Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad
Not sure what to do with your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers? Sick of eating plain, dry turkey? This Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad will forever change your perception of leftover turkey. Think potato salad mixed with chicken salad – only way better!!! The addition of organic turkey bacon, scallions, and my Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing makes this dish pop with flavor!
You may be wondering, what is yuca?
Yuca (also known as cassava) is a root vegetable that’s very similar in flavor to potato, and can be used in any recipe that traditionally calls for potato. It’s most commonly seen in the US as Yuca Fries, and many don’t realize the variety of things that can be made with it. It’s also a perfect gluten-free substitute for wheat! See my post: Gluten-Free? Never Feel Deprived Again and my page Getting To Know Yuca (Cassava) for more inspiration.
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Yuca has some definite nutritional advantages over potatoes. Unlike potatoes, yuca is considered acceptable for those following a Paleo diet and for diabetics. This is mainly because of yuca’s low glycemic index (GI) of 46. Foods with a GI below 55 are considered low, while those with a GI over 70 are considered high. Baked potatoes have a high GI of about 73. Having a low glycemic index means that a food releases glucose into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate without causing blood sugar spikes. In addition to keeping blood sugar stable, low GI foods have been shown to help lower and control triglyceride levels, as well as help with weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy weight (1.)
Yuca also contains a significant amount of beneficial resistant starch. Resistant starch got its name because it literally resists digestion throughout the small intestines. Since it doesn’t get digested, the calories for that portion of the yuca don’t count!!! (I kid you not!) It makes its way all the way to the large intestines undigested. It’s here where it becomes food for beneficial probiotic bacteria, thereby supporting colon health (2, 3, 4.) Within the large intestines it ferments into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which provide numerous potential health benefits including:
- promoting the growth of good bacteria and inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria in the gut (5.)
- improving the integrity of the gut lining, which keeps toxins from entering the bloodstream and guards against numerous potential conditions including fatty liver, heart disease, and autoimmune disease (6, 7.)
- decreasing inflammation in the gut, thereby supporting colon health (8, 9, 10, 11, 12.)
- reducing the risk of developing gastrointestinal disorders, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease (13, 14, 15, 16.)
- lowering the blood-glucose response to food and improving insulin sensitivity in people with Type 2 Diabetes (17, 18, 19.)
- making us feel full faster and reducing fat storage (20, 21, 22, 23.)
- improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels (24, 25, 26) and increasing absorption of minerals.
- enhancing the absorption of magnesium (27.)
While sources suggest that we should strive to consume around 20-30 grams of resistant starch per day (28, 29) most Americans get approximately 3-8 grams (30.) This Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad will help you achieve your resistant starch daily consumption goal!
To make Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad
Simply boil fresh or frozen yuca for 20 minutes. While yuca is boiling, chop leftover turkey into bite-sized chunks, sizzle up some turkey bacon, chop scallions, and make my Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing. Once yuca is boiled, cool, remove stick-like center and chop it into chunks. Place all ingredients into a large bowl, blend with desired about of Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing and enjoy!
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Just starting to cook with yuca and need some tips?
If you’re just starting out with yuca (a.k.a. cassava) see: Buying, Storing, Peeling and Cooking Yuca (Cassava) for all the info you need to easily add yuca to your cooking repertoire.
*If using fresh yuca, it must be peeled before boiling. (See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca.)
Peeled, boiled yuca (cassava)
Remove stick-like center from each piece of yuca (cassava.)
Chopped, boiled yuca (cassava)
Leftover turkey
Add Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing. Click here for recipe.
Put it all together into this awesome dish!!
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Healthy Eating Tip: You may be wondering why I have a recipe that includes turkey bacon when I’m against processed food. While I definitely steer clear of prepared food that comes ready-made, I have some rules that help me to decide if something is acceptable or not. First, it must include all “real food” ingredients. I steer clear of anything that comes in a package with a list of ingredients that I can’t pronounce. These ingredients are often not “food” at all. They are chemicals added to either preserve, flavor, color, or add the desired texture to a product. Our bodies often don’t know how to process and excrete these chemicals. They may then build up within our bodies and cause problems such as a leaky gut, gut bacteria imbalances, systemic inflammation, and a compromised immune system. My second rule is that it must not include genetically modified ingredients. When something is labelled “organic” that means that it’s non-GMO. So I either buy organic, or look for the non-GMO label on a package. The ingredients in Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Bacon include: “Organic Turkey, Water. Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Celery Powder, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Onion Powder.” That’s it! All “real food.” No chemicals. Third, I avoid ready-made foods that list sugar as an ingredient. As a person with blood sugar instability I try to eat as little added sugar as possible. The Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon does fall short in this category because it contains Organic Cane Sugar. But since there is 0 grams of sugar in 1 slice, I believe it’s acceptable to use it in a recipe with only 1 slice per serving. Last, I consider how much salt is in any processed food, as it’s typical to be quite high. Again, Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Bacon falls a bit short here with 200 mg of salt per slice. While I wouldn’t recommend that anyone eat the whole package, having 1 slice in this Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad is perfectly reasonable. If salt is particularly problematic for you, feel free to leave out the bacon. This recipe is still great without it!
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Click here to explore delicious yuca/cassava snacks like the chips below, as well as recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets to support your healthy kitchen.
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Not sure what to do with your boring, dry Thanksgiving turkey leftovers? This Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad is the perfect solution. Simply combine turkey, turkey bacon, scallions, boiled yuca, and Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing to take that leftover turkey to a whole new level!!
- 1 1/2 lbs peeled, boiled yuca - cut into bite-sized chunks. Fresh or frozen yuca can be used.
- 1 lb leftover turkey - cut into bite-sized chunks
- 4 pieces organic turkey bacon - diced. I use Applegate farms
- 2 organic scallions - diced
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, peel and cut into 3 or 4 pieces before placing into boiling water. See: How to peel fresh yuca for step by step instructions.
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Place peeled, cut yuca into pot of boiling water, return to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes - until a fork inserted into yuca can easily be inserted and removed. Do not over-cook. Boiling for too long will lead to mushy yuca. Ensure that yuca is fully covered by water throughout boiling.
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While yuca is boiling, cook turkey bacon according to package. Dice cooked turkey bacon and scallions, cut turkey into bite-sized chunks, and place it all in a large bowl.
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Make Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing. See post entitled Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing for recipe.
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Once yuca is fully cooked, drain water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
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Once cool enough to handle, place cooked yuca on a cutting board. Cut each piece in half lengthwise to remove the stick-like center that runs through the middle.
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Cut boiled yuca into bite-sized chunks and add to other ingredients.
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Add desired amount of Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing. Blend thoroughly. Enjoy!
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.