Herby Ham Salad

Herby Ham Salad is creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious. This easy ham salad recipe is great for leftover ham and a snap to make!

Did you grow up on ham salad?

I don’t remember my mom making it, but my aunt Mary sure did. It was a sandwich spread I could count on at each of my cousin’s graduation parties. Mary also offered her famous tiger meat, a rare find at most gatherings, especially nowadays, and one that I can’t personally vouch for. No, thank you!!

My aunt’s ham salad, though. I’ve missed it.

I admitted to my sisters that sometimes, when I’m on a road trip to and from South Dakota or North Dakota, I’ll pick up one of those pre-packaged ham salad sandwiches out of the cooler case at a gas station.

Well let’s just say they weren’t very impressed. Ha!

All Cheryl and Jessica could do was scrunch up their faces in disgust. I laughed it off, knowing their opinions wouldn’t stop me from those gas station sammies in the future. But the conversation also got me thinkin’.

It was time I made my own version of this recipe. You are going to LOVE this Herby Ham Salad. I promise!

Ham Salad

Whenever you’re anticipating some good holiday ham leftovers, this recipe has you covered.

Similar in style to other salad favorites of mine (think chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad), this meaty salad recipe is creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious. Blake says it’s the best he’s ever had. And I have to agree.

How to make ham salad

This recipe is easy to make. Just cube some leftover ham and add it to a food processor.

Then pulse the ham until it’s nice and small.

Some people like to blitz the heck out of the ham, creating a mush-like consistency. I prefer some nice texture, leaving the ham in small bits.

Similar salad recipes are loaded with mayonnaise. But I wanted the wonderful smoky ham flavor to shine through, and opted for less mayo.

Along with the traditional sweet pickle relish, I folded in plenty of fresh herbs. The fresh herbs add both color and flavor. 

And a fun addition that I’m especially fond of is a little kick of cayenne. I’m pretty sure it’s what helped to slam-dunk Blake’s opinion of this herby ham salad.

Ham salad on a flaky croissant makes for an incredible lunch.

But I also highly recommend noshing on crackers and cucumber slices topped with this salad mixture. It’s a great appetizer.

Just think about a hot summer day in the backyard, with a plate of chilled cucumber slices and this creamy sandwich spread. Pass me a tall, cold glass of lemonade, please!

Here are a couple more ways to use leftover ham: Ham and Cheese Biscuits from Spicy Southern Kitchen and Ham and Sweet Potato Soup from Diethood. 

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Herby Ham Salad

This ham salad recipe is creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious. It's great for leftover ham and a snap to make!

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chopped cooked ham (I recommend a good smoked ham)
• ½ c. good quality mayonnaise
• ½ c. sweet pickle relish, drained from the jar with a slotted spoon
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 green onion, minced
• 2 T. minced yellow onion
• 2 T. minced red bell pepper
• 2 T. minced celery
• 2 T. minced fresh parsley
• 2 T. minced fresh chives
• 1 T. minced fresh dill (use more if you really like dill)
• ¼ tsp. cayenne (if you don’t like heat, try just a pinch to start out with)
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Using a food processor, pulse the chopped ham until you have very small pieces. Take care to not over-process into a mushy texture. Transfer ham to a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, folding to combine.
2. Serve chilled. Serve as a sandwich spread or a topper for crackers or cucumber slices. Also good served on a plate of fresh greens.

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  Mayonnaise
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  Dijon Mustard
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  Food Processor

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133

This post was previously published in 2015. Some of the photographs and some of the text were updated in 2018.

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