Description
A vibrant and refreshing Mexican Chopped Salad featuring fresh vegetables, black beans, sweet corn, and crispy tortilla strips tossed in a tangy lime-honey dressing. Perfect as a light meal or a colorful side dish, this salad combines crisp textures and zesty flavors that celebrate classic Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 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
- Additional salt, to taste
Tortilla Strips
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Salad
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced into ¼-inch pieces (any color, orange recommended)
- 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 corn (or 1½ cups sweet frozen corn, if fresh corn not in season)
- 1 ½ cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro (plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a bowl, combine fresh lime juice, honey, cumin, finely minced garlic, and salt. Whisk together until blended.
- Incorporate oils: Slowly pour in canola oil and extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream, whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the dressing and add more salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Set the dressing aside for flavors to meld.
- Preheat oven and cut tortillas: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Stack the corn tortillas, cut them in half, then slice into thin ¼-inch strips.
- Toss and bake tortilla strips: Spread the strips on a sheet pan, drizzle with canola oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the strips are light golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool.
- Prepare corn kernels: Place two ears of corn at a time in the microwave and cook for 3½ minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bottom 1½ inches of the ear, pull back husks and silks, then cut kernels off the cob carefully.
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the corn kernels with chopped romaine lettuce, bell pepper, red onion, jicama, zucchini, tomatoes, black beans, and chopped cilantro.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and stir gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Garnish with whole cilantro leaves if desired. Add the crispy tortilla strips on top of the salad or serve them on the side for guests to add as they like.
Notes
- Use fresh corn when in season for the best flavor; otherwise, frozen sweet corn is a great alternative.
- Adjust the level of cumin and garlic in the dressing based on your taste preference.
- For a spicier kick, consider adding chopped jalapeño or a dash of chili powder to the salad or dressing.
- Make tortilla strips ahead of time and store in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours with dressing stored separately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking, Mixing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Mexican salad, chopped salad, tortilla strips, black beans, corn salad, lime dressing, vegetarian salad, fresh salad
