Summer Salads

There's nothing better for dinner on a warm Summer evening than a fresh, cool salad. :) Soups & casseroles have their place no doubt, but a salad made from some of Summer's freshest picks? I'd call that gratitude at it's best. 


This week we've practically lived on salad. Just this week I've made:


*Whole wheat pasta salad with olives, feta & fresh spinach
*Baby red skin potato salad
*Waldorf fruit salad with walnuts
*Romaine salad with grilled red peppers & red onion
*Chicken Fiesta salad


Today I thought I'd share the Chicken Fiesta Salad recipe. It's really delicious and sooo easy to prepare too. Matthew and I ate it in two days it was that good, and we usually take three or four days to eat up something in this house when I make a big bowl of it. Not this time! Ha!


My mother made us this salad the week after I gave birth to Cole. I wasn't about to step into a kitchen and start cooking cause I had a longer-than-normal recovery period (at least it felt like forever) and wasn't feeling the greatest (hormones didn't help either!). My mother was an Angel from Heaven who stepped in and took care of everything for us. Thank you, Mom! Making this recipe brought back sweet memories of that week spending time with our newborn baby Cole, moments with Matthew, and sweet conversations with Mom. {I cannot believe 9 months have already passed!!! Time flies!}

~Chicken Fiesta Salad~

{adapted from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook}

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 8-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained, or

1/2 of a 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey (I used 

a rotisserie chicken)

2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (or cherry tomatoes

cut in half)

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives

1 recipe Chile Dressing

3/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

Place the lettuce in a large 2-quart salad bowl. Layer ingredients in the following order: cheese, beans, chicken, tomatoes, carrots, & olives. Spread Chile Dressing evenly over salad, sealing to edge of bowl. Cover salad tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for 4-24 hours. To serve, toss lightly to coat evenly & sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips.

Chile Dressing: In a small bowl stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, one 4-ounce can chopped green Chile peppers, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 clove garlic, minced. Makes 3/4 cup.

Note: Chilling the salad for up to 24 hours allows the flavors to blend. Layer the ingredients one evening and have a read-to-serve meal the next. 


Prep: 30 minutes Chill: 4-24 hours Makes: 4 main-dish servings