Cowgirl Salad
This Santa-Fe style salad is brimming with flavour, fibre and colour and is such a showy dish to impress guests! You can double the chicken or tofu if you're making it for a bigger (or hungrier) crowd.
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 3 tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1-2 limes)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Cajun Chicken or Tofu
- 1 350 g. package extra firm tofu OR
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cajun spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Salad Ingredients
- 2 heads (10 cups) torn romaine lettuce (bite size pieces)
- 1 540 ml can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup corn (cooked and cooled)
- 2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta or vegan feta (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 2 avocados, sliced or diced
- tortilla chips for serving (optional)
- 1 lime, cut in wedges for serving
Instructions
MAKE THE SALAD DRESSING
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Combine all of the salad dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
PREPARE THE CHICKEN OR TOFU
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To prepare the chicken, preheat a grill or frying pan on medium heat. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil or avocado oil over each chicken breast, rub it in, sprinkle each with the cajun spice mix to coat and season with salt. Grill on a barbecue or in a pan on the stove on both sides until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest.
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To prepare the tofu, cut the tofu into 1/2" cubes and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil or avocado oil, toss to coat, sprinkle the tofu cubes with the cajun spice mix to coat and season with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado or olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the tofu cubes, and fry on all sides until just golden brown, about 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
MAKE THE SALAD
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Place the torn romaine lettuce in a large bowl or in a large platter with sides. Top with the black beans, corn, peppers, dates, feta and red onion. Slice the avocado on the salad just before serving, top with the grilled chicken or tofu, garnish with the lime wedges, and serve with the tortilla chips and salad dressing. Alternately, you can toss the salad with the salad dressing before adding the avocado, chicken or tofu and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
Make it vegan: use tofu and replace the feta with vegan feta or leave out the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten-free: use certified gluten-free ingredients (ie: soy sauce)