Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Use organic, high-quality chicken breast for the best flavor and to keep this salad recipe clean.
Taco seasoning. This homemade taco seasoning is delicious, easy to make, and free from weird ingredients that you’ll find in store-bought packets. If you purchase store-bought taco seasoning, then look for an organic brand and check the ingredients on the label.
Southwest ranch dressing. I found an organic southwest ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt at Wegmans in the produce section. If you can’t find something similar at your local grocery store, then get a high-quality ranch dressing and add 1-2 teaspoons of both chili powder and cumin to 3/4 cup of ranch dressing to give it a southwest kick.
Grape or cherry tomatoes. I like to cut the tomatoes in half to soak the flavors of the dressing and spices.
Bell peppers. I like to use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers for this salad because they have a milder, sweeter flavor that balances out the heat of the spice. Green bell pepper will work too, or for extra heat, add some chopped jalapeño or poblano peppers.
Red Onion. I like using red onion for its color, crispy texture, and mild spiciness.
Black beans. Beans add fiber and protein to this southwest salad. However, even though beans are filling and nutritious, they can pack on carbohydrates and calories. So, I only use two tablespoons of black beans per serving. Refrigerate leftover beans in an airtight container to use in another recipe during the week, or you can freeze black beans for a later recipe.
Avocado. What would a southwest salad be without avocado? Avocados add good fat and a cool creamy flavor to the salad. If there are leftovers, you can freeze avocado to use in smoothies or avocado toast down the road.
Lime juice. Not only does lime juice give this salad a fresh flavor, but it’s essential to keep the avocado from browning, especially if you’re making mason jar salads.
Pepper jack cheese. Cheese can pack on many calories and saturated fat if you add it to the salads mindlessly. One trick I do is to purchase individual pepper jack string cheese and cut it into small pieces before adding it to the salad. If you use shredded cheese or block cheese, I recommend measuring it out to assure you’re not using too much.
Chopped romaine lettuce and cilantro. I’m sure you can use other salad greens, but crunchy cold romaine is my favorite salad green to use in a this chicken salad. Cilantro gives the fresh, pungent flavor found in many southwest recipes.
Tortilla chips. I would say sprinkling crushed tortilla chips on this salad was an option, but it’s so good I’m going to say that you must try it. A small portion goes a long way. I like organic tortilla chips, and red hot blues are delicious too.
