by Kelly J. Larson

Salad dressing is the most important part of a salad or rice bowl or anything that is brought together with a dressing, in my opinion. There’s nothing more magical on a salad than freshly homemade dressing.

My crew and I enjoy all the cuisine that Chick Fil-A has to offer including the Southwest Chicken Salad. This recipe is inspired by their avocado lime ranch dressing, what I usually order to go with it.

Since I have lemons in the house almost always, I am using them in place of limes. Why not? In Spanish, lemons and limes are interchangeable, no?

This concoction pairs well with grilled chicken, whether on a salad, pasta, quinoa, rice dish or more.

Avocado Lemon Ranch Dressing

• 1 avocado (remove pit, peeling)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/4 yellow or white onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Southwest Chicken Salad

To recreate that tasty drive-through Chick Fil-A must-have meal, here are the components to make your own, in addition to the salad dressing.

• red and green leaf lettuce or any other kind
• roasted corn, red and green bell peppers
• black beans
• grated cheese (cheddar, jack, etc.)
• grape tomatoes
• green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
• seasoned grilled chicken, thinly sliced
• salted pepitas
• seasoned tortilla strips

Roasted Vegetable Medley

To roast the corn, red and green bell peppers, dice one red and one green bell pepper, discarding seeds and membrane.

On a silicone baking sheet, combine even parts of green and red bell peppers and corn, and roast for about 20 minutes at 475 F. No salt or oil is needed.

Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until serving.