This salad is what happens when “I’ll just eat something light” turns into a full-on meal with grilled turkey, smoky avocado, and feta doing the absolute most.
I first made it on a night I swore I was too tired to cook, then somehow ended up grilling avocado like I host a food show in my kitchen—turns out I’m dramatic, but at least I’m well-fed.
And that feta-tomato bread? It’s the side that steals the spotlight and makes you forget the word “salad” was ever involved—basically, it’s a snack disguised as support.
Grilled Turkey Avocado Salad with Feta-Tomato Bread
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Grill pan
- Small bowl or cup for dressing
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 medium tomatoes diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ripe avocado halved and cut into wedges
- 2 turkey burger patties about 4 oz each
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese divided
- 1/4 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds divided
- 1/4 cup lemon vinaigrette
- 1 French loaf or baguette split lengthwise
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato spread
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F so it’s ready when the bread is assembled.
- Prep the Veggies: Dice the tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and cut the avocado into wedges. Keep them separate so assembly is quick and neat.
- Grill the Turkey: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the turkey patties until browned with grill marks and cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let them rest for 2 minutes, then slice into strips.
- Grill the Avocado: Place the avocado wedges cut-side down on the hot grill pan. Grill until lightly marked, about 1 to 2 minutes, then remove carefully so they don’t fall apart.
- Build the Salad: Add the mixed greens to a large bowl. Add the sliced red onion and diced tomatoes, then top with the grilled avocado wedges.
- Finish the Salad: Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the crumbled feta and most of the pepitas (save a little for the bread). Add the sliced turkey, drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette, and toss gently until everything is lightly coated.
- Assemble the Bread: Place the split loaf cut-side up on a baking sheet. Spread the sun-dried tomato spread evenly over both halves. Top with the remaining feta and the remaining pepitas.
- Bake the Bread: Bake at 400°F until warmed through and lightly crisp at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve alongside the salad.
Video Recipe
GRILLED TURKEY-AVOCADO SALAD with feta-tomato bread: Tips, Tricks, and “I’ve Made This Too Many Times” Wisdom
You’re about to save future-you from bland salad sadness and unnecessary dishes. Read this so you can look wildly competent with minimal effort.
Get Your Oven Heating Before You Forget
I know the bread is “later,” but the oven is like a toddler—you don’t want to wait for it to get ready when you’re already hungry. Preheat early and you’ll feel like a strategic genius instead of a person pacing the kitchen eating pepitas out of the bag.
Turkey Patties: Don’t Overthink It
Turkey can go from juicy to “why is this so dry” in about thirty seconds, so pull the patties as soon as they’re cooked through. Let them rest for a couple minutes before slicing and suddenly you’re a turkey whisperer. If you only have ground turkey, form quick patties and pretend it was the plan.
No Grill Pan? Still Not a Problem
If you don’t have a grill pan, use a regular skillet and call it “pan-grilled” like you meant to do that all along. The goal is browning, not impressing a cast-iron collector. You can also broil the patties in a pinch—just keep an eye on them because broilers love chaos.
Avocado Grilling Without Avocado Tragedy
Grilled avocado is amazing, but it’s also one slippery move away from falling apart and ruining your mood. Make sure the avocado is ripe-but-firm, not “I sneezed and it turned to guac.” Oil isn’t in the recipe, so if you’re sticking, just let it sear a few extra seconds and it’ll release when it’s ready.
Lemon Vinaigrette Shortcut That Saves Your Sanity
Use whatever lemon vinaigrette you like, store-bought or homemade, and don’t apologize. This is not the moment to become a person who emulsifies things for fun. If yours is super tart, drizzle slowly and taste as you go—salad dressing can go from “bright” to “face-pucker” fast.
Feta: Crumble It Like You Mean It
Buy the block feta and crumble it yourself if you want bigger, creamier chunks that don’t taste like salty dust. Pre-crumbled feta works, but it’s basically feta’s less charming cousin. If you only have goat cheese, that swap is elite—same tangy vibe, slightly fancier energy.
Pepitas Swaps for When the Pantry Laughs at You
Pepitas are great, but this recipe doesn’t collapse without them. Use sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, or whatever crunchy thing you didn’t finish from your last “healthy snack” phase. Just toast them lightly if you have time—warm crunch tastes like effort even when it isn’t.
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread Alternatives
If you can’t find sun-dried tomato spread, don’t spiral. Use pesto, tapenade, cream cheese with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or even a thick marinara in a thin layer—this is bread, it will forgive you. The point is salty, savory flavor under feta, not perfection.
Bread Upgrades That Feel Like a Flex
A baguette is classic, but ciabatta, sourdough, or any sturdy bread works as long as it can handle toppings without getting soggy. If your bread is sad and soft, toast it a couple minutes first so it can pull itself together. Also: cut it before serving unless you want everyone gnawing like medieval peasants.
Make-Ahead Strategy for People with Real Lives
You can prep the tomatoes and onion ahead, and you can even slice the turkey in advance, but keep the avocado for the last second. Cut avocado early and it turns into that weird brown-green “I swear it was fine” situation. Toss the salad right before eating so the greens stay crisp and not wilted into submission.
Storage: How to Not Ruin Tomorrow’s Lunch
Store leftovers as components if you can—greens separate from turkey, toppings, and dressing. The fastest way to regret your choices is dressing the whole salad and expecting it to be cute tomorrow. The bread stores best wrapped and reheated in the oven for a few minutes so it’s crisp again, not chewy and tragic.
Serving Trick That Makes It Feel Restaurant-Level
Serve the salad piled high and slice the bread into fat, generous pieces—none of those dainty little slivers. Big slices make people happy and distract them from noticing you didn’t use a single measuring spoon. If you’re feeding picky eaters, keep the onion on the side and let them customize like it’s their personal salad bar.
