Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled chicken, romaine, black beans, corn, tomatoes, pepitas and cotija cheese make this main dish salad a Southwest flavor bomb!

Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad

We love a good salad in the summer and I often turn them in to entrees by adding protein to the dish.  Since it's summer we're all about grilling now so adding grilled chicken is a no brainer for us.  This salad is all about southerwestern flavors.  Chicken flavored with taco seasoning and then grilled is a great topper for a romaine salad packed with black beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and a few other surprises that really make this salad stand out.

Top it with your choice of dressings.  A ranch mixed with salasa would be a great touch.  This is perfect for weeknight meals as it comes together quickly.  You could even use leftover grilled chicken and save even more time.  Summer is the time for eating light and this healthy salad is right at the top in my book.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• Chicken breasts - boneless skinless
• Taco seasoning - store bought or use my homemade recipe
• Limes
• Romaine lettuce
• Red Cabbage
• Cucumber - I used Persian cucumbers
• Orange bell pepper
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Cherry tomatoes
• Black beans
• Corn - fresh or frozen
• Pepitas
• Cotija cheese
• Avocado

Substitutions and Variations

• Use green or red leaf lettuce instead
• Pinto beans would be just as delicious as black beans
• Don't like cilantro?  Replace it with fresh parsley
• Mexi-corn would be a good alternative
• Leave out the jalapeno if you don't like heat.  
• Add whatever veggies you like, zucchini would be great.
• Substitute cotija cheese with feta or leave it out.
• Leave out the seeds if you like but they provide a nice crunch.  Sunflower seeds would be great as well.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Grill your chicken first and allow it to cool if you would like it room temperature chicken on the salad.  Otherwise leftover chicken works well too.

• All of the vegetables can be prepped a day ahead if you like.  Leave the avocado and cheese for the last minute.

How This Salad Fits My Healthy Salad Formula

This salad is also a great example of my Everyday Healthy Salad Formula — a simple 5-part approach I use to build balanced, satisfying salads without needing a recipe.

I focus on:

• A base of greens
• Something crunchy
• Lots of color
• A solid protein
• And a simple dressing or flavor driver

If you want to see how this formula works for everyday salads (and how you can use it to build your own), you can find the full breakdown here → How to Build a Healthy Salad Without a Recipe - My 5-Part Formula

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Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad

serves 4

Chicken:

4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp taco seasoning
Juice from ½ lime
2 tsp olive oil


Salad:

1/2 large head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 head red cabbage, chopped or sliced
3-4 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced 
1 handful cilantro, finely chopped 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
1/4 cup pepitas
⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 avocado, sliced 

1/2 lime

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high, or use an indoor grill pan.  Pat the chicken breast with a papertowel and sprinkle them with the taco seasoning.  Squeeze 1/2 lime over the chicken and drizzle with olive oil.  Grill for 4 minutes each side or until they reach 165 degrees. Set aside to rest.

In a large bowl, mix together romaine lettuce, red cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, and pepitas.  Add cotija cheese and avocado and toss gently.  Squeeze 1/2 lime and sprinkle the juice over the top.

Slice or cube the chicken and place it on top of the salad.  Serve in individual bowls and all each person to dress their own salad.  

Summer Entertaining: Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa

The Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa is easy to make using fresh ingredients and your handy food processor.  Perfect for all your summer get togethers!

Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa 

Whenever we entertain over the summer next to the pool,  we typically serve a mix of snack food before the main meal.  This homemade restaurant style salsa served along with tortilla chips fits the bill.  Plus it's even better than any jarred salsa.  

A few simple ingredients thrown in the food processor and pulsed to perfection will create a saucier salsa that is reminiscent of the ones served at your favorite Mexican restaurant. 

Enjoy!

Entertaining Tips

Many great connections are made around the table eating wonderful food.  You can have people come over as strangers and leave as friends with good food, conversation, and your wonderful hospitality.  Entertaining doesn't have to be lavish or over-the-top, but should be special and unique.  Providing appetizers such as this homemade salsa and chips is one way to get people to interact before dinner.

I served this in a long weaved bread basket, lining it with a colorful towel.  Instead of just using this basket for the chips I snuggled in a deep bowl that holds the salsa.  That keeps the dip close to the dippers.  Another way would be to use a round basket with the dip bowl in the middle and chips all around.  Simple yet elevated from the typical bag of chips and a tub full of salsa.  Serve along with drinks or cocktails and other types of chips and salasa for variety.  

What Ingredients do I need?

• 28 oz canned diced or whole tomatoes - use a good quality tomato for the best flavor
• garlic
• cilantro
• jalapeno - fresh or jarred pickled jalepenos
• cumin
• red onion
• 1 fresh lime - fresh lime juice is always best

Substitutions and Variations

• Use fresh tomatoes, about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lbs. I would peel them first.

• Don't like your salsa spicy? Leave out the jalapeno.

• If you don't have any jalapeno on hand use a few dashes of hot sauce or sirracha.

• Use white or yellow onion instead of red.

• Try adding salsa over grilled chicken, or use it as a sauce when baking chicken.  Add a dollop to tostadas, tacos, and burritos.  Serve along quesadilla with sour cream.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a good quality/brand of tomatoes for the best flavor.  

• Pluse your indgredients in the food processor instead of letting it run.  This way you can control how chunky or liquidy the salsa is.

• Allow your salsa to sit about 20 minutes before serving so the flavors meld together.

• Leftover salsa (though there may not be any!) can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

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Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa

Yield:  A little over 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of whole or diced tomatoes

½ of a red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 of a bunch of cilantro – roughly 1 good sized handful
Juice from 1 fresh lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a 10 cup capacity food processor.  Pulse until you get your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Place in a large container and allow to sit 20 minutes to blend flavors.  Serve.  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator up three to four days. 

Grilled Top Sirloin with Blistered Green Beans, Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Farro

Juicy top sirloin, grilled to perfection and served with blistered green beans, tomatoes, earthy mushrooms all on top of a bed of nutty farro.  It's the perfect low carb summer meal!

Grilled Top Sirloin with Blistered Green Beans, Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Farro

This dish was inspired by my Tomato and Farro Salad.  I love the earthiness of farro and wanted to incorporate it in a hot side dish.  Adding seasonal green beans and grape tomatoes brought it up a notch, and then I decided to add earthy baby bella mushrooms.  Heaven!  Since mushrooms pair so well with steak I decided to go with a lean top sirloin cut that is also easy to grill on a weeknight.  A fabulous dinner was born.

The farro vegetable side dish was the perfect accompaniment to the tender and juicy sirloin steak.  Easy enough to make on a weeknight; beautiful enough to serve on the weekend for company.  This will be your new go to meal this summer!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• top sirloin steak
• pearled farro
• sliced baby bella mushrooms
• green beans
• grape tomatoes
• garlic
• red wine vinegar
• Montreal steak seasoning

Substitutions and Variations

• Use whatever steak seasoning you enjoy, or just salt & pepper

• Use frozen green beans in place of fresh

• Don't like mushrooms, leave them out!

• Use cherry tomatoes or chopped roma tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes

• Use a different combination of vegetables - try zucchini, tomatoes, and yellow squash, bell pepper, onions, and zucchini.

• Add some herbs to the farro mixture such as chopped basil or oregano

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make sure to start the farro first, as it takes the longest to cook.

• Make the veggies while the steak is resting.

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Grilled Top Sirloin with Blistered Green Beans, Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Farro

serves 4

1 1/2 lb top sirloin steak
Montreal steak seasoning
1 cup pearled farro
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 pint sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz fresh green beans, end trimmed and cut in to 2" segments
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Preheat an indoor grill pan, or an outdoor grill to medium high.  Pat steak with a paper towel and then sprinkle on the Montreal steak seasoning on both sides, patting in to the steak like a rub.  

Add farro to a medium saucepan and add water until it is 2 inches above the farro.  Turn on burner and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Oil the grill grate, or indoor grill pan.  Place steak on the grill and allow to sear on the first side 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 5 to 7 minutes for medium (internal temperature 140 degrees F).  Remove from grill and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large skillet over medium high heat.  Allow to melt and then add the mushrooms.  Cook until wilted 3-4 minutes (do not salt) then add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the green beans and tomatoes.  Allow to cook 4 minutes without stirring.  When vegetables are blistered on one side add in the chopped garlic, stir and allow to cook another 3-4 minutes without stirring.  Tomatoes should begin to wilt and pop, and green beans should be blistered in places.

Add vegetables to the bowl with the farro.  Stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with red wine vinegar and stir to combine.

Cut steak in to slices cutting across the grain.  Place sliced steak down the middle of a large platter and add the faro mixture around the steak.  Drizzle steak and farro with a little more red wine vinegar and serve immediately.