By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 4
454 cal · 20 min
Southwest Chicken Salad
Recipe GLPR598a59d44ddc09
A vibrant, fresh salad featuring seasoned cooked chicken, creamy avocado, black beans, and crisp vegetables tossed with a zesty lime-cilantro vinaigrette. This colorful dish delivers bold southwest flavors in a light, satisfying meal that is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small yellow summer squash, chopped
Directions
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lime juice, vegetable oil, honey, chopped cilantro, ground cumin, chili powder, and salt. Seal the jar tightly and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dressing is well blended and emulsified.
In a large bowl, add the shredded romaine lettuce, cooked chicken cubes, avocado cubes, drained black beans, chopped tomato, and chopped yellow summer squash.
Pour the lime-cilantro dressing over the salad ingredients and toss everything together gently but thoroughly until all components are evenly coated with the dressing. Divide among four plates and serve immediately.
Comments
All ingredients are standard stock at Charlotte chains like Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart, with no specialty stops required. The 20-minute claim holds if chicken is pre-cooked or rotisserie—a realistic shortcut for weeknight prep—though raw chicken would push this to 45 minutes with cooking and resting. Cost runs around $3.50 to $4.00 per serving when using rotisserie chicken and affordable staples, making it reasonable for a family meal. It's a no-cook bowl that reheats poorly, so it's best eaten same-night, and the soft avocado and dressed lettuce won't hold overnight. This is a solid weeknight salad with good NC seasonality since summer squash peaks locally in July-August and avocados are affordable year-round, but the lack of leftovers and mediocre reheating drops it from top tier.
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