Do I need to cook the canned corn and beans?

No, because these canned items come pre-cooked you don't need to heat them up or cook them. Simply drain them, rinse them in a strainer, and add them to your salad.

What other dressings could I use?

Other popular choices include: cilantro lime vinaigrette, avocado dressing, or even ranch dressing.

Why is my dressing too watery or too thick?

If your dressing is too watery or thin, add more yogurt. If your dressing is too thick, add more water. After blending the dressing, you can also taste and adjust the amount of lime, cilantro, salt and pepper to personal preference.

Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Description

This Southwest Chicken Salad is full of bold, bright flavors and drizzled with THE BEST creamy cilantro lime dressing. It's a salad that's always a hit and that you'll never get tired of!

Ingredients

Scale

2 chicken breasts
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
⅓ red onion, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup sliced mini sweet peppers (or 1 bell pepper)
⅓ cup chopped cilantro

Cilantro Lime Dressing:*

1 ½ cups cilantro leaves & stems
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (use full-fat, not low-fat)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, covered, 5 - 6 minutes on each side. The chicken should be cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
Add the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. If your dressing is too thick, add more water. If your dressing is too thin, add more yogurt.
Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle over as much of the dressing as preferred and toss to coat. Start with 1/2 of the dressing and add more if desired.

Notes

*Dressing: you can also use a store-bought version of this dressing or use a different dressing (like cilantro lime vinaigrette or creamy avocado dressing).

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe, including dressing
Calories: 454
Sugar: 9.4g
Sodium: 65mg
Fat: 23.5g
Saturated Fat: 4.7g
Carbohydrates: 34.3g
Fiber: 9.5
Protein: 31.7g
Cholesterol: 65mg

Keywords: salad, southwestern, cilantro lime dressing, chicken, mini sweet peppers