Southwest Caesar Salad – Easy Recipe 

I love salads. I’m not talking about iceberg lettuce with a few veggies thrown on top, but the kind of salad that you can build from an endless list of ingredients and dressings. One of my favorite types is Southwest Caesar Salad. It combines all of the flavors I love in Mexican food with the cool crispness that only a good salad can provide. There are many variations out there for this recipe so feel free to experiment! 

How to make Southwest Caesar Salad 

Southwest Caesar Salad is a great mixture of flavors with the sweetness and tanginess from the dressing, some spice from the chile powder, along with garlic and onion. The bacon adds saltiness as well as that much needed crunch to make this dish extra special! The best part of all these ingredients together? They’re so easy to put together – it’s pretty much just throwing them in a bowl! 

Ingredients 

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 1 (1.27 ounce) packet dry fajita seasoning 
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• ½ cup sour cream 
• 2 anchovy fillets 
• 4 green onions, chopped 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 canned chipotle pepper 
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic 
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 
• ½ cup garlic flavored croutons 
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin rings 
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin rings 
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into thin rings 

Step by step Cooking Instructions 

1. Step one, toss the lettuce in a large bowl. Then mix together mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, anchovy fillets and green onions until combined well. Add the Dijon mustard and chipotle pepper and blend with an electric mixer or blender for 20 seconds to make it smooth. Stir in garlic and Worcestershire sauce then set aside this dressing on your kitchen countertop until you’re ready to serve.
2. Step two is cooking chicken breast halves by placing them skin side down into a nonstick frying pan coated with olive oil over medium-high heat till browned about five minutes per side (or cook as directed if using store bought cooked chicken). Let stand for five minutes then cut into thin slices.
3. Step three is mixing together chopped lettuce, croutons and chicken then top with the Southwest Caesar dressing. 

Tips and tricks to making the perfect Southwest Caesar Salad 

•  Southwest Caesar dressing is best served on the side instead of poured over top. This will help keep it from getting soggy and turning into a thick sludge. 
• Let your guests serve themselves so they can control how much salad, croutons, and chicken they want to add as desired. 
• Serve with warm tortilla chips or pita bread wedges for dipping in Southwest Caesar dressing. 

Conclusion 

You are now ready to enjoy this delicious Southwest Caesar Salad. We hope you love it as much as we do! If you want to make a heartier meal, try adding some grilled chicken or steak on top for added protein. For an even more filling dish, add black beans and corn too! Or go with this Greeky Green Bean Potato Salad for some “greener” days!

This salad is perfect for lunch or dinner because it’s nutritious but light at the same time. It can be served any season of the year so long as your ingredients match what is in season where you live. Happy eating!