Get ready to eat the tastiest salad of your life!

I’m sure you can already tell that I’m totally obsessed with anything Southwest style. Not only is the Southwest Chicken Salad delicious, but also nutritious! It’s super easy to make & totally customizable. I love that I can make small portions, or enough to feed my husband & I for dinner & lunch the next day! I save quite a bit of time by making this salad in a large batch & it’s so simple to just grab & go in the morning.

Southwest Chicken Salad is a great option to take to work for lunch because it will save you a chunk of change. For all the ingredients I spent under $20. It makes 4-6 portions, depending on big or small you like your salads. That being said, each portion costs between $3-$5. A similar salad at Panera runs about $13. That means each salad you make at home puts $10 back in your pocket that would you would’ve otherwise spent getting a salad out somewhere during your lunch break. Talk about savings!

What You’ll Need

• 2 bags of salad mix (I like an Italian or Romaine mix)
• 2 can black beans, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2 Packages of grilled chicken strips
• Shredded cheese (I prefer a Mexican blend of Colby Jack)
• Santa Fe tortilla strips
• Cilantro, chopped
• Avocado, sliced
• Red bell pepper, diced
• Spicy ranch dressing

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients you’ll need. Dice the red bell pepper and chop the cilantro. Combine the diced bell pepper, cilantro, black beans & corn in a large bowl. Mix well with a spoon. I like to put my mix in a glass bowl with a lid so it’ll keep well throughout the week.

Step 2

Lay your greens out on a plate. I like to use half a bag of salad mix.

Step 3

Add as much or as little of the black bean mix on top of your salad greens.

Step 4

Top everything with chicken, cheese & tortilla strips. I use about half of a container of the precooked chicken strips out of the cold section at the store. My fave cheese to use for this salad is a Mexican blend or Colby Jack.

Step 5

Slice an avocado & line the edge of your plate with the avocado slices. Drizzle with spicy ranch dressing.

Don’t forget, phone eats first! 😉 I hope you absolutely love this tasty salad I have artfully crafted to give your tastebuds the ultimate southwest experience!

xo, Han