Description
This Southwest Salad combines grilled chicken, fresh veggies, and a zesty dressing, making it an ideal quick dinner packed with flavor and nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 corn on the cob or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 head romaine lettuce or two romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 green onions sliced
- cilantro lime dressing or your favorite store-bought dressing, see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high (400°F).
- Pound the chicken breasts to ½ inch thickness. Brush with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the Cajun seasoning.
- If using corn cobs, brush with remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until lightly charred, rotating occasionally. Cool, then cut the kernels off the cob.
- Grill the chicken for 6 minutes, flip, and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes until fully cooked and it reaches 165°F. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, corn kernels, black beans, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, green onions, and sliced avocado.
- Slice the chicken and arrange on top of the salad.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
Grilling the chicken adds a smoky flavor that enhances the salad.
Feel free to customize with your favorite vegetables or dressings.
Let the salad sit for a few minutes after dressing to allow flavors to meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 90mg