Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Leftover Turkey

This is a modification of a recipe that I originally found on One Hundred Dollars a Month. I make it all the time, usually when I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. Since I had an 18.5 pound turkey that I needed to use up, I decided to use that instead of chicken this time. I also used less lemon juice than originally called for in the recipe and didn’t include the olives at all since I’m not a fan. I made up for it by adding extra feta and tomatoes!

This recipe is great for many reasons, not least of which is that you can eat it warm or cold. It’s great for pot-lucks and packed lunches since it can be eaten cold.

Mediterranean Quinoa Turkey Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups turkey broth (I used homemade)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (dried is fine, or fresh)
• 2+ cups turkey, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 bunch spring onions, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• herbs to taste (fresh or dried)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Add quinoa, minced garlic, and turkey broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered until the liquid is absorbed and grains are tender (which is usually 15-20 minutes). Once the quinoa is finished cooking, toss it into a large bowl.

Add the chicken, spring onions, bell pepper, feta cheese, tomatoes, herbs*, and salt to the large bowl. Mix it all up!

Now, toss in the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil and stir it pretty well. It can be served warm or chilled.
*I generally use a mix of basil, thyme, oregano, and chives. I grow all of that (but the chives) in my apartment, so I tend to trim those and use fresh herbs for this recipe. However, with the turkey I also added some sage and ended up using all dry herbs.