Joe and I recently visited Santa Fe and had lunch at the San Francisco Street Bar and Grill located on the Plaza. We were there for an Arts & Crafts festival on the Plaza and decided to have lunch afterwards. It’s located on the corner of San Francisco Street and Don Gaspar. The menu was posted outside and we decided to give it a try. Joe ordered a Chimayo Chicken Sandwich and I wanted to try the Santa Fe Cobb Salad with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette. It’s not your classic Cobb salad, instead it is made with local flavors that reflect the Santa Fe vibe. It was loaded with Romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon bits, chopped roasted poblano, jicama and radish sticks with cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and sprinkled with Cotija cheese and crispy tortilla strips. It was the most delightful salad and I ate every bite. The vinaigrette was creamy and had a burst of flavors that embodied the salad. I took mental notes of the flavors I was tasting and came up with a vinaigrette that tastes pretty close. With the summer heat upon us, a flavorful salad is a welcome choice for lunch or dinner.
To make the vinaigrette: Start by roasting a poblano pepper over the open flame of a stove top. Other methods to roast poblanos include placing them on a roasting pan in the oven under the broiler setting or they can be roasted on an outdoor grill. As the poblano begins to blister and char, turn often to char over all sides. When fully charred, place it into sealed plastic bag and let it sit for 20 minutes to steam. This will allow the skin to soften and make it easier to peel. Once you have peeled the poblano, remove the stem and seeds and chop.
The ingredients for the Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette includes roasted chopped Poblano pepper, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chives, salt, honey, coarse ground mustard, and olive oil. ** For those who do not like the taste of cilantro, fresh parsley can be substituted.
Place all the ingredients into an immersion cup except the olive oil. Add the olive oil as you blend the ingredients with an immersion blender until you have the vinaigrette consistency that you like. Cover and place the vinaigrette in the refrigerator.
I like to make my own crispy tortilla strips, they always brighten up a salad or soup and taste so fresh. Start by using kitchen scissors to make thin strips of corn tortillas. Heat a small skillet and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place a few strips in the hot oil so that they will fry quickly. Toss them a couple of times and let them fry until they are crispy and begin to curl. Use a slotted spatula to remove them from the oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. While they are hot, add a sprinkle of red chile salt to season them. Continue frying by adding a drizzle of olive oil before adding each new batch of tortilla strips. When done, set the crispy tortilla strips aside until time to plate your salad.
About 30 minutes before you plate your salad, prepare the chicken breast by cutting into medium sized cubes. Add some seasoning and a drizzle of oil. Mix well, place some plastic wrap over top and refrigerate.
While the chicken is absorbing the seasoning, prep your salad and toppings. Build your salad with the lettuce on the bottom and top with your cut veggies, bacon bits, cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Leave a space for your grilled chicken.
I cooked the chicken bites on my Blackstone griddle. It only took a few minutes to cook them over medium high heat. You can use a grill pan over a gas grill or cook in a skillet on your stovetop. Use whatever method works for you to cook the chicken.
My salad is complete with so many flavorful toppings over a bed of romaine lettuce. Starting from the bottom is jicama sticks mixed with radish sticks. To the left is a layer of chopped cooked bacon bits with cherry tomatoes. Under the tortilla strips is avocado slices. The grilled chicken is on the upper right side with chopped roasted poblano below. All is sprinkled with crumbled cotija cheese. If you would like, add a boiled egg like a true classic cobb salad.
The roasted poblano vinaigrette is fresh and pairs well with the veggies that are commonly used together here in New Mexico.
Santa Fe Cobb Salad with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette (Inspired by San Francisco Street Bar and Grill’s Santa Fe Cobb Salad)
Ingredients listed are per person
(1) 8″ Salad Bowl
Romaine Lettuce torn or roughly chopped
1-2 tablespoons Radish Sticks
1-2 tablespoons Jicama Sticks
1-2 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
4-6 Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 small Avocado, sliced
1/2 Chicken Breast, cut into medium sized cubes and grilled
NM Seasoning, recipe follows
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Roasted Chopped Poblano
2 Corn Tortillas, cut into strips and fried until crispy
1-2 tablespoons Crumbled Cotija Cheese
Boiled Egg, optional
Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette, recipe follows
To make Crispy Tortilla Strips: Take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the corn tortillas into 1/4 inch slices. Take a small pan and drizzle with olive oil, not much just enough to coat each strip. Do this in batches and cook only a few strips at a time. They will start to sizzle and eventually curl. Toss with tongs until they are crisp. Remove to a bowl or plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle red chile salt or whatever seasoning you like over the crispy tortilla strips while they are warm. For this recipe I used 2 corn tortillas per person.
To make Grilled Chicken: Cut 1 chicken breast into medium sized cubes. Season with your favorite seasoning and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place plastic wrap over the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat your grill, griddle or skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil onto your surface and grill chicken, tossing every few minutes so that all sides of the chicken are cooked throughout. Add 1/2 of the cooked chicken onto each salad.
NM Seasoning
1 teaspoon Ancho Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Guajillo Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Green Chile Salt, (1/2 teaspoon Green Chile Powder plus 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt)
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Corriander, ground
1/4 teaspoon Chile de Arbol, roughly ground
Combine together and store in a glass jar with a lid.
Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cup Roasted Poblano, chopped
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/4 bunch Cilantro or Parsley
1 – 2 tablespoons Honey
2 teaspoons Coarse Ground Mustard
1 clove Garlic
1 tablespoon Chives
Use a hand blender to combine all the ingredients. Process until well blended. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. Will keep up to a week refrigerated.
An Inspired Cook 