like parsley or chives, if fresh tarragon is not available. Sometimes, I like to add toasted nuts to this salad—it makes it just a little more filling and adds a nice texutral element, too.

Beverage Pairing

By: Olivia

Turkey is a versatile poultry, working well with a variety of wines. If you’d prefer white wine, dry, aromatic wines like dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer stand up to the acidity of the dried cranberries and balance the turkey meat. Rosé would also be delicious, although look for dry and mineral-forward rosés that are refreshing and fruity. For red wine, classic options are Pinot Noir and Gamay. They’re both acidic, with notes of cranberries and herbs to complement the salad.