Fiesta Salad - Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

Fiesta Salad

Quite possibly the perfect summer salad, this recipe is a weekly staple in our household and can be used as an appetizer, side salad, or an entree. Excellent as a healthy lunch choice, check out the notes below for ways to adapt this to vegetarian and vegan diets.

fiesta salad

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 c Newman’s Own Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing, or your favorite brand
  • 1/4 c red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbl chopped chipotle pepper in adobo (use a little extra adobo sauce too)
  • 2 Tbl fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbl ground cumin
  • 2 tsp salt

For the salad:

  • 3 c cooked quinoa (or try brown or white rice)
  • 2 c black beans, rinsed and drained well
  • 2 c frozen corn, thawed (or 1 15 oz can of corn, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3/4 c diced red onion
  • 1/2 c finely chopped green onion
  • 1/2 finely minced cilantro (or flat leaf parsley if you don’t groove on cilantro)
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 c Better Batter Seasoned Flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 Tbl cooking oil ( I used olive oil)

Instructions

Mix together the sauce. Combine together the salad dressing, vinegar, chipotle peppers, extra adobo sauce (if using), lime juice, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the salad. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa (or rice), beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Mix well. Add the sauce and fold ingredients together.

Cook the chicken. Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove top and add 2-3 Tbl  cooking oil of your choice. Heat to medium-high heat. If the chicken breasts are larger or rather thick, consider cutting them into cutlets by cutting them in half horizontally, into two thinner breast pieces. Sprinkle evenly with salt and dredge the chicken pieces in seasoned flour. Gently shake the chicken to remove excess flour. Add the coated chicken to the heated skillet and cook 3-6 minutes depending on how thick your chicken pieces are, or until lightly golden brown. Use tongs to carefully turn the chicken over and cook 3-6 additional minutes or until cooked through completely. remove cooked chicken to a cutting board to rest. Repeat with additional chicken. Dice the chicken and serve on top of the quinoa mixture.

This salad easily serves 4-6 as an entree.

Serving notes:

  • Skip the chicken altogether and serve this salad as an vegetarian/vegan appetizer with tortilla chips.
  • Use this salad as a side or a lighter lunch.
  • Add the chicken and serve larger portions as an entree.
  • My husband loves to add this salad (minus the chicken) to omelettes for breakfast.
  • Skip the pan-fried chicken and add leftover grilled chicken instead.
  • Control the spice level by increasing or decreasing the number of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce you use. Start with less and add more if you like it spicy!
  • Sometimes I am lazy and do not thaw the frozen corn first. It usually thaws out in the salad by the time I am done cooking the chicken or if I am making this ahead, especially if the quinoa is still warm.

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