By now I’m sure you know that I am a big fan of salads! In fact, it was only a couple weeks ago that I did a Fave Five Friday on delicious, bright, healthy salads!
I made this salad on a whim – it was a sort of spur-of-the-moment, what-do-I-have-in-my-fridge kind of thing! I often think that those are the recipes that sometimes work out the best!
I had some pre-cooked chicken in my freezer that I had prepped ahead of time when we were mass prepping all the meals for my Hubby’s next out-of-town stint. (He’s doing great on the challenge by the way, as he’s out of town right now – it was all about planning and preparing ahead!!)
So I had the thawed chicken ready to be eaten in the fridge. I also had a can of black beans, corn, and of course, some bright red farmers market tomatoes just dying to be gobbled up! Instantly, a mexican inspired salad came to mind!
My challenge was…”how am I going to make a healthy (and delicious) dressing that works with the salad, and fits into my challenge diet parameters???”. So, I did some brainstorming and came up with this lovely combination; Greek Yogurt, Chipotles, Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, and fresh Lime to thin it all out!
It took me literally 30 seconds to whip up the oil-free, low fat, tangy and spicy dressing and I was good to go!
I tossed all of my ingredients into a bowl, and let the magic happen! The flavors were fresh, light, and exactly what I was hoping for! Normally (if I wasn’t in the midst of our 12-week challenge), I would also throw on some grated low-fat cheese of some sort, (or feta..mmmm), and some crushed up organic tortilla chips! So I encourage you to do so when you make this salad! Feel free to add some salsa too, Oh! and avocado even to bring it up just another notch!
The beans gave this salad that filling quality it needed to make it a well rounded meal – a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, veggies, and citrus for a pop of antioxidants!
This meal got me reved up and energized for my Chest & Triceps workout! I will DEFINITELY be making this one again!
- 5 oz grilled or baked chicken breast, sliced thin or shredded
- 2 cups mixed green lettuce
- ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup cooked black beans
- ¼ cup cooked corn
- 2 tbsp diced red onion
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Dressing:
- 2 tbsp plain 0% fat Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp chopped chipotle (canned in adobo sauce - more if you like it spicier!)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion power
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- salt
- pepper
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together well - taste and adjust spices to your preference.
- Combine all salad ingredients and toss together!
- Feel free to add fresh salsa, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, & cheese to the mix!
- Enjoy!
Enjoy with a tasty side of Healthy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Christal
Nutritionist in the Kitch
YUM!