Chopped Ramen Noodle Salad with Grilled Teriyaki Turkey

This Chopped Ramen Noodle Salad with Grilled Teriyaki Turkey is loaded with texture and the perfect contrast of sweet and savory.

Servings
8 servings
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
24
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • Small saucepan
  • Small bowl
  • Whisk
  • Low, wide bowl
  • Grill
  • Tongs
  • Paper towel
  • Skillet
  • Large serving bowl
  • Pint jar

FOR THE TERIYAKI MARINADE AND GRILLED TURKEY:

  • 1/2 c. soy sauce
  • 3 T. honey
  • 2 T. packed brown sugar
  • 2 T. sesame oil
  • 2 T. rice vinegar
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T. finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1/4 c. cold water
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 1 lb. turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 3/4"-thick slice

FOR THE CHOPPED RAMEN NOODLE SALAD:

  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 (3-oz.) package ramen noodles, flavor packet saved for another use and noodles broken into small-ish pieces
  • 1/2 c. sliced almonds
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
  • 8 c. chopped romaine
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 c. small broccoli florets
  • 1.5 c. cubed mango (1/2" size)
  • 1.5 c. blueberries
  • 1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro leaves
  • fresh lime wedges

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

  • 3/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 c. rice vinegar
  • 1/4 c. honey
  • 1 T. sesame oil
  • 1 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

  1. for the teriyaki marinade and grilled turkey - small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. While whisking the soy sauce mixture, slowly pour cornstarch mixture into soy sauce mixture. Turn heat down to medium to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes or so. Let teriyaki marinade cool to room temperature.
  3. Reserve 1/4 cup of the teriyaki marinade. Place the remaining marinade in a low, wide bowl and add the turkey pieces, turning to completely coat each piece. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
  4. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Make sure grates are scrubbed clean and then oiled. (To oil the grates, add some canola oil to a small bowl. Then fold a heavy paper towel a few times to make a smaller square. With tongs, grasp the folded paper towel and dip it into the oil until the paper towel is drenched. Then run the paper towel over the grates, repeating until all grill grates are thoroughly oiled.) Place marinated turkey slices onto hot oiled grates and grill for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing each side once with reserved teriyaki marinade. Turn turkey with tongs or a spatula (piercing the meat will let juices escape!), until each side is nicely charred and internal temperature reaches nearly 165° F. Remove turkey pieces from grill and let rest to reach 165° F.
  5. for the chopped ramen noodle salad - In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add broken ramen noodles and almonds stirring to coat. After about 1 minute, stir in the sesame seeds. Stir mixture periodically, until lightly browned. Remove to a plate to cool completely.
  1. In a large serving bowl or platter, toss together romaine, green onions, broccoli, mango, blueberries, and cilantro.
  2. for the vinaigrette - Combine vegetable oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and black pepper in a pint jar. Cover jar and shake vigorously, until mixture comes together and emulsifies. It should look completely cloudy, no longer separated.
  3. to serve the salad - Chop the grilled teriyaki turkey into bite sized pieces and fold into the salad mixture. Either drizzle the salad with the prepared dressing or offer the dressing on the side, for everyone to add as they please. Offer fresh lime wedges to squeeze over the top right before eating, for an extra punch of bright freshness.

NOTES

Note:

The homemade teriyaki marinade is awesome good - but if you have a favorite teriyaki sauce from the store, feel free to use that to save some time.

This recipe was created in partnership with blogger A Farmgirl's Dabbles.

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