Waldorf Turkey Salad

Following Thanksgiving I had some great turkey leftovers. After the obligatory turkey, butter, salt and sourdough sandwich, which I look forward to every year, I needed to find something new and different to use them up. I also had a lot of celery left from making the stuffing. I had apples and pecans on hand. Well, what else, but a Waldorf Salad! I’m not a wholehearted fan of mayo, so I mixed it with some whipping cream to sweeten it up a little. I was so happy with the crunchy, meaty, sweet with raisins and dried cranberries concoction I came up with, that I will be making this with deli roast chicken the next time I have some.

The Waldorf Salad was created at the Waldorf Hotel (duh) in New York City around 1893. Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf’s maitre d’hotel, is credited with creating the recipe, which originally contained equal parts chopped apples and celery mixed with mayonnaise. Walnuts had been added by the time the recipe appeared in The Rector Cook Book in 1928. The salad can also contain raisins, seedless red grapes, red pepper and green onions. I give you permission to put whatever you want in your Waldorf Salad. After all, no one will know and I won’t tell. Promise.

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Waldorf Turkey Salad

½ cup pecans or walnuts (roasted at 350F for 8 min, cut in half)
2 red apples, cut lengthwise 8 slices, cut crosswise ¼-inch slices
4 celery ribs, ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup golden raisins
½ cup dried cherries or cranberries (soaked in 1 cup boiling water, drained, dried)
1 cup (or more) turkey or chicken breast, in bite size pieces

1 head Boston lettuce, separated into bowl shaped leaves

Dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup whip cream
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Reserve.

2. In a large bowl, toss the salad ingredients together. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to thoroughly coat.

3. Place one lettuce leaf on salad plate and fill with Waldorf salad. Serve.