I used to be a bit skeptical of trying salad recipes that I found online or in cookbooks. Because it’s salad! How hard can it be to chop up some vegetables and whip up a dressing? But I found that when I made salads, I used the same ingredients, the same dressing, and they got boring. Have you ever gone to a restaurant or ordered a takeout salad and it’s absolutely delicious? We all have, and then maybe you think that you could whip it up at home. And you can! I have been to plenty of restaurants that offer southwestern salads and this one stands up with the best of them. My favorite part about this salad is the avocado chipotle dressing. It’s used as a dressing here, but would also be an amazing dip for veggies or crackers.
The dressing is what makes this salad. It whips up quickly in a food processor or high-speed blender and is sure to get you out of your salad rut. It also uses two chipotle peppers for just a little bit of heat and a huge boost of flavor. I was tired of buying a can of chipotle peppers for a recipe and using one or two, and then not knowing what to do with the rest of the peppers. Now I freeze them flat in a small freezer bag and can just break off one or two when I need them for a recipe. So easy and it saves money!
Another key to a great salad like this is cutting everything into small pieces. That way you can get a little bit of everything in each bite. Regardless of the salad I’m making, I always make sure the lettuce is cute into small pieces. It looks nicer, is easier to eat, and makes a better vehicle for a yummy dressing.
I kept this salad meatless since there is plenty of protein from the black beans and hard boiled eggs, but you can certainly add chicken as well if you would like. Or you can even get fancy and add some leftover carne asada or carnitas!
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 can of yellow corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. cumin
- In a large bowl, toss lettuce, tomatoes, egg, corn, black beans, bell pepper, cucumber, and cilantro.
- In a food processor or high speed blender, combine avocado, chipotle peppers, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and cumin. Blend until smooth.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve topped with crunchy tortilla chips, if desired.
- If not enjoying the salad immediately or all in one sitting, store the dressing and salad separately until ready to serve.
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