Back to the Cutting Board
Carnita Salad with Citrus Chipotle Dressing
from Back to the Cutting Board, dressing adapted from Raley’s [1]
Lunch, Dinner | Servings: 2 large or 4 small salads
Prep time: 15 min | Total time: 20 min
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 large limes)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 3 tsp. honey
- 1 large clove garlic
- 2 to 4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
- 1 to 2 lbs. cooked pork carnitas [2], warm or room temperature
- 1 head of green leaf lettuce (or lettuce of your choice), torn or chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato, cut into 8 or more slices
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips or chunks
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese and/or Monterrey Jack Cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend)
Process
- Prepare the dressing (this can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a day or two): In a food processor or blender, combine the orange and lime juices, olive oil, 1 tsp. honey, garlic and 2 chipotle peppers. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking by adding extra honey, peppers and/or a dash of salt and pepper. Chill dressing in the fridge while you prepare the salad.
- Divide the lettuce among each salad bowl. Top with peppers, tomatoes, carrots, avocado slices and cheese.
- Heat up leftover carnitas in the microwave to your desired temperature. Drain off any juice, but keep the jalapenos and red onions. Add a large helping of carnitas on top of the salad. Serve immediately with citrus chipotle dressing.
Recipe Notes:
This salad would work just as well with shredded chicken or ground beef instead of carnitas.
The dressing will keep longer (about a week) if you use garlic powder instead of raw garlic. Start with 1/8 tsp. garlic powder and then adjust if necessary.
Carnita Salad with Citrus Chipotle Dressing
