Taco Salad with Chipotle Dressing

The best part about this salad is the dressing.  It is so easy to make, so full of flavor and drumroll please… it’s healthy!  I used a combination of light sour cream and nonfat greek yogurt as the base of this dressing so it’s filled with protein and still gives you a creamy dressing you can feel good about eating.

The recipe called for all sour cream, but I’ve used greek yogurt before as a replacement for sour cream or mayo in thick dressings and it hasn’t failed me yet!  You can adjust the amount of kick by using more or less of the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  I used a little under two tablespoons, but start with less and try the dressing before you overload on the heat.  This dressing was so delicious that I made double so we could have on hand for the rest of the week.  Yum!

As for the salad ingredients, you can mix and match with whatever you have on hand or prefer in your salads.  I grilled chicken that I marinated in lime juice, salt and pepper with a little chili powder and cayenne and that went perfectly in this salad.  You could easily use store-bought roasted chicken or leftovers that you have in your fridge, substitute steak or remove the meat altogether for a vegetarian salad.

What you’ll need: cilantro, light sour cream, nonfat plain greek yogurt, chipotle chili in adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, lime juice and your salad mix-ins.

To prepare the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth.  (If you don’t have a food processor, you could combine in a bowl with a spoon.)

To prepare the salad, combine lettuce and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  (Please ignore the Tupperware… this was when I was packing salads for our lunches :))

Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.  Serve immediately, and store leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.

Taco Salad with Chipotle Dressing

Adapted slightly from Nutmeg Notebook

Makes 4 salads

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup nonfat, plain greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can hole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Steps

1. To prepare the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth.  (If you don’t have a food processor, you could combine in a bowl with a spoon.)
2. To prepare the salad, combine lettuce and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.
4. Serve immediately, and store leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.

Hugs, kisses & yummy dishes… xoxo

Lauren