Low Effort Green Mexican Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken (shredded)
• 0.25 head cabbage (diced)
• 0.5 red onion (diced)
• 8 oz canned black beans (strained and rinsed)
• 8 oz canned corn (strained and rinsed)
• 1 avocado (pitted and peeled)
• 2.5 limes (juiced (use 2-3))
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
• 0.25 cup light mayo
• 1 bunch cilantro (divided; half for sauce, half for salad)
• 3.5 green onion stems (just the green parts (use 3-4))
• 0.5 tsp honey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 pickled jalapeños (use 2-4 depending on heat preference)
• 0.25 cup jalapeño brine (from the pickled jalapeño jar)
• 1.5 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• tostadas (for serving)
• hot sauce (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce: In a blender, combine the avocado, lime juice, Greek yogurt, light mayo, half of the cilantro bunch, green onion stems, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, pickled jalapeños, jalapeño brine, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.

2. 2

   Blend the sauce ingredients on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded rotisserie chicken, diced cabbage, diced red onion, rinsed black beans, and rinsed corn.

4. 4

   Pour the blended sauce over the chicken and vegetable mixture. Add the remaining half of the cilantro (chopped) to the bowl. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.

5. 5

   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the refrigerator. Let the salad chill for a minimum of 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.

6. 6

   Before serving, give the salad a final stir and taste it. Adjust the salt or lime juice to your preference.

7. 7

   Serve the chilled chicken salad over crispy tostadas and top with your favorite hot sauce.

Notes

The author uses the term 'bushel' for cilantro, which likely refers to a standard grocery store 'bunch'. Chilling the salad is a critical step for the flavor profile. This dish stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days, making it excellent for meal prep.

Nutrition per serving

• healthy
• high-protein
• meal prep
• no-cook
• chicken salad
• low-effort
• gluten-free