Smoked Turkey and Brown Rice Pasta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Cooking Instructions:
Subsititue grilled chicken, grilled salmon, or cooked and chilled shrimp in place of the smoked turkey for some tasty variations!
Salad
- 12-ounce box Lundberg Rotini Brown Rice Pasta
- 3 oranges
- 12 oz. smoked turkey, chopped
- 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 4 Tbsp. slivered or sliced toasted almonds
- Lettuce leaves, if desired
- 1 cup fresh peas (optional)
Orange Vinaigrette
- 1 large orange, zest and juice
- 4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. minced green onion, white part (save green part for salad)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves or mace
Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes; drain then cool under cold running water. Drain well.
Zest and juice 1 orange for vinaigrette, and combine zest and juice with remaining dressing ingredients. Blend with a handheld or regular blender and set aside.
Peel then cut remaining oranges into segments. Prepare remaining salad ingredients as listed.
Transfer pasta and remaining salad ingredients except lettuce and almonds to a large bowl and toss gently with half the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. Just before serving, add remaining dressing to salad and mix gently. Spoon over lettuce leaves for serving, if desired. Sprinkle almonds over top. Makes 6 servings.
This recipe comes to us from award-winning chef, Christine Piccin who is a ten-year veteran of white-tabletop establishments in Sonoma County, a teacher to aspiring chefs and a food writer for premier culinary magazines such as Bon Appetit, Saveur and Sante.