Cactus Salad doesn’t contain any actual cactus, but it’s the kind of salad you’ll want when you’re out exploring the cactus-strewn deserts of the Southwest! The dressing is bold, creamy, tangy, and vibrant thanks to the feature of some fresh avocado. The salad itself has plenty of zesty chicken, grilled summery corn, and hearty black beans to really capture that feeling of the open orange vistas underneath the sun. Cactus Salad is a bounty of deliciousness from the far corners of the United States!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more, to taste, for oiling the grill grates
- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted, chopped
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 (6-ounce) chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fajita seasoning
- 1 medium ear corn, husk and silk removed
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced into petals
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Step 2 –Using the extra olive oil, lightly oil the grill grates.
Step 3 –In a food processor, add the avocado, the sour cream, the mayonnaise, the water, the lime juice, the ranch seasoning, and the salt.
Step 4 –Blend the mixture until smooth.
Step 5 –Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Step 6 –In a bowl, add the chicken, the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the fajita seasoning and toss until evenly combined.
Step 7 –Add the chicken and the corn to the grill and cook, turning once, until the corn is tender and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes per side.
Step 8 –Transfer the chicken and the corn to a cutting board.
Step 9 –Divide the romaine, the tomatoes, the black beans, and the onions between two serving plates.
Step 10 –Cut the corn kernels off the cob and divide them between the two serving plates.
Step 11 –Slice the chicken breasts.
Step 12 –Divide the chicken between the serving plates.
Step 13 –Drizzle the salads with the avocado dressing.
Step 14 –Serve.
