Mexican Chicken Salad

⅓ cup sour cream

⅓ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons tomato salsa (store-bought or homemade)

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon minced canned green chiles, optional

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups diced roasted chicken

⅔ cup canned black beans, drained

⅓ cup diced red bell pepper

⅓ cup frozen or canned corn kernels

1 scallion, thinly sliced

½ avocado, pitted, peeled, and cubed

In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, salsa, cilantro, chiles (if using), salt, pepper, and cumin. Add the chicken, black beans, bell pepper, corn, and scallion and gently fold them into the sour cream mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the avocado and gently fold it into the mixture. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes about 4 cups.

Cook's note: This chicken salad is great in a wrap, on crackers, with corn chips for dipping, or on a bed of butter lettuce with a crusty roll.

"Gale Gand's Lunch" by Gale Gand (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)