Description
This vibrant Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch combines fresh vegetables, black beans, and a creamy, smoky chipotle ranch dressing for a quick, flavorful meal perfect for lunch or a light dinner. With a colorful mix of romaine, cherry tomatoes, corn, red onion, and bell pepper, it’s topped with crunchy tortilla strips and creamy avocado slices for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Salad
- 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
- 3 hearts of romaine, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
- Avocado slices, as desired
- Tortilla strips, as desired
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- 8 oz sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare the lettuce: Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large salad bowl as the base of your salad.
- Add vegetables: Chop the corn kernels off the cob, slice the red onion thinly, halve the cherry tomatoes, and chop the bell pepper into large chunks. Add all these freshly prepared vegetables on top of the romaine in the bowl.
- Add black beans: Drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly. Then, add them to the salad mixture, evenly distributing them for a balanced texture and flavor.
- Make the chipotle ranch dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, salt, and lime juice. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy with a slight smoky heat.
- Dress the salad: Pour the chipotle ranch dressing over the salad to your taste preference. Toss gently if desired to evenly coat all ingredients with the flavorful dressing.
- Finish and serve: Top the salad with crunchy tortilla strips and sliced avocado. Serve immediately to enjoy the fresh textures and zesty dressing.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of chipotle peppers in the dressing depending on your desired spice level.
- For a lighter version, substitute sour cream and mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- Add grilled chicken or shrimp for added protein and make it a heartier meal.
- Serve immediately to keep tortilla strips crunchy and avocado fresh.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Southwestern
