Southwest Chopped Salad

I’ve been a bit of a salad fiend lately. It’s the only that sounds good in these dog days of summer. Crisp, refreshing, raw.. . yum. I guess the best thing about craving these is that they are full of infinite possibilities. & the other great thing is the more ingredients you pile on, the less you need dressing which just ups the ultimate healthy factor. But sometimes you do. The great thing about this salad is that it tastes great both with & without. Leave off the dressing & squeeze fresh limes on it. Leave the chicken off & it’s vegetarian. Leave both the chicken & cheese off & it’s vegan. See what I’m saying? Infinite possibilities.. .

This also yields a really large amount. Like four or five servings. So feel free to cut it down as needed. But, aside from the avocado, it keeps really well so it works great for leftovers the next day too.

What You Need: 

For the dressing: 

• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
• 1/4 of a lime, juice
• salt & pepper
• 1/5 cup of non-fat greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup of buttermilk

For the salad:  

• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 can corn, rinsed & drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups jicama, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded & finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup pulled chicken (or more or less, or grilled or sliced, however you like it)

What You Do:

For the dressing:

• Mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor

For the Salad:

• Combine all ingredients until evenly mixed.
• Toss with dressing or fresh squeeze lime juice.