Guest Editor's Pick: Southwestern Salad

Colorful Southwestern Salad

There is no doubt about the Southwestern nature of this colorful salad, considering that it contains avocados, red bell peppers, and black beans, and considering also that the flavor of the dressing comes primarily from freshly chopped cilantro. The recipe comes from a book entitled Ramen Noodle Recipes. The ramen noodles are employed solely as a garnish. They enhance not only the general appearance of the dish but also, the texture of each bite.

Ripe avocado melts in your mouth

Southwestern Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Salad: 

8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 avocado, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into ½ inch strips

1 cup of frozen corn, thawed

1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained

Dressing:

¼ cup lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 ½ tablespoons minced green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Garnish:

1 package of Ramen noodles, any flavor, uncooked

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients of the salad; toss well.

2. Mix the ingredients of the dressing.

3. Add the dressing to the salad; toss well.

4. Crush the raw noodles into small bits and sprinkle over the salad.

Gorgeous salad tastes as good as it looks

(Note:  Guest editor Oliver Axtell resides in Dallas, Texas and writes about religion, Christianity, and church on his blog Ollies Follies.  He also does all the cooking for his family.  When he's not trying a new recipe or writing, Oliver likes to garden and is especially proud of his roses.)