Spicy Southwest Chopped Salad with Salsa Verde

11 Reviews

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 30 min
Ready In: 1 hr 15 min

“This is by far the best summer salad I have ever made! You can adjust the amount of spice, depending on your preference by adding more or less jalapeno and Cajun seasoning. The salsa verde makes a big enough batch that you can have more for dipping chips later. It is a great low-fat, all-in-one meal. This dish can also be topped with crushed tortilla chips, if desired.” - by Jenny from WA

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Metric US

Original recipe yields 4 salads

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil; add the corn and boil 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the corn and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Cut the corn off of the cob and place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
Place the tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, garlic, salt, and 4 teaspoons of lime juice into a blender. Pulse until the vegetables have been finely chopped; set aside. Toss the avocado with 1 teaspoon of lime juice and mix with the corn, cabbage, black beans, and bell pepper.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season the chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning.
Cook the chicken breasts on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Set the breasts aside until cool enough to handle; cut into bite sized pieces.
Divide the lettuce leaves onto 4 plates. Mound the avocado mixture on top of the lettuce, followed by the chicken. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and garnish with lime wedges to serve.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (4 total)

Calories
550 cal
28%

Fat
22.4 g
34%

Carbs
50 g
16%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (11)

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MIADAMIANI

Aug. 24, 2009

"LOVED this salad! Made it just as described. The flavors are perfect. Left out the cotija, couldn't find it at my store. My husband wants me to make the salsa all of the time now!! 2nd Review..just ma..." See morede this salad with ground beef...wow! So yummy this time added the cotija cheese and went to heaven. Can't wait for the lefties...."

cheeziekt

Jun. 10, 2010

"This is delicious and I could tell just by looking at it that it's a nutritionist's dream. For my comments/suggestions: I used Queso Fresco instead of Cotija because it's much cheaper (less than half..." See more the cost). Also, I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper and chile powder and I was quite happy with that in place of the cajun seasoning. I had one serving without avocado and I would say that is a must for the recipe. And lastly, I would actually suggest skipping the lettuce."

KymInNM

Jul. 27, 2009

"This salad was delicious! I used raw corn, omitted the chicken and the beans, and tossed the veggies with the salsa verde (which is what I'm assuming you're supposed to do, but the directions leave yo..." See moreu hanging). Great flavor, nice texture, and very pretty--good for a party. If you've never had cotija, it's a very dry, mild, salty cheese; it reminds me of cheese curd. If you can find it, use it (but I wouldn't sub anything else)--it really adds to this salad. "

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