Southwestern Chicken Chopped Salad With Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
This flavorful salad is designed to be a full meal. It is easy to prepare and can be served fully prepared or salad bar-style with each ingredient in a separate bowl to allow individualized salads.
Servings: 4 -6 full dinner salads
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 10 cups chopped Romain lettuce, about 1 head
- 4 cups chopped purple cabbage, about 1/2 of a small head
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black olives, sliced
- 1 1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 2 avocados, diced (sprinkle with a little lime juice to retain color)
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced into fourths
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced into rounds - include some of the dark green stems
- 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and small diced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and small diced
- 2 cups medium diced cooked chicken
- 3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese (grated Monterrey Jack is also a good option)
For the Cilantro-Lime Dressing:
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and rough chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 packed cup rough chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss together until ingredients are well distributed.
For the Cilantro-Lime Dressing:
- Place the lime juice, rice vinegar, jalapeno, garlic, salt and sugar in a blender and blitz until smooth.
- With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
- Turn off blender and add the cilantro. Pulse blender to chop cilantro into small pieces. Do not chop too finely. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- May be served right away or chilled to allow flavors to blend.
- When ready to serve, pour salad dressing over salad and toss well. Serve immediately.
- Optional serving method: Place ingredients in separate bowls or dishes. All each person to build their personal salad.