It’s crazy hot right now in Atlanta, Georgia! I’m talking heat indexes regularly are in the 100s! So, a cool crisp delicious salad is what’s on the menu for me tonight. Plus, I’ve got a slew of tomatoes thanks to my friends’ gift, so I needed another excuse to use those.
This recipe calls for grilled chicken (which you can always make well in advance) that’s got a spicy Mexican rub on it, and it’s topped with a Jalapeño Buttermilk dressing that has a kick with fresh jalapeños. It’s adapted from one of my favorite bloggers, Closet Cooking.
Southwestern Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Dressing
(Adapted from Closet Cooking)
4 – 6 oz chicken breasts
2 TBSP taco seasoning mix (I use my own – recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups romaine lettuce
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1-2 avocados diced
1 cup corn, grilled and cut off the cob
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled tortilla chips
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Season the chicken with the taco seasoning, and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, ~ 4-6 minutes per side, set aside, let cool and slice.
Grill the corn alongside the chicken ~ 10 minutes.
Then cut the corn off the cob before assembling the salad.
Put your salad ingredients into bowls.
Drizzle the top with Jalapeño Dressing (see below).
Jalapeno Dressing
I doubled the recipe so I’d have loads of dressing on hand. It’s THAT good! But you can easily cut the recipe in half for this meal only.
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh, pickled or roasted jalapenos
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions
2 TBSP cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Puree everything in a food processor.
Once mixed, place in a bowl or jar, and let sit in the fridge for a few hours or up to a week.
*Homemade taco seasoning mix
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like it hotter)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Mix chili powder, paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Makes the equivalent of one packet of store bought taco seasoning mix.