Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

My reference to Chipotle in this post has nothing to do with the restaurant this time, just the chiles. :) I love southwestern salads and am always on the lookout for something new. The chipotle chiles in adobo sauce give this salad a deep, smokey flavor, as well as a spicy kick. The avocado and light sour cream make it creamy and also balance out the heat from the chiles. Our family loved it, even the toddler! (I'm conditioning him to like spicy foods like his dad and I do, and so far it seems to be working!)

I dress our salads pretty lightly. To get a better idea of what it probably should look like, check out Cooking Light's photo of it.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
From Cooking Light

Combine the following for the dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine for the salad:
4 cups romaine lettuce
2 cups sliced chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or regular tomatoes, diced)
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained (or defrosted frozen corn)

I seasoned the chicken with cajun seasoning and salt & fresh-ground pepper. Then I grilled it. Mmmm!


By the way, you may be seeing a lot of salads around these parts while I work off my baby weight. (MUST. KEEP. SWEET. TOOTH. AT. BAY.)