BBQ Chopped Salad With My New Favorite Dressing

My sweet friend, Cathy, made a similar salad at a Little League BBQ and I fell in love! I threw out the taco that was on my plate, and headed back for a second helping. I think people at the BBQ could hear me humming as I took another mouthful. I asked Cathy for the recipe, and since she is a regular reader of my blog, she gladly gave it up. (Thanks, Cathy! I love to hear that people actually read the blog!) 


I made the salad a few nights later, when the weather was warm, because I could not stop thinking about it. My husband loved it and he even had seconds after he said he was terribly full. That is always a good sign! Make it this weekend, and let me know what you think!


BBQ Chopped Salad with Cilantro Dressing


1 head of your favorite lettuce (my favorite is Butter Lettuce, but I also like Red Leaf), chopped
1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1 avocado, diced
1 ear of corn, roasted and taken off the cob (or you can use canned if you like to cheat)
1 large handful of tortilla chips, good quality
1 8 oz piece of steak, your choice, grilled to medium rare


Dressing


1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Ranch mix
Buttermilk
Mayonnaise
Cilantro


Make the packet of dressing in a large bowl as instructed on back of package. Chop one bunch of cilantro into small slivers. Add to the bowl of dressing and give it a good stir. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.


In a large bowl, combine all of the salad fixings. You can add additional items of your choice if you'd like. Perhaps a hard boiled egg, grated Monterey Jack cheese, cucumber or even a bell pepper. Be creative or just clean out your fridge. Once the steak has set for at least 5 minutes, chop it into bite sized pieces and add to the salad. Toss the salad with an appropriate amount of dressing. Not too much though! A little goes a long way. Can be served as a main dish with a side of warm bread, or you can take the meat out and make it as a side dish. That's the best thing about salads, you can do what you want with them, and they are always delicious!