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–+ servings
Close up overhead of salad ingredients layered in a wooden bowl.
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Southwest Salad

A tasty and super easy summer dish, this Southwest Salad has all the flavors of a nice Tex-Mex mixture.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time24 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 571kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast about 1 large breast
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil for pan
  • 2 hearts romaine lettuce about 8 cups, packed, chopped
  • 1 cup roasted corn kernels
  • 15.5 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup red bell pepper 1 small pepper, diced
  • 1 medium avocado about 1 cup, diced
  • ⅓ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • ¼ cup tortilla strips optional
  • ½ cup ranch dressing homemade or bottled
  • 2 ½ teaspoons taco seasoning

Instructions

  • Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat.
  • Place the chicken breasts into a resealable bag and using a mallet or rolling pin pound the chicken breasts to about ½ an inch thick.
  • Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Add oil to hot pan and cook about 7 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
  • Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil allowing it to rest while you assemble your salad.
  • Chop your romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place into a large serving bowl.
  • Assemble your salad by arranging the corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, and cheese around the perimeter of the bowl.
  • Dice the chicken into ½ inch, bite-sized cubes, and place into the center of the salad bowl. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and tortilla strips and set aside.
  • In a measuring cup with a pour spout, add the ranch and taco seasoning and whisk to combine.
  • Drizzle your dressing over the salad, toss and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Double this recipe for larger crowds or families.
  2. Make your own ranch dressing instead of bottled.
  3. You can switch up the ingredients to your liking.
  4. If you want to make this salad spicy you can, see some of my suggestions above.
  5. This can be made ahead of time, see above on how to do that.
  6. You can use this as a side dish or a main dish depending on how heavy of a meal you are wanting.
  7. All the flavors combined really work so well together.

Nutrition

Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 1491mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 9942IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 4mg