You’ve had a salad like this at restaurants, right?  I always order a version when I see it on a menu.  BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, chicken, fried tortilla strips, black beans, avocados, and who knows what else.  It’s probably at least 1,000 calories, don’t ya think?  That’s bad.  Making at home in a healthier, whole food way?  That’s good.

 

This salad, while simple to assemble, has a lot of steps.  Everything can be done in advance and refrigerated, and all the parts are good for leftovers.  Leftover Black Bean and Corn Salsa can be eaten with tortilla chips or wrapped up in a tortilla for lunch.  Extra Tomatillo Ranch Dressing can be a great veggie dip.  So don’t shy away from this delicious salad because there is a lot of prep!

 

BBQ Chicken Salad (inspired by I heart Naptime..love this blog title, by the way!)

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce

Corn and Black Bean Salsa (recipe follows)

baby spinach or lettuce

1 1/2 cups Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (recipe follows)

avocado

extra bbq sauce for garnish

 

Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker with salt, pepper, and bbq sauce.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Shred chicken.

 

Assemble salad with greens, shredded chicken, black bean and corn salsa, and avocado.  Drizzle with Tomatillo Ranch and extra bbq sauce.

 

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

 

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

juice of one lime

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

1 tomatillo, cut into quarters

 

In a blender, chop garlic.  Add mayo, yogurt, lime, cilantro, and tomatillo.  Blend well.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor.

 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

 

2 ears fresh corn

1 can black beans, rinsed well

1/2 red pepper, chopped

juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

 

Cut the kernels off the ear of corn.  Microwave in a covered dish for 2 minutes.  Combine corn with beans, red pepper, lime juice, red onion, cilantro, and salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to use.