Delicious, Healthy Food...Featuring South of the Border Chicken Cobb Salad #healthy2021 #maindishsalad #warmweatherfood #eatyourveggies

The weather is starting to turn warmer here in Texas...so my thoughts are turning to refreshing, lighter meals. My South of the Border Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad is perfect as Spring and Summer settle in! It's ready to eat in about 30 minutes...and requires no oven since the ingredients are grilled outside. Eating healthy has never been so easy – or full of flavor! This salad contains my favorite Tex-Mex flavors in a light, yet filling healthy Cobb-style salad. One bite, and this salad will be in heavy rotation in your kitchen all the way until Fall!

South of the Border Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes two servings):

• Two 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Juice of one lime
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. dried cilantro
• 2-3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 large avocado, halved and pitted
• 4 green onions, trimmed 
• Olive oil
• 6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup pico de gallo
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup packaged tri-color corn tortilla strip

For the salad dressing:

• ½ cup ranch dressing of your choice
• 1 Tbs. lime juice + zest from half of a lime
• 1 tsp. dried cilantro
• ½ tsp. cumin

Directions:
Step 1: Combine the lime juice, honey, olive oil, cumin, cilantro, and olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk to combine into a marinade. Add the chicken and submerge in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours – up to overnight.

Step 2: When ready to grill the chicken, preheat your grill for 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Brush the avocado, corn, and green onion with olive oil. When the grill is heated, add the chicken, avocado, and green onions to the grill. Cook until the green onion and avocados are seared – approx. 7 minutes – turning the green onions once halfway through cooking. Remove the green onion and avocado and set aside. Flip the chicken breasts and cook for an additional 7 minutes, until cooked through. Set the chicken aside to rest on a cutting board.

Step 3: Add the oiled ears of corn to the grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. While the corn grills, make the salad dressing. Add the ranch dressing, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin to a bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Step 4: When the corn is grilled evenly on all sides, remove from the grill. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from each ear. Cut the chicken into chunks. Peel and dice the avocado into bite-size pieces. Assemble the salad. Place the chopped romaine on a large serving platter. Place a small container with the dressing in the center of the platter. Arrange the chicken, avocado, corn, pico de gallo, green onions, cheddar, and tortilla strips on the lettuce around the dressing. Bring the platter to the table, pour the dressing on top, and toss to serve.
This main dish salad is filling, but won't leave you feeling stuffed! I love the combination of honey-lime chicken breast, crunchy tortilla chips, sharp cheddar, grilled avocado, grilled corn, spicy pico de gallo, and cilantro-lime ranch dressing. Every bite contains a different combination of flavors and textures that all work perfectly together. If you like your Mexican food on the spicier side, simply add a couple of jalapenos to the grill and add to the pico de gallo mixture.

What are your favorite salads? I'm always looking for new salads to try since they're such a huge part of my Summer dinner planning! Leave a link in the Comments below.