One of my favorite lunch time go-to’s is a southwest style chicken salad. I’ve not always been a big salad girl, so it takes a particular type to get me excited enough to eat it! Keep reading below for the ingredients and how to put together what I think is the best southwest chicken salad.

Ingredients

• Lettuce/Spinach/Kale – Basically whatever greens you want to use for your salad!
• Grilled Chicken – I used ready made, but you could also prep this a day or two ahead of time.
• Shredded Cheese – Whatever brand is your favorite! I use low-fat for my current diet needs.
• Tortilla Strips – This is important for your crunch! If you would rather use croutons, go for it!
• Dressing – I use and love a cilantro lime dressing for this salad. You could also use southwest ranch!

You can also add avocado to this salad, and it is amazing! When I’m trying to cut out fats, I just leave it out.

Assembly and Portions

You can obviously assemble a salad any way you want. I’m very type A, and always put my salads together the same way. It goes lettuce, tortilla strips, cheese, chicken, then dressing. After that I shake it all up and eat! For the majority of the ingredients I use the recommended single serving size. However, I do double the serving size for the tortilla strips because I like a lot of crunch! Another tip is I like to heat up my chicken before adding it to the salad. Some may like their chicken cold, but I definitely prefer warm!

Nutrition Facts

These are the nutrition facts for my southwest salad. Depending on the specific ingredients you use, the nutrition facts may look a little different.

That’s It!

Simple, quick, easy, delicious, and healthy! What more can you ask for? The next time you’re at the grocery store, grab these items and give this salad a try. You won’t be disappointed!

If you’re interested in another one of our favorite recipes, click here to read up on our favorite carb smart tacos!