Patty’s Turkey Melon Salad is a refreshing salad made with turkey breast, honeydew, cantaloupe, and a creamy French and mayonnaise dressing. Try my Blackberry Chicken Salad for another delicious summer salad.
Patty’s Turkey Melon Salad
When you first look at the ingredients in this salad, you may think that there is no way this will work…However, it is a flavorful salad that would be great in the summer as a light lunch. Or, bring it to your next gathering or potluck to share! It’s also a delicious recipe to make using up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! If you have leftovers, be sure to check out more of my Leftover Turkey Recipes, too!
Patty’s Turkey Melon Salad Ingredients
Turkey: I used roasted turkey for this recipe, cut up into cubes. You could also buy a pre-cooked turkey to use or use rotisserie chicken.
Fruit: Honeydew and cantaloupe were the two types of melon I cut up for the salad. I will let you know how to choose the ripest melons that will be easy to cut. Be sure to wash the outsides of the melons thoroughly before cutting them.
French Dressing: I chose creamy French dressing, but you could use Catalina French dressing as well.
Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise adds to the creaminess of the dressing, and you can even make your own. You could also get away with using plain Greek yogurt.
Substitutions: Feel free to try other fruits like watermelon, apples, grapes. Candied pecans would also be delicious in this salad. Another option is to leave the turkey out for a meatless version.
How to Choose Ripe Honeydew and Cantaloupe
It’s tough to know which melons are ripe and ready to eat. It’s frustrating when you bring it home, try to cut it, and then you can’t even get your knife through it! Well, here are a few tips to keep in mind before you choose a honeydew and cantaloupe. And remember, always wash the outside of melons thoroughly before cutting.
Cantaloupe:
- Weight: Choose the heaviest cantaloupe.
- Color: Even toned, somewhere between a gold and yellowish tinge with light green lines across (no brown spots)
- Stem: Check for a sunken stem that gives back when pressed. There should be no piece of stem still attached.
- Smell: If you put your nose up to the blossom end (opposite the stem), there should be a strong aroma of fruit when ripe.
Honeydew:
- Weight: Honeydew should feel heavy for its size.
- Color: Look for a few yellow freckles throughout the melon. If you see green, choose another melon.
- Stem: Stem should not be soft, but give just a little when pressed.
- Smell: If you put your nose up to the blossom end (opposite the stem), there should be a strong aroma of fruit when ripe.
More Delicious Salads
Patty’s Turkey Melon Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast, cooled
- ½ medium honeydew, seeded, peeled, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- ½ medium cantaloupe, seeded, peeled, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- ¼ cup (60 g) French dressing
- ¼ cup (58 g) mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon green onion
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the turkey, honeydew, and cantaloupe.
- In a small bowl, combine the French dressing, mayo, green onion, and celery seed. Mix until well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the turkey, honeydew, and cantaloupe. Fold in until fully incorporated. Chill until ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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