Southwest Salad

This salad is very pretty when served in a large bowl, and is bursting with lots of fresh flavors. The dressing is fabulous for all types of salads.

Makes 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

• 1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley Ranch®

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

• ½ (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix, or more to taste

Salad:

• 1 lb grilled chicken breast/tenders OR cooked crumbled ground beef

• 8 cups torn romaine lettuce

• 2 roasted red peppers, diced

• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (14 ounce) can white corn, drained (or chickpeas)

• ¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion

• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers (or you can spice it up by substituting jalapeno peppers for the chile peppers)

• 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes

• ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• 1 large avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional (No way! = Kim))

• Crushed or broken tortilla chips (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix dressing mix, buttermilk, yogurt, and taco seasoning mix together in a mixing bowl.

2. Line a large serving bowl with the torn lettuce.

3. Mix meat, roasted peppers, black beans, corn, onion, and green chiles together in a bowl. Spread mixture over the lettuce. 

4. Top with tomatoes; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. 

5. Arrange avocado slices in an overlapping circle. 

6. Garnish with cilantro and/or tortilla chips. Serve with dressing on the side.