Description
A vibrant and nutritious Mexican chopped salad, perfect for any occasion, filled with fresh ingredients and topped with crunchy tortilla strips.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil (for the tortillas)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (for the tortillas)
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce (chopped into approximately ½-inch pieces)
- 1 medium bell pepper (diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- ½ medium red onion (diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- ½ medium jicama (peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- 1 medium zucchini (diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- 4 medium tomatoes (seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- 4 ears of corn (or substitute with 1½ cups of sweet, tiny frozen corn)
- 1 ½ cups canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro (plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the fresh lime juice, honey, cumin, minced garlic, and salt. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the canola and olive oils until well combined. Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then set aside.
- Make the Tortilla Strips: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the corn tortillas into strips and toss them with canola oil and sea salt on a sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Allow them to cool and become wonderfully crunchy.
- Prepare the Corn: If using fresh corn, microwave the ears for about 3.5 minutes until tender. Let them cool, then cut the kernels off the cobs. If you’re using frozen corn, simply heat it up according to package instructions.
- Combine the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn, chopped romaine, diced bell pepper, red onion, jicama, zucchini, tomatoes, and black beans. Toss gently to combine all those delicious colors and flavors.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients nicely. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro for that added pop of flavor.
- Serve: Top the salad with tortilla strips for some delightful crunch or serve them on the side. Dig in right away and savor every bite!
Notes
Make-Ahead Advice: You can prepare the salad ingredients in advance (except for the tortilla strips) and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just toss in the dressing and tortilla strips when you’re ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg