This Tomato-Basil Grilled Turkey Breast Salad is the best turkey salad recipe… ever! You top big bowl of crunchy chopped romaine lettuce marinated and perfectly grilled turkey breast cutlets, sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a balsamic shallot vinaigrette. It’s also Whole30, Paleo, and Weight Watchers and Low Carb/Keto friendly!
Why it Works
Salads get a bad rep sometimes, but I really believe that salads are not boring. I’ll say it again for the people in the back. SALADS ARE NOT BORING! How could they be, when they’re filled with delicious ingredients like this one is?
The trick is to use simple but interesting ingredients that come alive when they’re paired together!
And this salad is absolutely wonderful. It’s made with rich, flavorful marinated grilled turkey breasts, crunchy romaine lettuce, sweet cherry tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers.
And my, my, the homemade balsamic shallot vinaigrette completes the whole dish beautifully.
Best of all, this salad can be made super quickly.
Salad Ingredients
For the salad, here’s what you’ll need:
- Turkey Breast Cutlets, marinated (see below!)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes. For extra oomph, you can substitute cherry tomato bruschetta!
- Fresh Basil
- Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette (see below)
Optional Recipe Variations
- Substitute Chicken Breasts if you prefer marinated and grilled chicken to grilled turkey.
- Add mozzarella pearls. This would be NOT Whole30 compatible, but would keep it Keto friendly.
Tomato-Basil Marinade
- Option 1: Buy pre-marinated turkey breasts from Great American Turkey Co because hellooooo that is just so EASY, and my kids LOVE IT! And as a BIG bonus, they’re already Whole30 compliant (yay!), gluten free, Paleo and Keto. I get them at Fresh Market.
- Option 2: Make your own tomato-basil marinade at home! All you need is olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, garlic powder, dried basil, and salt and pepper.
Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
Julia Child said, “The perfect dressing is essential to the perfect salad.” And this Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette is totally the icing on the cake… I mean, dressing on the salad. Duh.
It’s got so much fresh, rich flavor and it pairs perfectly with the brightness in the turkey marinade and sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Shallots are mild and lightly sweet, especially once they’ve soaked in the vinegar for a while. Adding some to your salad dressing pushes the flavor factor up a ton, and it totally gives this Low Carb turkey salad a lot more depth!
- The dressing keeps in the fridge for about two weeks, but I always use it faster than that!
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
- Chicken & Bacon Caesar Salad
- Cannellini Bean Salad
- Pomegranate and Avocado Winter Salad
- Curry + Carrot Chicken Salad
- Spiralized Zucchini Caprese Salad
Do you like this recipe?
Drop a star rating below, and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Tomato-Basil Grilled Turkey Salad
Ingredients
Tomato Basil Grilled Turkey Salad
- 1 lb 4 Tomato-Basil marinated Turkey Cutlets or follow directions below to marinate your own. You can also substitute chicken breasts.
- 6-8 cups romaine lettuce
- 1 cucumber
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 6-10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tablespoon oil
Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoon minced shallot about 1/2 of a medium shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoons dried basil
Tomato-Basil Marinade
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
Marinate the Turkey (If making homemade)
- Whisk all the marinade ingredients together. Pour over the turkey cutlets, turning to coat. Cover and allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Salad Dressing
- While the turkey marinates, make the salad dressing. Mince the shallot. Stir the vinegar, shallot, and seasonings together, then whisk in the olive oil. Set it aside until you're ready.
Prep the Salad Ingredients
- Slice the tomatoes in half and dice the cucumbers into bite sized pieces (if the cucumbers are extra seedy, I like to scrape the seeds out first). Chop the lettuce. Tear the basil leaves.
Cook the Turkey Breasts
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, it's ready!
- Add the turkey breasts and cook covered for about 3 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165°. Remove the turkey cutlets from skillet and set them aside on a plate to allow to rest for a few minutes.
Assemble the Salads & Serve
- Slice the turkey cutlets thinly, then divide the lettuce into four bowls. Top each bowl with a sliced turkey, cucumber, tomatoes, and torn basil. Drizzle with the salad dressing, season lightly with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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