Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Grilled chicken, avocado, cheddar, and cherry tomatoes tossed with romaine and a zesty cumin-lime vinaigrette.
This salad borrows the bright, smoky flavors of southwestern cooking — cumin, chili powder, lime — and builds them into a chopped salad rather than a bowl of rice and beans. Grilled chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and sharp cheddar toss together with crisp romaine.
Leaving out beans and corn keeps the carb count genuinely low here, which makes this a solid keto-friendly option, and the combination of chicken, cheese, and avocado still leaves the salad plenty filling for anyone watching their weight without wanting to feel deprived.
Make the dressing ahead and keep it in the fridge — it's a good one to have on hand for salads all week.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 2 cups grilled chicken breast — diced
- 1 avocado — diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes — halved
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup red onion — diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro — chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- salt and pepper — to taste
These ingredients are standard at most North American supermarkets.
Instructions
- 1Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
- 2In a large bowl, toss romaine, chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cheddar, red onion, and cilantro.
- 3Drizzle dressing over the salad, toss gently, and serve right away.