Southwest Chicken Salad

     So I love eating salads in the summer.  A lot of times guys don't think they are filling enough, but Paul is a huge fan of this Southwest Chicken Salad. You would pay 8-10 bucks for this in a restaurant, and this tastes just as good (if not better:))  Another reason I love salads, is you can do all the prep work throughout the day and you aren't in a major rush right before dinner. I get all of the ingredients ready and put in them in individual containers in the fridge then grab them out to assemble the salad.

 

 Southwest Chicken Salad  

• Chopped romaine lettuce

I never buy pre-cut, I always chop it myself. A little more time consuming, but way cheaper and the lettuce lasts a lot longer. 

• 1 can black beans

Open 1 can of black beans, rinse and drain.  Season with a little garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.

• Sweet Corn

Take one slice of onion and chop it real small.  Sauté onion in a little olive oil and add 1 and 1/2 cups of frozen corn (I like sweet petite corn or white corn).  Season with a little salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the corn.

•  Chicken

This is a great meal to make after a grilling night.  I love having leftover BBQ chicken that I can just chop up and use for this salad.  You could also use rotisserie chicken, or I normally roast mine.  To roast, rub chicken breasts with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put on cookie sheet in a oven pre-heated to 425 degrees.  Cook until juices run clear or meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Shred or cube. 2 Chicken breasts is plenty for my family.
 

• Diced avocado (season with a little salt and pepper)
• Diced tomatoes
• Cheese (What ever type you like, grated or cubed.)  
• Tortilla Strips or Corn Chips
• Green Onions
• Serve with Ranch Dressing.  I am kind of a salad dressing snob, so I prefer to do homemade ranch or a cilantro lime ranch (aka Cafe' Rio salad dressing)  The quality of dressing really makes a huge difference. 
• Drizzle with BBQ sauce. 
• Serve with a fresh lime to squeeze over top. 

 

     Obviously, all of these ingredients are optional, so make it how you like!  You wouldn't think, this would really be a great meal for kids, but my kids really enjoy it.  They are finally to the age that they like it all together as a salad, but for younger kids, they probably will just like all of the ingredients separately on a plate with dressing to dip :)

 

I served this tonight with cinnamon cornbread.  (I posted that I little while ago)

 

It might sound like a lot of work, but again, if you do little bits throughout the day, it doesn't take much time at all. 

 

Enjoy!

 

Heidi