Like many of my salad posts, this recipe is all about the dressing. Smoky Bacon, Spicy Chipotles and our favorite Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe combined to create a brand new favorite for our house. Just a drizzle of the dressing created a smoky spicy taste that we really enjoyed.
In a chopped salad, all of the ingredients are chopped into uniform pieces. The beauty of the chopped salad is that each bite of salad contains more of the individual flavors. My boys frequently ask if I'm making a "chopped salad" instead of a plain version. The kids find a chopped salad much easier to eat than a traditional salad.
The inspiration for this dressing started with my friend, Donna. A few months ago, she was making a spicy dip for vegetables and she mentioned to me that she was including Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (Doesn't that sound delicious?) Unfortunately, the recipe she found to try called for an entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I gasped when she told me and I asked how spicy it was. She had never tried them before and had no clue how spicy they would make the dip! No one was able to eat that dip. I wanted to come up with something similar that might actually be palatable for my family. This dressing is the perfect mix of spicy heat and cool creamy dressing. If you really enjoy the heat, free free to increase the amount of peppers.
Chopped Chicken and Black Bean Salad
6 cups romaine lettuce, sliced thinly and then chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 large cucumber, peeled, sliced thinly and then chopped small
2 large carrots, peeled, sliced thinly and then chopped small
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup black beans, room temperature
1 cup frozen or canned corn, warmed just to room temperature
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced very small into 1/2" or smaller pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional: Crumbled bacon
Smoky Bacon Chipotle Ranch Dressing
1 cup Homemade Ranch Dressing
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced finely
3 strips of bacon, cooked, (2-3 tablespoons diced finely)
Stir together the ranch dressing, cumin and diced pepper. Set aside to chill in the refrigerator.
Place 3 strips of bacon (or more, if you are adding it to the salad as well) on a foil lined baking sheet. Place in a cold oven and set temperature to 425. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp as desired. Remove to paper towels to drain. Finely chop the bacon and add to the dressing. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Crockpot Pulled Pork
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