Avocado Cobb Salad with Lemony Avocado Dressing

This salad can be comprised of whatever foods are handy in your refrigerator, whatever appeals to you and whatever ingredients are in-season at the time you decide to make it.

I like to make the salad with leftover chicken – pulled, roasted or diced and have even made it with leftover grilled meats. Forever trying to Up the Good Calories in the meals I eat, I'll usually toss in a handful of rinsed and drained black beans, navy beans or even chick-peas. They take no time at all to "prepare" and bump up the nutrition easily enough.

Mangos, watermelon, papaya, yellow and red cherry tomatoes, green and yellow wax beans, pineapple chunks, halved strawberries and blackberries have all made guest appearances in this salad at one time or another too. What you put in it is entirely up to you. The quantities will depend on the number of people you're expecting.

I almost always garnish the salad with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs and when I'm serving it to special company, I toss everything together and serve the salad inside Avocado halves garnished with cilantro sprigs. The avocados are then set over a bed of lettuces and sprinkled with a few more fresh herbs and lime wedges.

To prepare the Lemony Avocado Dressing...

1	small ripe avocado
1	cup zero fat Greek Style yogurt
1/3	cup tahini paste
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
	pinch ground coriander
1/4	teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2	Tablespoons lime juice
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon pepper
	pinch cayenne pepper

Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a medium size, non-reactive bowl. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

Salad Ingredients

4	scant cups salad greens
2	medium avocados, peeled, seeded
8	ounces leftover diced chicken
1	cup diced mango
1	cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2	drained and rinsed black beans
1	scant cup small-medium strawberries, halved
1	scant cup blackberries

	Line large platter with salad greens. Top with avocado halves. Toss remaining ingredients together with half the dressing until well combined.
	Add only enough of the remaining dressing as is necessary to coat ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Divide tossed salad evenly among avocado halves.
	Garnish with a few undressed strawberries and blackberries. Serve immediately.

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