Earlier today I had some of my favorite ladies over for lunch! I wanted to prepare something simple ahead of time so I decided to toss a salad together, thaw some Trader Joes cheesecake bites and chill a few bottles of rose. The salad was a big hit so I thought I’d share it with y’all…

So I kind of made this salad up as I went, adding ingredients one at a time until I thought it was the perfect summer salad. Here is what I ended up with… 

Chicken & Roasted Chick Pea Summer Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad

3 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
2 15 oz cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 15 oz can white corn, drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large avocados
3 chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

For the Dressing

2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 avocado

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chick peas on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle ranch dressing packet on top. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make your salad dressing. In a food processor, blend together cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt, pepper, olive oil and avocado until smooth.

3. On a large plate lay lettuce. Top with cherry tomatoes, corn, roasted chicken peas, sliced chicken and avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any leftover cilantro. Drizzle dressing over salad. Enjoy!

*Yields 8 servings