Chopped Southwestern Salad
Healthy, flavorful and packed with veggies, this chopped southwestern salad is the perfect easy dinner! Filled with shredded chicken, black beans and a dreamy cilantro vinaigrette, it’s hearty and satisfying. Dairy free and gluten free.
This chopped southwestern salad was originally published in June 2013. The post has been updated as of July 30, 2019 with new photos, text and a revamped recipe.
Don’t want to spend a lot of time on dinner? Well then I have just the dish for you!
One that tastes amazing, is packed with vibrant fresh veggies and that will fill you up in the most delightfully satisfying way.
There’s some bell pepper, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, green onion, shredded chicken, black beans and crunchy crispy sliced cabbage + romaine lettuce.
All packed together in this healthy and delicious bowl.
But my favorite part?
The southwest salad dressing – we’re talking a lemon dijon vinaigrette jazzed up with some fresh cilantro and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
It’s slightly sweet, plenty savory and just a touch smoky.
And when poured all over those dreamboat veggies and mix-ins???
It’s salad perrrrfection.
How To Make Chopped Southwestern Salad
So, this healthy southwest salad comes together in 30 minutes flat. Here’s how it goes down:
Sauté the corn. In a medium skillet, we’ll quickly cook some corn kernels until tender and starting to brown. And then set them aside to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Chop the veggies. Meanwhile, we’ll chop up all the components for the salad. Some bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, avocado, green onion, cabbage and romaine lettuce.
Prep other add-ins. Next, we’ll shred some cooked chicken and rinse a can of black beans.
Mix up the dressing. In a small bowl, we’ll whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until smooth and combined.
Finally, it all gets tossed together and then we’ll dig in!
Tips & Tricks
- As with all salad recipes, feel free to adjust the quantities of ANYTHING to your own taste!
- If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, just omit the shredded chicken and substitute with another cooked protein of choice – I think tofu, tempeh, a different kind of bean or even hard boiled eggs would be delicious here.
- Looking to take the crunch factor up a notch? Sprinkle the top of your salad with some crushed / broken up tortilla chips.
- And finally, if you want to keep this salad nice and pretty like in the photos, don’t toss everything together in a large bowl. Instead, layer some of your lettuce / cabbage on a plate and then top with all the other components. Serve with the dressing on the side.
How To Store
Keep all the components for the salad base in separate containers in the fridge. They’ll hold like this for about 4 days.
I like to keep the corn / chicken / black beans in one container and then all the chopped fresh veggies in another (minus the avocado – dice that up right before serving).
The dressing can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Now, if you want to make the salad fully in advance (i.e. mix it all together), it works well but ONLY if you use pretty much all sliced cabbage and little to no romaine lettuce.
If you go that route, it will keep for about 2 to 3 days. Again, minus the avocado – add that in right before enjoying.
Additional Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Chopped Asian Chicken Salad
- Dairy Free Taco Salad
- Dairy Free Chicken Salad
- Greek Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Spinach Power Salad
- Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad
- Summer Berry Chopped Salad
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Chopped Southwestern Salad
Healthy, flavorful and packed with veggies, this chopped southwestern salad is the perfect easy dinner! Filled with shredded chicken, black beans and a dreamy cilantro vinaigrette, it’s hearty and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken*
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced
- 1 medium bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage**
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, to taste***
Instructions
For the salad:
- Add the olive oil to a medium skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the corn kernels and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add to a large bowl and let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- To the bowl, add the cooked chicken, black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado, green onion, cabbage and romaine. Toss gently to combine.
For the dressing:
- In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until well combined. Taste and adjust the salt / pepper as desired (I usually add more salt).
- Pour into the large bowl and toss again to combine. Serve immediately!
Notes
*You can use any chicken you want here - breasts, thighs, whatever. To make it really easy, use a rotisserie chicken or leftovers from another meal.
**If you’re not a fan of cabbage, use additional romaine lettuce instead.
***If you are gluten free - please be sure to check the ingredients on your chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Some brands contain wheat!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 351Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 17g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Another winner, Ashley! I’ve been thinking of you lately as I recently made this salad, your homemade enchilada sauce, and your Chicken and Veggie Enchiladas – they are all brilliant! My husband is in heaven over those enchiladas. It was the first time I ever made the sauce from scratch – so easy and so much more delicious than the canned versions. Thanks again for keeping me inspired! And happy 2nd anniversary to you and your hubby!
Hi Amy! I’m so happy you’ve been trying all these! And of course that you both are enjoying them. Especially the enchilada sauce – love that you tried it from scratch! And thank you : )
This is like a salad of all my favorites – corn, beans, avocado… YUM! I sort of have this thing where I usually only bother eating salad when there’s corn or avocado to have with it, so this is perfect.
And those hot summer days – I just power through them too. The baking is worth it. 😉
Absolutely worth it : )
My old apartment was the same way –it gets extremely hot in the summer (and extremely cold in the winter). Regardless how hot it got, I still baked. I just love the smell of baked goods in the oven.
Anyway, this salad looks delicious! I love those meals where you don’t have to put heat in the house during the summer months. Plus I love avocados so anything with gets a thumbs-up in my book. Great post Ashley and have a lovely week! 🙂
Thanks Anne, you too! Agreed – I can’t not use it!
I love love love that lemon chipotle dressing! Also, just have to say, your avocados and chicken breasts are beautifully sliced 🙂
Well thanks Katy : )
A salad I could be proud to call my dinner. 😀 Heehee it’s been crazy hot in my kitchen lately as well, so I’ve been trying to find more salads that look interesting to make for quick dinners. You made my day with this awesome recipe Ashley! (and that dressing? TO DIE FOR!)
haha thanks Jess! The dressing is really good : )
I just discovered your blog — such beautiful photography and recipes! I love all of the color in this salad. Looks perfect for summer! 🙂
Thank you Ali!
What a colorful gorgeous looking salad Ashley! I adore having salads for lunch and dinner especially during the summer months! Like you said, it’s a great way to give the oven a nice break:) The dressing sounds amazing with the chipotle peppers and dijon mustard and any salad that includes avocados is a winner!
Thanks Kelly! Glad we think alike : ) Totally agree with you on avocados!
This is my kind of salad, and I love the chipotle in the dressing. That sounds great! I think you sound super stylish! I can be caught cooking in my workout clothes often with my hair up in a crazy bun. Hey, whatever gets the job done!
haha nice! My hair is always a disaster while cooking : )
I love a good salad and this one sounds wonderful! It has all my favorite things and would be perfect to bring to work for my lunch!
Thanks Holly!