This is one of my favorite hearty salads ever, so we had to repost it today. I love how loaded it is, with all the different flavors and textures. The dressing is one f the best parts of this salad. It’s rich and creamy, but also nice and bright because of the cilantro and lime. This is also one of my favorite make ahead, take on the go salads. It’s completely satisfying and will definitely keep you going strong all day. Enjoy! xx, Jenny
I know we like to lament about eating salads over here, but today we have a salad that I totally dig and love to eat all the time; our Southwest Style Cobb Salad. Cobb salads do a pretty job keeping themselves interesting with the variety of ingredients that go into them. Our southwest version is loaded with a simple chipotle-honey chicken, fresh sweet corn kernels, creamy cubes of avocado, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy and salty Fritos, and much more! This salad is super filling and the tangy cilantro-ranch dressing really tops things off! If you want to lighten things up though ever so slightly, you can swap the sour cream out for some Greek yogurt, in the dressing.
This salad is perfect for spring and summer picnics, barbecues and potlucks. It’s a total crowd pleaser and should definitely be considered as a dish for your upcoming Mother’s Day menu. Enjoy! xx, Jenny
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Southwest Style Cobb Salad with Cilantro-Ranch Dressing
INGREDIENTS
cilantro-ranch dressing
- ⅔ cup light mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
salad
- 2 hearts of romaine, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 ½ tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons minced chipotles in adobe sauce
- 2 baked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into ½ inch pieces
- 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ¼ heaping cups raw, sweet corn kernels (from 3 ears of corn)
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 to 3 hard boiled eggs, thinly sliced
- 4 rashers cooked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 ¼ heaping cups Fritos
- 1 heaping cup queso fresco
- ¾ cup black beans
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- cracked black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- For dressing: Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to two weeks.
- For salad: Place romaine into a large mixing bowl and toss together with ⅔ cup of dressing. Set aside.
- Place honey and chipotle in adobe into another mixing bowl and whisk together. Add chicken and toss together until chicken is completely coated. Pour chicken into the center of the dressed romaine.
- Continue to add piles of the remaining ingredients over the romaine until all the ingredients, except the green onions, have been used. Sprinkle the salad with green onions and lightly season with cracked black pepper. Serve with additional dressing on the side.
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Wow! Made this for dinner last night. The dressing was delish and perfect with the rest of the indredients. Everyone loved it. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I think I could eat a bucket full of this beautiful salad and cilantro ranch is my very favorite dressing. I’m starving and in need of this right now….quick, off to the store!
:) This is also my new favorite dressing! So glad you like it too!
Made the dressing, very easy and tasty!
Look forward to using if for my summer salad dressing.
Looks gorgeous! Love that dressing. This will be a great dinner salad this summer
Do you think it is necessary to add milk to the dressing? I am worried it will cause the dressing to go bad in a few days. I buy raw, unpasteurized milk here at the local market.
I add the milk for texture bc without it the dressing is rather thick (which is still okay!), and I like to drizzle my dressing onto my salad as I’m tossing everything together…that being said you can make it without for sure, but it’ll just be thicker! :)
Your dressing is so beautiful! What a great combination of flavors!
Big, hearty salads make awesome take-to-work lunches, and this one looks incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
xx Allison
This looks incredibly delicious! It’s on my ‘to make’ list!!
Oh hai! These are all my most favorite things!
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