Name: Tryptophan Salad With Turkey And Parmesan
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Quick And Easy
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup cooked turkey (oven roasted or boiled); 1/2 cup cooked potato or sweet potato (optional); 1/2-1 cup steamed broccoli (optional); 2 cups green cabbage, very thinly chopped and massaged with vinegar; 2 cups lettuce, roughly chopped; 1 cup red cabbage, very thinly chopped and massaged; 1 carrot, grated; 3-4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (or as desired); 1 cup yogurt; 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (to taste); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp water (or as needed); 1 tbsp dill, thinly chopped (or other herbs); salt and pepper if needed; vinegar and olive oil (for the massage)

Is it weird that my first thought when I came up with this turkey salad recipe was: “It’s a tryptophan salad on steroids”. Not exactly that, but after I had this high-protein healthy lunch it was clear to me that I have to name it tryptophan salad.

I had read a while ago about turkey and Parmesan cheese being two of the best sources of the amino acid tryptophan. And my brain made some connections while I was eating the salad. I’m always happy when that happens!

Despite all warnings, I also decided to use yogurt and soy sauce together in the dressing (I know it all sounds weird) and it turned out absolutely amazing.

A few reasons to like this Tryptophan Salad

First reason – you get to use up some leftover turkey if you’ve made some in the oven or wherever.

Second, it is incredibly delicious! Really surprising, but it’s actually quite incredible! If you don’t usually like salads, this one might be a good start, because it’s super satiating.

Third, it is rich in many nutrients like B12, fiber, protein in general, but especially in foods that are great sources of tryptophan.

In case you don’t know, tryptophan is an essential amino acid your body needs to build things. It can be structural proteins like the ones that make up your muscles or skin. But tryptophan is most famous as an essential part of neurotransmitters and hormones like serotonin and melatonin. Both of these are crucial for good sleep, good mood and good brain health in general. So, yes, this tryptophan salad recipe with turkey and Parmesan, did make me incredibly happy! And I wasn’t feeling heavy after, just really good.

Tryptophan Turkey Salad Ingredients

“So what are these magical sources of tryptophan that you’re talking about?” Well, here there are:

Cooked turkey – you can use roasted, pan-seared or boiled, or cooked in whichever way you like it. Turkey is a much better source of tryptophan than chicken.
Parmesan cheese. I love Parmesan! It is lactose-free, is delicious and one of the best sources of tryptophan!

Of course, some of the other foods used also have some tryptophan (especially yogurt and the soy sauce), but these two make the salad tryptophan-rich. Now to add some other nutrients, you’ll also need these:

broccoli
green cabbage
lettuce
red cabbage
carrot
yogurt
tamari or soy sauce to taste
garlic
water
Salt and pepper
fresh dill or other herbs
and potatoes or sweet potatoes if you have them (that’s optional – I only used them because they came with the leftover turkey)
vinegar and oil.

How To Make The Tryptophan Turkey Salad Recipe

Steam the broccoli and chop the cabbage, lettuce, dill thinly, grate the carrot. I like to reheat the turkey, but if you don’t want to – you don’t need to.

Add the cabbage to a bowl and massage with some oil and vinegar for a few minutes. Then add in the rest of the vegetables, turkey, and parmesan to the bowl.

Mix the yogurt with soy sauce, fresh herbs, a little bit of water and the garlic to make the dressing.

Pour over the salad.

Then mix to combine well.

Enjoy!

More Easy Salad Recipes For Lunch

I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious tryptophan-rich salad with turkey and Parmesan cheese! If you want to eat more salads, check out these recipes as well: