Crispy Tortilla Ancho Chicken Salad

A good salad is a symphony of flavours and textures and Canadian Living: 150 Essential Salads has rounded up the best of the best. This Crispy Tortilla Ancho Chicken Salad has a serious kick! Substitute chili powder for the ancho chili powder for more sensitive palates. Or serve it with a side of sour cream to cool things off.

Ingredients

3 small flour tortillas, halved and cut crosswise in ½-inch (1 cm) wide strips

1 tbsp vegetable oil

450 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes

1 sweet pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1¼ tsp ancho chili powder

¼ tsp pepper

Pinch salt

1 cup rinsed drained canned black beans

½ cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

4 cups torn leaf lettuce

½ cup shredded old Cheddar cheese

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

Honey Lime Dressing:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp liquid honey

Pinch salt

Directions

Toss tortilla strips with 1 tsp of the oil. In large non-stick skillet, cook strips over medium-high heat, tossing often, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Add remaining oil to skillet; cook chicken, sweet pepper, garlic, chili powder, pepper and salt, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 4 minutes.

Stir in beans, corn, green onions and lime juice; cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes

To make the honey lime dressing, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, honey and salt.

Add lettuce to dressing; toss to coat. Spoon chicken mixture over lettuce mixture; sprinkle with cheese and avocado. Garnish with tortilla strips.