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Southwestern Salad | Diethood


This Southwestern Salad combines vibrant flavors and nutritious components, together with juicy rooster, black beans, corn, onions, and roasted bell peppers. Paired with crunchy romaine and wearing a creamy cilantro-lime dressing, it’s simple to arrange and perfect for anybody searching for a healthful, fulfilling meal.

Southwestern chicken salad in a salad bowl with serving tongs.

Simple & Wholesome Southwestern Salad Recipe

Tex-Mex in salad type, this recipe is a breeze to arrange. It’s loaded with vibrant flavors and nutrient-rich components, making it good for these of you searching for simple, wholesome, scrumptious meals. Smoky, succulent rooster, earthy black beans, candy corn, recent tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, and crispy Romaine lettuce are tossed with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. The zesty dressing infuses the dish with recent tanginess that ties all of the parts collectively fantastically. There are such a lot of flavors and textures in every forkful, you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a higher salad. Moreover, this salad has gotten me by means of so many busy work weeks as a result of it’s really easy to make the entire parts forward of time and assemble them if you want a fast, simple meal. Plus, it’s insanely scrumptious! Attempt it and also you’ll see what I imply.

Assembling southwestern chicken salad in a bowl before dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Salad

Colourful, flavorful, and fairly darn good for you, this Southwestern salad has loads going for it. Listed below are a few of the causes I believe you’ll find it irresistible.

  • Nutritious. Full of lean protein from the rooster and fiber-rich black beans, in addition to plentiful nutritional vitamins and minerals and much more fiber from the assortment of veggies, this salad is a dietary powerhouse.
  • Standout taste. Between the lime, smoked paprika, and the kick of jalapeno within the dressing, this salad is simply bursting with splendidly shiny, savory flavors.
  • Customizable. You possibly can take this salad in so many various instructions. Crank up the warmth, use totally different veggies, strive steak as an alternative of rooster, you identify it.
  • Meal prep-friendly. You possibly can simply put together the parts of this salad forward of time and throw them collectively if you find yourself prepared for a fast and straightforward meal.
Ingredients for Southwestern chicken salad.

Southwestern Salad Elements

Buckle up and head on over to the grocery retailer. Right here’s what you’ll have to make this salad recipe.

For The Salad

  • Boneless skinless rooster thighs – Boneless skinless breasts can even work.
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic powder
  • Smoked paprika
  • Lime – I extremely counsel utilizing recent lime juice versus bottled.
  • Pink onion
  • Pink bell pepper – Any shade of bell pepper will do.
  • Romaine lettuce – You possibly can use blended greens or butter lettuce as an alternative.
  • Canned corn – Roasted corn off the cob or thawed frozen corn would additionally work.
  • Black beans – Be happy to make use of pinto beans when you’d desire.
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Contemporary cilantro
  • Salt & Pepper

For The Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • Cilantro
  • Garlic
  • Jalapeno – Remember to take away the seeds from the jalapeno except you’re actually hankering for some warmth.
  • Contemporary lime juice
  • Bitter cream – You should utilize yogurt as an alternative when you’d like.
  • Salt & pepper

Easy methods to Make Southwestern Salad

Get able to make this wholesome, protein-packed southwestern rooster salad – it’s nice! Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card under for extra detailed directions.

  1. Seasonings. Season the rooster with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and lime juice. Prepare it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 425 levels F for 25 minutes.
  2. Relaxation and slice. Permit the rooster to relaxation for five to 10 minutes earlier than slicing it into strips.
  3. Roast the veggies. Prepare the onion and bell peppers over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
  4. Make the dressing. Mix the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, bitter cream, salt, and pepper till clean.
  5. Assemble the salad. Toss collectively the Romain, roasted veggies, corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro, divide the combination evenly between 4 plates, and prime every with rooster and dressing.
Close-up shot of a bowl with sliced chicken, sliced red bell peppers, black beans, tomatoes, and corn.

Ideas & Variations

Get this salad proper the primary time and don’t be afraid to mess around and make it your personal. Simply observe these easy ideas and tips and contemplate throwing a customized spin on it when you’re feeling artistic.

  • Use recent lime. Belief me, the flavour is simply 1,000,000 instances brighter and higher than the bottled stuff.
  • Marinate the rooster. If you would like the rooster to be additional flavorful, let it sit in its seasoning for half-hour or so earlier than roasting.
  • Toss simply earlier than serving. Romaine, specifically, likes to wilt. To maintain all the things crisp, wait to decorate the salad till simply earlier than serving.
  • Alter the spice. Go away the seeds within the jalapeno if you need some spice. Not a spice individual? Neglect the jalapeno altogether. You possibly can additionally add or take away a few of the paprika or introduce a little bit cayenne to your rooster and veggie seasonings.
  • Attempt a special protein. Attempt grilled rooster, tofu, and even salmon as an alternative of rooster right here. You gained’t even have to regulate the seasoning.
  • Add extra (or totally different) veggies. I like the bell peppers right here, however you would add roasted broccoli or asparagus and even roasted radishes as an alternative of or along with the bell peppers.
  • Make it a southwestern bowl. Swap the greens out for rice (or cauliflower rice), and also you’ve bought your self a Southwestern burrito bowl!
  • Enjoyable toppings. Don’t be afraid so as to add additional toppings that attraction to you. Shredded sharp cheddar, sliced avocado, tortilla strips, and/or crumbled, cooked bacon would all be nice choices.
Sliced chicken topped with a creamy green dressing.

Serving Recommendations

This rooster salad is ever so tasty by itself, however be at liberty to doll it up with one (or a number of) of those serving recommendations.

Can I Make This Southwestern Salad in Advance?

You possibly can! This salad is a superb meal prep choice. Put together all of the parts individually, together with the dressing, enable them to chill (the place relevant), and retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the fridge. You may make the rooster, the dressing, and the veggies as much as 4 days upfront, however I wouldn’t prep the uncooked veggies greater than a day or two forward of time as a result of they may lose their freshness. When you find yourself able to get pleasure from, all that’s left to do is assemble the salad.

You too can roast the rooster and/or bell peppers as much as 3 months upfront and retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the freezer. Permit them to thaw earlier than making ready the remaining parts and assembling the salad.

Close-up image of Southwestern Chicken Salad in a salad bowl with wooden serving utensils.

Storage

One of the best ways to retailer this salad is earlier than you’ve assembled it, simply because it begins to get soggy after you’ve dressed it.

  • Seal the separate parts in separate hermetic containers and retailer them within the fridge.
  • When you’ve got already assembled the salad, go forward and seal it in an hermetic container, tossed and all, and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Simply be aware that the lettuce will get soggy rapidly.
  • I don’t advocate freezing this salad.

Extra Wholesome Salad Recipes

On the hunt for extra wholesome, but filling lunch or dinner salad recipes? You’re in luck. I’ve a ton in my catalog of salad recipes, however listed below are a few of my absolute favorites.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes

Whole Time 45 minutes

For the rooster

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

  • Season the rooster. Rub the rooster with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Squeeze the lime halves over the rooster thighs.

  • Roast. Prepare the rooster on the ready baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or till juices run clear and the rooster’s inside temperature registers at 165˚F.

  • Relaxation and slice. Take away from oven and let the rooster relaxation for five to 10 minutes earlier than slicing it into strips.

Roast the veggies

  • Prep. Whereas the rooster roasts, line one other baking sheet with aluminum foil.

  • Season the veggies. Prepare the onion and bell peppers on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Give all the things a toss to coat the veggies with the oil and seasoning.

  • Roast. Roast the veggies within the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till tender.

To make the dressing

  • Mix. Whereas the rooster and veggies are roasting, load up your blender with the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, bitter cream, salt, and pepper. Mix till clean.

  • Retailer. Switch the dressing to a mason jar and retailer it within the fridge till you might be prepared to make use of it.

Assemble the salad

  • Toss. In a big salad bowl, toss collectively the Romaine lettuce, roasted veggies, corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and recent chopped cilantro.

  • Serve. Distribute the salad between 4 plates. High every salad with an equal portion of sliced rooster. Drizzle with the specified quantity of dressing, and serve.

  • Select recent lime for a brighter taste.
  • For a deeper taste, marinate the rooster for about half-hour earlier than roasting.
  • Costume the salad proper earlier than serving to take care of crispness.
  • Customise the spice stage. Preserve the jalapeno seeds for warmth, or omit the jalapeno totally when you don’t like spicy meals. Additionally, modify the paprika and cayenne as desired.
  • Experiment with totally different proteins like tofu or salmon.
  • Add totally different veggies like roasted broccoli, asparagus, or radishes. 
  • Add toppings like cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, or crumbled bacon.
  • For a southwestern twist, substitute greens with rice or cauliflower rice to make a burrito bowl.
  • You should have additional dressing. Seal it in a jar and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 1 week. 

Energy: 407 kcal | Carbohydrates: 31 g | Protein: 32 g | Fats: 19 g | Saturated Fats: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 9 g | Trans Fats: 0.01 g | Ldl cholesterol: 89 mg | Sodium: 1233 mg | Potassium: 1069 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 4040 IU | Vitamin C: 107 mg | Calcium: 87 mg | Iron: 3 mg | Web Carbs: 24 g

Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could range based on the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.

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