Southwestern Salad

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Besides being loaded with flavor, this fresh and lively Southwestern Salad is also healthy! With everything you’d expect in a Southwest salad recipe: Black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, jicama, cool avocado and gentle heat from jalapenos. They all combine for a crisp and flavorful salad. A simple combination of zesty lime juice and smooth olive oil allows each ingredient to shine!

This spicy southwest salad recipe is:

• Easy! If you can chop an onion, you can make this Southwestern salad.
• No-cook! Unless you prefer to start with dried black beans.
• Versatile!
  • Serve as a side dish for all your Mexican and Southwestern-inspired meals.
  • Enjoy it for a light lunch (it’s totally portable).
  • As a topping for tacos, tostadas or grilled fish, chicken or skirt steak.
  • Add cooked quinoa for more plant-based protein in addition to the black beans.
• Healthy and low-calorie! This Southwestern Salad is vegan, but don’t let me stop you from sprinkling some cotija cheese over the top.

How to Make Southwestern Salad:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Southwestern Salad recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Black Beans: I used canned black beans, but if you prefer to cook the beans, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of dried black beans to end up with the same volume in three 15-ounce cans.
• Corn: Frozen corn is a great convenience product, especially for salads. However, you can use canned, and by all means, use fresh if you prefer.
• Bell Pepper: Use red, yellow or orange. Avoid green bell pepper in this Southwestern Salad recipe because it conflicts with the other ingredients.
• Jicama: Jicama is a globe-shaped root vegetable with papery, golden-brown skin and a starchy white interior. The flesh is refreshing and crisp with a mildly sweet and nutty taste. You can often find it in the pre-cut vegetable section of the produce department.
• Jalapeno: Remove the seeds and white fleshy membrane if you don’t care for a lot of heat. Serranos, although they have more heat, may also be used.
• Lime Juice: Fresh is always best, so definitely use fresh lime juice in this Southwestern Salad for the best flavor.
• Olive Oil: Use a good olive oil but no need to use a top-shelf brand.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all the ingredients.
• A fair amount of chopping is required for this Southwestern Salad but keep in mind the beans don’t need any other prep work, nor does the corn. As mentioned above, peeled jicama is often sold in the pre-cut vegetable area of your produce section.

• Once all the vegetables are prepped, toss them all together.

• Add the garlic, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt and black pepper to taste.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Done! An easy, delicious and a little spicy Southwest Salad!

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• If making this Southwestern Salad ahead of time for a large group, leave the avocado out and add it just before serving.
• Citrus squeezers are a game-changer for lemons and limes! Just remember to place the lemon or lime cut side down into the squeezer–not cut side up because it tends to squirt up at you.

Storage:

• Store this Southwestern Salad in your refrigerator for up to five days, but it will taste the best if enjoyed within three days. To refresh the salad, if held longer, stir from the bottom up and give it another squeeze of fresh lime.

Serve with:

• Tortilla chips!
• Grilled fish, chicken or skirt steak.
• Grilled Chicken Fajitas with Tajin Seasoning
• Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Barbacoa with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
• Lima Bean and Potato Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile Sauce
• Mexican Sweet Potato Wedges with Avocado Cilantro Sour Cream
• Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Cóctel de Camarónes)

More great healthy salad recipes you’ll love!

• Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Chickpeas
• Mediterranean Farro Salad
• Black-Eyed Pea Salad
• Middle Eastern Chopped Vegetable Salad

Get all my side salad recipes at: Side Dish Salads – From A Chef’s Kitchen