Description
A vibrant, crunchy, and creamy Southwest Chopped Salad with chili lime dressing that takes only 15 minutes to make. This easy side dish combines romaine, black beans, corn, avocado, and tortilla chips for a satisfying meal or side.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 can (15 oz / 425g) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (150g) corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 medium avocados, diced
- 1 cup (30g) plain corn tortilla chips, crushed into chunks
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces, dice the red onion and avocado, and set aside.
- Rinse the black beans under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear and shake off excess water.
- In a small jar with a lid, combine lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, honey, salt, and pepper. Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously for 15 seconds until emulsified.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the romaine, black beans, corn, red onion, and avocado.
- Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Taste and add more dressing if needed.
- Right before serving, crush the tortilla chips into large chunks and toss them into the salad.
- Serve immediately while the chips are crisp.
Notes
Do not add tortilla chips until right before serving to prevent sogginess. Rinsing the black beans is crucial to remove starchy liquid. Avocados brown quickly, so dice them last and toss with a little lime juice. This salad is best eaten fresh and does not store well due to wilting lettuce and soggy chips.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Southwest
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 10
Keywords: southwest salad, chopped salad, healthy side dish, quick salad, chili lime dressing, vegetarian salad, meal prep