Mexican Chopped Salad (Printable)
Fresh vegetables, beans, and zesty lime dressing come together in this vibrant Mexican-inspired chopped salad ready in 20 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
03 - 1 cup English cucumber, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
07 - 1 avocado, diced
→ Beans
08 - 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
→ Cheese & Garnish
09 - 1/3 cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
10 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Dressing
11 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
17 - 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
18 - Salt and pepper to taste
# Directions:
01 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, corn, avocado, and rinsed black beans until evenly distributed.
02 - Whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey or agave, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified and smooth.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently but thoroughly to ensure all vegetables and beans are lightly coated with the vinaigrette.
04 - Top the salad with crumbled cotija or feta cheese and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve immediately while vegetables remain crisp.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything gets chopped into bite sized pieces so every forkful is perfectly balanced
- The dressing comes together in seconds but tastes like you marinated it for days
- It actually gets better after sitting for twenty minutes making it perfect for potlucks
02 -
- Wait to add the avocado until right before serving or it will brown
- The salad needs at least fifteen minutes for the flavors to meld
- Cotija cheese is salty so taste before adding extra salt
03 -
- Massaging the lettuce with a little dressing first prevents wilting
- Room temperature vegetables absorb dressing better than cold ones