Santa Fe Salad

This Santa Fe salad (Southwest salad) is what dreams are made of! It’s loaded with juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, avocado, corn, and black beans, and pairs perfectly with Southwest dressing. It’s protein-rich and full of flavor!

This Santa Fe salad is hearty, delicious, and packed with all of your favorite Tex-Mex flavors. This is my favorite salad to make, especially on weeknights, because it’s fresh and flavorful, easy to throw together, and protein-rich. A complete meal in a bowl, you can customizes the toppings and make easy swaps depending on what you have in the fridge.

This salad pairs perfectly with Southwest salad dressing or my favorite avocado cilantro dressing. Both dressings are gluten free and dairy free, so they fit a variety of needs.

If you want to turn this into a flavorful side salad as part of a meal with family or friends, just split it into four separate bowls and leave off the chicken. This Southwest-inspired salad is a crowd pleaser, which means it’s about to become your new go-to!

Ingredient Notes

• Romaine lettuce: You can purchase this pre-chopped, or buy a head of green leaf lettuce and chop it yourself. One head of green leaf lettuce typically produces six cups of lettuce.
• Cherry tomatoes: While you can keep these whole, I like them halved or quartered.
• Black beans: I purchase organic beans canned, then just drain and rinse them.
• Frozen sweet corn: Frozen corn is so easy to use! Just measure out a cup and let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours before assembling the salad. You can also cook the corn on the grill, slice it off the cobb, and use fresh corn in your salad! This is the recipe we use to grill corn.
• Crushed tortilla chips: While this is optional, I like to crush up Siete dip chips and sprinkle them on the salad.
• Dressing: Try my Southwest dressing, honey lime dressing, or a simple olive oil and vinegar blend.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

Chicken: Use leftover pulled chicken or sliced steak as the protein, or top the salad with grilled salmon.

Romaine lettuce: Use a blend of romaine, green leaf, or butter lettuce for variety.

Cherry tomatoes: You can use any type of tomato, including roma, grape, or beefsteak tomatoes. Just slice larger varieties or cut them into quarters.

Vegetarian: Omit the chicken for a vegetarian salad, or use roasted sweet potatoes in place of it.

Seasoning: Not into the heat? Omit the spices and just season the chicken with salt and pepper!

How to Make Santa Fe Salad

1. Season: Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Combine all of the spices for the seasonings in a small bowl. Place the chicken on a plate and pat dry. Coat both sides of chicken with olive oil and rub with the seasoning.
2. Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, around 400°F. The grill needs to be hot when you add chicken, allowing it to sear and cook evenly. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/75°C. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Combine: Arrange the lettuce, green onions, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, and tortilla chips in a large bowl or in four small bowls. Slice or cube the chicken and place it on the salad.
4. Serve: Top the salad with the dressing. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Ways to Serve

This gorgeous Santa Fe salad can be served in a variety of ways. You can add your favorite toppings, or keep it simple! Here are my favorite ways to serve it:

• Toppings: While tortilla chips are a classic topping for Southwest salad, you can leave them off or swap them out for pumpkin seeds! You can also add shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, or lime wedges on top.
• Dressing: My favorite way to serve this salad is with my Southwest Salad Dressing. However, you can also use a simple Honey Lime Vinaigrette, ranch dressing, or avocado cilantro lime dressing. Want to keep it simple? Just drizzle it with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Here are some tips for building your own salad dressing.
• Soups: For classic soup and salad, pair it with Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup, Easy Stovetop Chili, or Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

Make Ahead Tips

To prep this salad ahead of time, just prep the vegetables up to 48 hours in advance. Store the chopped greens in one container, and the cut up vegetables in another. Thaw the corn and drain and rinse the beans the night before and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make the dressing 48 hours in advance and store it in a separate container.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, lay out a large salad bowl and follow the recipe instructions. Slice and dice the avocado and crush the tortilla chips just before assembling. Add the dressing or serve it on the side for people to add it themselves.

More Healthy Recipes

• Southwest Salad Dressing
• Coconut Oil Salad Dressing
• Classic House Salad Recipe
• Egg Roll in A Bowl
• Healthy Baked Orange Chicken

Recipe by: Noelle Tarr / Coconuts and Kettlebells | Photography by: Casey Colodny / The Mindful Hapa