Chopped Chicken Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salad:
3 ears of corn, shucked
1¼ pounds chicken breasts, cooked and cut into thin strips
1½ cups diced vine-ripened tomatoes
5 ounces mixed baby greens
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup diced roasted red bell pepper
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
¾ cup toasted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), for garnish
Combine vinegar, lime juice, garlic, honey, chile (with a little of the sauce) and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream to form an emulsion. Add the cilantro and pulse to combine.
Cut the kernels from the corn cobs with a serrated knife. Place the corn, chicken, tomatoes, greens, cheese and peppers in a large salad bowl. Toss in the desired amount of the Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette. Before serving, garnish with the cilantro and pumpkin seeds.