Southwest Chopped Salad
This Southwest Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing is intensely bright and colorful, both in looks and in flavor! The flavors are fresh, zesty, and delicious. Most of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and assembled right before serving.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained well
- 1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 cups frozen or canned corn, drained
- 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
- tortilla strips, crispy, for topping (optional)
For the Dressing
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- ⅔ cup plain whole Greek yogurt
- 2 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 large clove garlic
- 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 3 TB pure honey
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp table salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, blend all dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add more seasonings to taste. Transfer to airtight container and keep chilled.
- In a large salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Gently toss to combine. Toss in the desired amount of salad dressing to coat. Top with crispy tortilla strips if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad is best when eaten soon after the dressing is added. If you know you will have leftovers, store the dressing and salad separately, and only dress the portion you will be eating.
- The dressing can be made days ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
- All of the salad ingredients (excluding the lettuce) can be prepped and stored ahead of time. When you’re ready to serve, simply chop the romaine and toss everything together.
- Apple cider vinegar can be used in place of white balsamic vinegar.
- You can add a few dashes of ground chili or cayenne to the dressing if you'd like a bit of a kick.
- Adding crispy tortilla strips just before serving keeps them crunchy and provides a tasty contrast to the other salad ingredients.
- This recipe is part of our Vegetable Recipes Collection.
- Serve this Southwest Chopped Salad as a side dish with your favorite protein, such as our Grilled Chicken Legs and Air Fryer Salmon.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 8223IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg