Santa Fe salad
A Cheesecake Factory copycat with charred corn, black beans and crisp tortilla strips, dressed with a cilantro-lime dressing and a spicy peanut sauce.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
Ingredients
Southwestern dressing
Spicy peanut sauce
Salad
Method
Make the Southwestern dressing
Put fresh cilantro (1 cup), garlic (1 clove), fresh lime juice (2 tbsp), red wine vinegar (2 tbsp), creamy peanut butter (2 tbsp), brown sugar (1 tbsp), lime zest (1 tsp), toasted sesame oil (1 tsp), kosher salt (1/2 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (1/2 tsp) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
With the blender running, slowly stream in neutral oil (1/2 cup) and extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup) until fully emulsified.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the spicy peanut sauce
In a bowl, whisk together creamy peanut butter (1/3 cup), soy sauce (2 tbsp), fresh lime juice (2 tbsp), honey (2 tbsp), rice vinegar (1 tbsp), chili garlic sauce (1–2 tsp), toasted sesame oil (1 tsp) and garlic (1 clove).
Whisk in warm water (3–6 tbsp) a little at a time until smooth and drizzleable. Taste, adjust and set aside.
Cook the chicken
Season the chicken breasts (6 breasts) generously with kosher salt (to taste) and freshly ground black pepper (to taste).
Grill, broil or pan-sear until cooked through (74°C / 165°F inside). Rest for , then slice thinly.
Char the corn
Grill or broil corn (6 ears) until lightly charred. Cool slightly and cut the kernels off the cob (about 4½ cups).
Crisp the tortilla strips
Fry corn tortilla (6 tortillas) in oil at 175°C (350°F) for until crisp. Drain and salt lightly.
Or bake them: toss the strips with a little oil and salt and bake at 190°C (375°F) for , stirring once.
Assemble
In a very large bowl, combine romaine lettuce (1 1/2 lb), cooked black beans (2 1/4 cups), the corn kernels, the sliced chicken and the tortilla strips.
Toss with all of the Southwestern dressing (about 1¼ cups) until evenly coated.
Transfer to serving bowls and drizzle with all of the spicy peanut sauce (about ½ cup).
Top with Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz), diced Roma tomatoes (1 1/2 cups) and fresh cilantro leaves (3/4 cup).