Ok. This one's a little bit different. But don't hate on it before you give it a try; you might just end up liking it.
Yes, it's a warm salad with lettuce. And no, you don't see warm and lettuce used in the same sentence very often. I was actually inspired by a salad that Wendy's serves. I ordered it one time, and loooved it! Basically, it's lettuce greens with fresh veggies like tomatoes, onions, and avocado (not really a veggie, but work with me here) and then a chili mixture poured over it and topped with cheese. And the best part? Because of the spices in the chili, you don't need a dressing! It's perfect just the way it is!
Chop your veggies:
tomatoes, chopped
onions, chopped
avocado, cubed
anything else you can think of that you might like in this type of salad
Make your chili:
1 can each of black beans, dark red kidney beans, and yellow corn
balsamic vinegar
chili powder
cumin
garlic powder
red pepper
salt
Pour contents of cans into pot. Add seasonings to taste, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Note: I drained one of my cans because I thought it might be a little too much liquid with all three cans. However, you do need some liquid, we're making a chili here, so don't drain off too much. In fact, it would probably be fine not to drain anything.
Assemble your salad:
Place lettuce greens (Spring Mix, leaf lettuce, etc.) into bowl. Sprinkle veggies on top of lettuce. Pour a spoonful or two of the chili over your salad. Top with some shredded cheese and enjoy!
Variation: Add some chicken or ground meat and you've got yourself a main dish!
Note: best served individually instead of one big bowl out of which everyone serves themselves, and because of the cold/warm nature of this salad, it needs to be eaten right away.
