Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad

Craving a vibrant and satisfying meal that's packed with flavor? This chipotle grilled chicken salad delivers on all fronts. Featuring tender, smoky chipotle-marinated chicken, perfectly grilled vegetables and a zesty chipotle-lime dressing, this salad is a refreshing and wholesome option for any day of the week. 

Prep time: 30 minutes plus marinate time (1 hour up to 24 hours) | Cook time: 25 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 ear of corn, shucked
• 1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 4 whole scallions, ends trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 3 cups arugula
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• Pepper

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 canned chipotle pepper plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• ¾ tablespoon cumin
• ½ tablespoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Chipotle lime dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ tablespoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder, more or less to taste

Directions:

1. Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place the marinade and chicken breast into a zip-top bag and seal it. Massage the marinade into the chicken to coat all sides thoroughly. Marinate chicken for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
2. When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Coat the red pepper halves, ear of corn and scallions with cooking spray. Grill until tender and develop grill marks, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Grill chicken on each side for 6-7 minutes, until grill marks appear. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
5. While vegetables and chicken are grilling, assemble the chipotle lime dressing by mixing all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl.
6. Cut corn kernels off the cob, slice the scallions and slice the bell pepper. Slice the avocado and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice chicken into strips.
7. Assemble the bowl by placing ½ cup of quinoa in the bottom with 1 ½ cups of arugula on top. Then arrange the grilled chicken and vegetables in the bowl.
8. Sprinkle each bowl with pepper and add cilantro leaves.
9. Spoon dressing over the top of each bowl. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information

Calories: 720 calories

Protein: 40 grams

Total fat: 42 grams

Saturated fat:  8 grams

Monounsaturated fat: 27 grams

Polyunsaturated fat: 6 grams

Cholesterol: 100 milligrams

Carbohydrate: 54 grams

Fiber: 12 grams

Sodium: 510 milligrams

Potassium: 1650 milligrams

Phosphorus: 550 milligrams

Nutrition information compiled from the USDA’s Food Data Central for standard reference.