Weather: 59 degrees, everything is turning green outside
What I’m listening to: You Will Remain, All Sons & Daughters
Every year without fail, summer sneaks up on me. The spring calendar grows busier and busier, the days grow longer and longer – then BAM – out of nowhere the kids are suddenly out of school and the routine of life as I know it gets hijacked by the unpredictability of summer. House guests and tourists abound, the mosquitos multiply, the wildflowers spring up in the thousands, the salmon run, and it’s much more likely that I’ll encounter a brown bear as I drive around the Kenai Peninsula. The kids get out of school next week for the summer and I feel completely unprepared.
As you already know from my BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe, I’m a sucker for the bbq chicken and cilantro flavor combination. This time, I’ve made it into a crisp, summer-forward chopped salad with black beans, corn, and tortilla chips drizzled with your favorites barbecue sauce and ranch dressing.
It’s nearly impossible to mess this one up. In fact, feel free to mix and match your favorite ingredients. Add chopped ripe avocado, sliced green onions, or shredded cheddar cheese to the mix. Or for a kick, go for some minced jalapeños. You can make this salad completely your own.
BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
A crisp, summery barbecue chicken salad with cilantro, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and tortilla chips topped with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing.
Yields: 2 servings
- For the Grilled Chicken:
- ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- [barbecue sauce|http://alaskascratch.wpengine.com/2012/06/04/country-ribs-with-sassy-barbecue-sauce/]
- To Assemble the Salad:
- 4 cups crisp lettuce/salad greens, torn
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup tortilla chips, crushed
- your favorite [barbecue sauce|http://alaskascratch.wpengine.com/2012/06/04/country-ribs-with-sassy-barbecue-sauce/]
- your favorite [ranch dressing|http://alaskascratch.wpengine.com/2013/05/14/blackened-salmon-tacos-with-avocado-corn-salsa-cilantro-ranch-dressing/]
- Other topping options:
- cheddar cheese, shredded
- green onions, sliced
- ripe avocado, chopped
- jalapeño, minced
Heat a grill pan our outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Season the chicken breast meat with salt and pepper on both sides and coat with your favorite barbecue sauce. Grill until cooked through. Let the chicken rest while you assemble the salad.
To a salad bowl or serving platter, add the lettuce, then top with corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn chips (and any other additional toppings of your choosing). Chop the barbecued chicken and add it to the salad as well. Drizzle the salad with your favorite barbecue and ranch. Serve.
