Southwestern Chicken Salad

January 17, 2017 1 Comment

Category: Dinner, Healthy Eating, Lunch
Tags: Easy meals, Meals under 30 minutes, Southern Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, Week night meal

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes and probably the first dish I ever “mastered”. It hits those Southwestern flavors without the heavy carbs and guilt and is ridiculously easy to make – perfect for a week night meal. You can set your slow cooker on low when you leave for the day, and dinner will be waiting when you get home!

When I was in college I started to cook my own meals, but let’s be honest, they were nothing to rave about. But, my “taco salad” was always a favorite and as the years have gone by and my dietary restrictions have changed, I’ve slowly modified it to be the “Southwestern Chicken Salad” it is today.

I love this recipe because of it’s contrasting textures – you have the crunchy, refreshing light salad with the super tender and flavorful chicken. It’s all the great taco flavors without the actual taco. You can simply add it to the slow cooker and poof – all the work is done for you!

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Ingredients (Serving 4 people)

• 1 1/2 pound chicken breasts
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1/2 packet of taco seasonings (I love Trader Joe’s but warning, it has a bit of a kick)
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup roasted corn (I’m obsessed with the roasted corn from TJs)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 jalapeno (optional)
• 2 bunches of romaine lettuce (I put the large bunch and cut it myself because I think it tastes better)
• 1 bunch of scallions
• Optional toppings for serving: avocado, cilantro, olives, cheddar cheese

Salad Dressing:

• 2 oz olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

• Trim the fat off the chicken breasts and add them to the slow cooker
• Add taco seasonings, salsa, jalapenos (if desired) and half the peppers for 4 hours over low
• Shred chicken and put back into slow cooker. Then add in beans and corn for 15 minutes before serving 
• Chop up romaine, scallions and peppers into bite size pieces and set aside. I personally like to add the peppers and scallions in raw because it adds some crunch to the dish and the flavors pop out.
• Mix together olive oil and lemon dressing and then toss the romaine, peppers and scallions together. Salt and pepper to taste. 
• Add chicken mixture and any other optional ingredients to the top and serveA healthy eating series focusing on simple, low carb/sugar dishes in 30 minutes or less. For more info on how MS affects my eating habits, click here.