Happy Tuesday, friends! How are you all holding up in this wintry weather? Staying warm and cozy, I hope. At this point I’m wishing I could stay home all day, every day eating warm soup and drinking hot apple cider. Sadly, life must go on despite the sub-Arctic temps. (Yes, you all know I live in Texas and it’s nowhere near THAT cold, but cut me some slack here…that’s how it feels to me!)
Now, I don’t have a warm soup or taco recipe to share with you today, but I do have a taco salad of sorts. Does that count? Well, either way, it’s a delicious dish! I opted not to include tortillas strips or chips which would have made it more taco-like, but you can certainly add them! Just think of it as a deconstructed taco salad. All the delicious filling components with the “shell” sprinkled on top. or nixed altogether. Your choice.
This makes a great weekend lunch or a light, weeknight dinner. Whatever time of day you prefer to eat salad, try this one out!
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thickness
- 6-8 cups your favorite salad mix (I use a baby spinach, kale, and Swiss chard mix)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
for the dressing
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 Tbsp mayo or Miracle Whip (I used Miracle Whip Light)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- juice of 1 lime
- 1-2 jalapenos, roughly chopped (you can also use pickled jalapenos if you prefer)
- Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the mixutre onto the chicken breasts, then lightly rub it in with your hands to help it stick.
- Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and cut into strips or bite-sized pieces.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use. (During this time I also like to put my black beans in a small pot over medium-low heat and season with some garlic powder and cumin, and just warm them a bit.)
- To make the salads, divide your salad mix among your bowls, top with black beans, avocado, chicken, and tomatoes. Drizzle generously with dressing. If you’d like you can also top with additional cilantro, jalapeños, and tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips.
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