Salads are one of those dishes that are so wonderfully versatile.  You can either make them an enhancement to your main course or have them as the main course themselves.  Wash up some fresh greens, grill a couple of chicken breasts and you’ll have the start of a delicious and healthy meal.

But just about everyone can make a salad, right?  I agree. It’s not always about the things you add to the salad; often times it’s the dressing that makes the difference.  That’s why the star of this dish is the dressing.  It has a little bit of heat, a little bit of natural sweetness from the honey, and a lot of fresh flavorful ingredients.  Once you try it, you’ll think twice about picking up that bottled, preservative-filled dressing the next time you’re at the market!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast filets, grilled and sliced horizontally
1 bunch romaine lettuce, washed and torn

For Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke, Mesquite flavor
2 tablespoons chipotle puree’
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1) Place all dressing ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a blender and blend until smooth.

2) With the blender on, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until the mixture is fully emulsified.

3) Toss the lettuce with the dressing in a large bowl and portion the salad onto plates. Top with the sliced chicken and serve.