This Southwestern Salad combines vibrant flavors and nutritious components, together with juicy hen, black beans, corn, onions, and roasted bell peppers. Paired with crunchy romaine and wearing a creamy cilantro-lime dressing, it’s straightforward to arrange and supreme for anybody searching for a healthful, fulfilling meal.
Simple & Wholesome Southwestern Salad Recipe
Tex-Mex in salad type, this recipe is a breeze to arrange. It’s loaded with vibrant flavors and nutrient-rich components, making it excellent for these of you searching for straightforward, wholesome, scrumptious meals. Smoky, succulent hen, earthy black beans, candy corn, contemporary tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, and crispy Romaine lettuce are tossed with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. The zesty dressing infuses the dish with contemporary tanginess that ties all of the parts collectively fantastically. There are such a lot of flavors and textures in every forkful, you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a higher salad. Apart from, this salad has gotten me by so many busy work weeks as a result of it’s really easy to make the entire parts forward of time and assemble them if you want a fast, straightforward meal. Plus, it’s insanely scrumptious! Strive it and also you’ll see what I imply.
Why You’ll Love This Salad
Colourful, flavorful, and fairly darn good for you, this Southwestern salad has rather a lot going for it. Listed below are among the causes I believe you’ll like it.
- Nutritious. Filled with lean protein from the hen and fiber-rich black beans, in addition to plentiful nutritional vitamins and minerals and much more fiber from the assortment of veggies, this salad is a dietary powerhouse.
- Standout taste. Between the lime, smoked paprika, and the kick of jalapeno within the dressing, this salad is simply bursting with splendidly vivid, savory flavors.
- Customizable. You may take this salad in so many various instructions. Crank up the warmth, use completely different veggies, attempt steak as a substitute of hen, you identify it.
- Meal prep-friendly. You may simply put together the parts of this salad forward of time and throw them collectively if you end up prepared for a fast and straightforward meal.
Southwestern Salad Components
Buckle up and head on over to the grocery retailer. Right here’s what you’ll must make this salad recipe.
For The Salad
- Boneless skinless hen thighs – Boneless skinless breasts will even work.
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Lime – I extremely recommend utilizing contemporary lime juice versus bottled.
- Pink onion
- Pink bell pepper – Any shade of bell pepper will do.
- Romaine lettuce – You may use combined greens or butter lettuce as a substitute.
- Canned corn – Roasted corn off the cob or thawed frozen corn would additionally work.
- Black beans – Be happy to make use of pinto beans in the event you’d want.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Contemporary cilantro
- Salt & Pepper
For The Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Jalapeno – Make sure to take away the seeds from the jalapeno until you’re actually hankering for some warmth.
- Contemporary lime juice
- Bitter cream – You should use yogurt as a substitute in the event you’d like.
- Salt & pepper
The right way to Make Southwestern Salad
Get able to make this wholesome, protein-packed southwestern hen salad – it’s nice! Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card beneath for extra detailed directions.
- Seasonings. Season the hen with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and lime juice. Prepare it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 425 levels F for 25 minutes.
- Relaxation and slice. Permit the hen to relaxation for five to 10 minutes earlier than slicing it into strips.
- Roast the veggies. Prepare the onion and bell peppers over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
- Make the dressing. Mix the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, bitter cream, salt, and pepper till clean.
- Assemble the salad. Toss collectively the Romain, roasted veggies, corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro, divide the combination evenly between 4 plates, and prime every with hen and dressing.
Ideas & Variations
Get this salad proper the primary time and don’t be afraid to mess around and make it your individual. Simply comply with these easy ideas and tips and think about throwing a personalised spin on it in the event you’re feeling inventive.
- Use contemporary lime. Belief me, the flavour is simply one million occasions brighter and higher than the bottled stuff.
- Marinate the hen. If you need the hen to be additional flavorful, let it sit in its seasoning for half-hour or so earlier than roasting.
- Toss simply earlier than serving. Romaine, particularly, likes to wilt. To maintain every thing crisp, wait to decorate the salad till simply earlier than serving.
- Alter the spice. Go away the seeds within the jalapeno in order for you some spice. Not a spice particular person? Neglect the jalapeno altogether. You may additionally add or take away among the paprika or introduce just a little cayenne to your hen and veggie seasonings.
- Strive a special protein. Strive grilled hen, tofu, and even salmon as a substitute of hen right here. You gained’t even have to regulate the seasoning.
- Add extra (or completely different) veggies. I like the bell peppers right here, however you might add roasted broccoli or asparagus and even roasted radishes as a substitute of or along with the bell peppers.
- Make it a southwestern bowl. Swap the greens out for rice (or cauliflower rice), and also you’ve received your self a Southwestern burrito bowl!
- Enjoyable toppings. Don’t be afraid so as to add additional toppings that enchantment to you. Shredded sharp cheddar, sliced avocado, tortilla strips, and/or crumbled, cooked bacon would all be nice choices.
Serving Solutions
This hen salad is ever so tasty by itself, however be happy to doll it up with one (or a number of) of those serving solutions.
Can I Make This Southwestern Salad in Advance?
You may! This salad is a superb meal prep possibility. Put together all of the parts individually, together with the dressing, enable them to chill (the place relevant), and retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the fridge. You may make the hen, the dressing, and the veggies as much as 4 days upfront, however I wouldn’t prep the uncooked veggies greater than a day or two forward of time as a result of they are going to lose their freshness. If you find yourself able to get pleasure from, all that’s left to do is assemble the salad.
You can even roast the hen and/or bell peppers as much as 3 months upfront and retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the freezer. Permit them to thaw earlier than making ready the remaining parts and assembling the salad.
Storage
One of the best ways to retailer this salad is earlier than you’ve assembled it, simply because it begins to get soggy after you’ve dressed it.
- Seal the separate parts in separate hermetic containers and retailer them within the fridge.
- You probably have already assembled the salad, go forward and seal it in an hermetic container, tossed and all, and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Simply notice that the lettuce will get soggy shortly.
- I don’t suggest freezing this salad.
Extra Wholesome Salad Recipes
On the hunt for extra wholesome, but filling lunch or dinner salad recipes? You’re in luck. I’ve a ton in my catalog of salad recipes, however listed below are a few of my absolute favorites.
For the hen
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
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Season the hen. Rub the hen with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Squeeze the lime halves over the hen thighs.
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Roast. Prepare the hen on the ready baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or till juices run clear and the hen’s inner temperature registers at 165˚F.
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Relaxation and slice. Take away from oven and let the hen relaxation for five to 10 minutes earlier than slicing it into strips.
Roast the veggies
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Prep. Whereas the hen roasts, line one other baking sheet with aluminum foil.
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Season the veggies. Prepare the onion and bell peppers on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Give every thing a toss to coat the veggies with the oil and seasoning.
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Roast. Roast the veggies within the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till tender.
To make the dressing
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Mix. Whereas the hen and veggies are roasting, load up your blender with the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, bitter cream, salt, and pepper. Mix till clean.
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Retailer. Switch the dressing to a mason jar and retailer it within the fridge till you might be prepared to make use of it.
Assemble the salad
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Toss. In a big salad bowl, toss collectively the Romaine lettuce, roasted veggies, corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and contemporary chopped cilantro.
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Serve. Distribute the salad between 4 plates. High every salad with an equal portion of sliced hen. Drizzle with the specified quantity of dressing, and serve.
- Select contemporary lime for a brighter taste.
- For a deeper taste, marinate the hen for about half-hour earlier than roasting.
- Costume the salad proper earlier than serving to keep up crispness.
- Customise the spice degree. Preserve the jalapeno seeds for warmth, or omit the jalapeno completely in the event you don’t like spicy meals. Additionally, modify the paprika and cayenne as desired.
- Experiment with completely different proteins like tofu or salmon.
- Add completely different veggies like roasted broccoli, asparagus, or radishes.
- Add toppings like cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, or crumbled bacon.
- For a southwestern twist, change greens with rice or cauliflower rice to make a burrito bowl.
- You should have additional dressing. Seal it in a jar and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Energy: 407 kcal | Carbohydrates: 31 g | Protein: 32 g | Fats: 19 g | Saturated Fats: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 9 g | Trans Fats: 0.01 g | Ldl cholesterol: 89 mg | Sodium: 1233 mg | Potassium: 1069 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 4040 IU | Vitamin C: 107 mg | Calcium: 87 mg | Iron: 3 mg | Web Carbs: 24 g
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range in response to the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
