Walden Farms® Reformulates Its Salad Dressing Line...Featuring Deconstructed Chicken Quesadilla Salad #healthy2021 #salad #waldenfarms #eathealthy

One of my favorite condiment lines has recently received a makeover! Walden Farms® recently introduced a major re-brand, starting with more than 20 salad dressings. The improved dressings now include natural flavors...along with updated packaging. Walden Farms dressings contain no artificial flavors and dyes...and they feature real vegetables and fruit fibers. The best news? Their dressings perfectly solve the dilemma of adding unnecessary fat and calories to an otherwise healthy salad! That's because Walden Farms' great tasting dressings have zero calories, zero net carbs, zero sugar, and zero fat. I used their spicy Chipotle Ranch dressing to create a salad that will crush your Tex Mex cravings! My Deconstructed Chicken Quesadilla Salad has the south-of-the-border flavors you love...without excess fat and carbs. Instead of tortillas, the quesadilla component of my salad is made with carb-friendly cauliflower thins. Also included are seasonal veggies, spicy seared chicken, a bit of guacamole and cheese...and a drizzle of Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch. Every bite of this main dish salad is a explosion of flavor...with zero guilt!

Deconstructed Chicken Quesadilla Salad

a Weekend Gourmet original

Ingredients (makes 1 salad):

• 2 TBS Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing
• 2 Cauliflower sandwich thins [NOTE: I use Outer Aisle]
• 1/2 ounce (1/8 cup) full-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 4 oz. chicken tenderloins (will yield 3 oz. cooked)
• 1 cup salad greens cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved vertically
• 1/4 cup sliced scallion 
• 1 TBS guacamole OR .75 ounces chopped avocado
• 1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the chicken. Spray a non-stick skillet with a bit of spray oil, then heat over med-high heat. While the skillet heats, sprinkle the tenderloins with 1/4 tsp. of the chili powder on both sides. Sear the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through -- about 4 minutes per side. Coarsely chop into bite-size pieces and set aside until you're ready to assemble your salad.

Step 2: Make the cauliflower thin quesadilla. In a small bowl. combine the full fat cheddar cheese with the remaining 1/4 tsp. of chili powder. Place one cauliflower thin in the skillet over med-high heat. Carefully spoon the cheese on the cauliflower thin, then place the second thin on top. Cook for 5 minutes per side, until the cauliflower thin is dark brown and toasted...and the cheese is melted. Carefully cut the cooked quesadilla into four triangles.

Step 3: Assemble the salad. Arrange the salad greens in a deep plate/shallow bowl. Arrange the chopped chicken along the left half of the greens. Along the right half of the greens, arrange the halved tomatoes, scallion, guacamole, and shredded mozzarella. Finally, spoon the Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing into a condiment bowl and nestle it into the bottom of the salad.

This salad is AMAZING! It has all my favorite Tex Mex flavors...so it conquers those spicy food cravings in a healthy manner. I know many of you are wondering about the cauliflower thin quesadilla...I promise that it's totally delish and works so well with the other flavors in this salad. The Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch is tangy and mildly spicy...the flavor is similar to Ranch mixed with salsa. 

As an added bonus, not having to fret about added fat and calories from my salad dressing was a major load off my mind. According to Walden Farms, consumers who watch calories and carbs tend to use salad dressings 30% more than the average person. Further, nearly half of these people prefer dressings with zero calories, fat, and sugar. Walden Farms dressings come in 22 great flavors -- including Bacon Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese, Caesar, Chipotle Ranch, French, Honey Dijon -- my personal favorite, Italian, Ranch, Raspberry Vinaigrette, Sesame Ginger, and Thousand Island. To find Walden Farms products near you, check out their convenient Find a Store website feature.

Disclosure: Walden Farms provided me samples of their rebranded, reformulate salad dressings to facilitate recipe development for this article. All opinions expressed are solely mine.