This Southwestern Chopped Salad is a deliciously light but filling main dish salad made with Romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, corn, tomatoes, bacon, olives, green onions, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, and a homemade dressing.

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Remember the days when we would randomly post what we were eating on our social media feeds just because? There was no need for perfect staging and bright lighting. We just posted as we pleased in real time. I was reminded of that scrolling through my Facebook memories recently.

I came across a salad I had made for dinner. It was a Southwestern style chopped salad and it was loaded! According to the caption, I made it with Romaine lettuce, black olives, corn, tomatoes, green onions, bacon, and chicken. Sounds so good! Right?

I’ve been keeping a screenshot of that post on my phone just so I could recreate the salad. Not only did I add some extras to the salad this time around, I also whipped up a simple Southwestern dressing to go with it.

The dressing isn’t creamy, so it doesn’t sit heavily on top of the salad. Or your stomach. This chopped salad is super easy to put together and perfect for hot summer nights when you’re craving something light but filling.

Southwestern Chopped Salad

This salad is also great for turning leftover grilled chicken into a new meal. And if you have ears of corn leftover from your barbecue, you can put it to use in this salad as well.

Let's start building this salad! Grab a big salad bowl - cause you're gonna need one - and throw in the Romaine lettuce, chicken, corn, tomatoes, bacon, black olives, green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Next, grab a mason jar and add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to it. Pop on the lid and give it a good shake. Then, pour it over the salad.

Give the salad a good toss, add some tortilla strips on top, and serve!

Southwestern Chopped Salad

Jessica

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Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 small head Romaine lettuce washed and chopped
1 cup grilled chicken chopped
1 cup fresh corn raw or cooked, removed from cob
1/2 cup tomato halved
1/2 cup cooked bacon chopped
1/4 cup black olives sliced
1/4 cup green onions chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla strips for topping

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
Juice of 1 small lime
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the lettuce, chicken, corn, tomatoes, bacon, olives, green onions, shredded cheddar, and tortilla strips to a large salad bowl.
In a small mason jar, add the dressing ingredients. Place the lid on top of the jar and shake until ingredients are combined. Pour over the salad.
Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to add a little southern spice to this salad, you could throw in some sliced jalapeños as well. But when it's hot enough outside, I tend to skip any extra heat.

Keyword chicken, chicken recipes, chopped salad, southwestern, summer dishes

I love a good salad as an entrée during the summer. And this salad is bursting with fresh flavor and colorful ingredients to keep you feeling completely satisfied!

Did you make this Southwestern Chopped Salad recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!