Photo of Southwest chicken salad with creamy green chili dressing by WW

Southwest chicken salad with creamy green chili dressing

0
Points®
Total Time
50 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
The fresh, bold flavors in this Southwest-inspired entree salad are perfect for a nice luncheon. Chicken is the star, saturated in a lime, cumin, cilantro and garlic marinade and grilled until perfectly tender. A bed of crisp romaine, bell peppers, tomatoes and green onions add the fresh veggies, while filling black beans contrast with earthy flavor. The dressing, made with watercress and yogurt, is so good you may want a double batch. Use one for this dish and another for dipping grilled chicken or pork another day of the week. Ready in just 35 minutes, this dish is full of color, texture and flavor, ideal for entertaining but simple enough for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients

Fresh lime juice

½ cup(s)

Ground cumin

1 Tbsp

Cilantro

¼ cup(s), fresh, chopped

Garlic

2 clove(s), chopped

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast

1½ pound(s)

Canned black beans

31 oz, drained and rinsed

Red bell pepper

2 medium, chopped

Cherry tomatoes

2 cup(s), cut in half

Scallions

6 medium, sliced

Romaine lettuce

2 large head(s), sliced in 1/2-inch pieces

Canned diced green chiles

4 oz, drained

Plain fat free yogurt

1 cup(s)

Cilantro

1 Tbsp, fresh

Fresh watercress

1 bunch(es), tough stems removed

Fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp

Garlic

1 clove(s), peeled and left whole

Instructions

  1. Combine lime juice, cumin, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and chopped garlic in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal bag and shake to coat chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in refrigerator.
  2. Preheat broiler or grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side; set aside until ready to assemble salad.
  3. In a large bowl, combine beans, red pepper, tomatoes and scallions. Divide lettuce among 8 small serving bowls or plates, and top each with equal amounts of bean mixture.
  4. To make dressing, combine remaining ingredients (green chiles through whole clove garlic) in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Slice cooled chicken on the diagonal and divide among salads. Drizzle each serving with about 1/4 cup of dressing.
  6. Yields 1 salad per serving.

Notes

This recipe can easily be halved but you still may want to make the entire amount of dressing for use at a later time.