Turkey Butternut Squash Kale Salad

This hearty butternut squash kale salad includes leftover turkey, spice-roasted butternut squash, a tangy cranberry vinaigrette, and lots of other goodness!

Otherwise known as the ultimate use-up-leftovers salad, because that’s basically what this gem of a bowl is!

The inspiration for this salad hit me the other day when I happened to have a ton of leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and butternut squash cubes sitting in my fridge that were begging to be tossed into hearty salad form.

Suffice to say I think it worked out!

And that’s just living proof that sometimes leftover revamps make for the best dishes. This salad ticks all the boxes and thensome.

Your lunch hour may in fact never be the same again after you try this.

This Kale Salad features…

• A base of tender kale, turkey cubes, and tender spice-roasted butternut squash
• Crunchy walnuts, crumbled feta, and dried cranberries
• A tart cranberry vinaigrette

Making the Kale Salad

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Cranberry sauce
• Lemon juice
• Orange juice
• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Olive oil
• Butternut squash
• Spices
• Kale
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Feta
• Dried cranberries

Choosing Your Turkey

You will need about 2 cups cooked cubed turkey for this salad. Leftover turkey works great here as well as shredded or cubed chicken if that’s all you have on hand.

Tips for Perfect Kale Salad

1. Use a blender or food processor for vinaigrette – either of these tools works great for blending the dressing smooth.
2. Cut butternut squash into uniform cubes – aim for 1/2-inch cubes so the butternut squash roasts evenly.
3. Massage kale – this helps tenderize and break down the fresh kale. Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinaigrette over kale and use your fingers to massage kale until it becomes tender.
4. Dress salad just before serving – for best results, wait to dress the salad until just before serving so all the ingredients stay crisp and fresh. Keep reading for make-ahead instructions.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.

• Skip the meat – you can easily skip the turkey if you would like a vegetarian-friendly salad.
• Use another squash – try delicata or acorn squash in place of the butternut.
• Try another cheese – swap out the feta for goat cheese or shaved Parmesan.
• Use a bottled dressing – try a red wine vinaigrette or honey mustard.

Meal Prep Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving meal prep tips.

• Make the dressing – blend the dressing and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
• Roast the butternut squash – roast the squash and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
• Assemble the salad – assemble the kale, turkey, roasted squash, walnuts, feta, and cranberries in meal prep containers and store in refrigerator up to 4 days. Top salad with dressing just before serving.

It’s the creamy cranberry vinaigrette that really bumps everything in this salad up a notch! The tartness from the cranberries pairs so well with the juicy turkey cubes, spiced butternut squash, and all that glorious feta.

Lunch just can’t possibly get any better than this.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More loaded salads you’ll love!

• Hot Honey Peach Feta Salad
• Smoked Salmon Greek Salad
• Grilled Steak Panzanella Salad

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 1/29/26.