Southwestern Cobb Salad

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of – what I’ve termed – “loaded” salads.  This Southwestern cobb salad was especially satisfying given the wide variety of tastes and textures. Succulent pieces of spice-rubbed chicken, creamy avocado and greek yogurt, sweet fresh corn, crunchy tortilla chips, juicy tomatoes, rich pepper jack cheese, and spicy salsa combined to create a gustatory fiesta in every bite!

Serves 2-3

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• homemade taco seasoning (recipe follows)
• cooking spray
• 4 cups lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 avocado, diced
• niblets stripped from 2 ears of fresh corn
• 2-3 oz pepper jack cheese
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

*Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 tsp cumin

*For a spicier dressing, add an additional 1/4 cup salsa – AND/OR a few dashes of hot sauce  - to the dressing ingredients.

Directions:

1. Heat outdoor grill, grill pan, or skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
2. Meanwhile, coat chicken breasts on all sides with taco seasoning.
3. Place coated chicken on grill, grill pan, or skillet, and cook for 4-6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the center.
4. Remove chicken from heat, and let rest for a few minutes. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. *At this point, you can either let the chicken cool, or you can assemble the salads with the warm chicken.*
5. Combine the greek yogurt, salsa, and cumin. Toss the lettuce with the dressing, and place on plates. Top with the chicken, avocado, corn, cheese, tomatoes, and tortilla chips.

Homemade Taco Seasoning:

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes