Enchilada Dense Bean Salad

Ingredienti

For the marinade:

6oz of red enchilada sauce (you can use an 8oz can and set the rest aside for the dressing)

juice of 2 limes

1 tbs sea salt

1 lb chicken thighs

For the Salad:

1 can chickpeas

1 can black beans

2 bell peppers

1 jalapeno

1/2 a red onion

8oz Monterey Jack Cheese

8oz Cheddar Cheese

1 bunch of cilantro

1 container cherry tomatoes

2 avocados on the firmer side

For the Dressing:

2 oz red enchilada sauce

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp smoked chipotle powder (regular works too but I love the smokey flavor layer)

Istruzioni

To create the marinade, whisk together the enchilada sauce, lime juice, and sea salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and poke a few holes in them with a fork so the marinade can penetrate. Cover and let this sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours but up to 24.

To prepare the salad, start by rinsing and draining the beans. Add them to a big bowl.

Cut the ends off of the bell peppers and dice them.

Remove the seeds and pith from the jalapeno and finely dice.

Mince the red onion

Cut the cheese into small cubes

Finely mince the cilantro.

Slice the tomatoes in half.

Cube the avocados.

Add the beans, bell peppers, jalapenos, red onion, cheese, cilantro, tomato, and avocado to a big bowl.

Preheat the grill while you work on the dressing. If you don’t have a grill you can make this in a grill pan or cast iron.

To make the dressing, mix together the 2oz of enchilada sauce, lime juice, avocado oil, rice vinegar, mustard, sea salt, and chipotle powder. Use a fork or milk frother to mix until fully emulsified and creamy.

Oil your grill or cast iron with a high-smoke point oil, and cook the chicken until browned on each side and cooked fully through, about 8 minutes on one side and 7 minutes on the other, on medium-high heat.

Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes, then chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Add the chicken to the salad. Cover completely in the dressing and toss well.

Enjoy! This salad keeps well for about three days. Store each serving individually in an airtight container to prevent the avocado from going bad.