Description
A delicious and colorful layered salad with fresh vegetables, black beans, and a creamy dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup crema Mexicana (or sour cream)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (we like Cholula)
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning (optional)
- 1 cup corn (about 2 cobs if roasting)
- 1 head romaine lettuce (washed and chopped, about 4 cups)
- 2 cups grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1 orange bell pepper (diced, seeds and stems removed)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (diced, seeds and stems removed)
- 1 large avocado (diced)
- 15 ounces black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or Mexican cheese blend)
- 3 ounces Santa Fe-style tortilla strips
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together in a small bowl the crema, lime juice, hot sauce, and optional taco seasoning. Set aside.
- Roast 2 ears of corn for added flavor to the salad. Trim kernels from the cobs and set them aside.
- Prepare the vegetables by washing and chopping the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Dice avocado and squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top to preserve freshness.
- Build the layered salad in a large trifle bowl or clear glass salad bowl with straight edges.
- Layer half of the chopped lettuce on the bottom of the bowl. Add black beans, then cheese, then tomatoes.
- Add the other half of the chopped lettuce. Combine the diced bell peppers and corn and layer on top of the lettuce. Reserve a bit of tomato, peppers, and corn to garnish the very top.
- Drizzle the prepared sauce over the salad.
- Mound the avocado chunks around the top perimeter of the salad. Fill the center with a heaping pile of tortilla strips. Sprinkle a little bit of the reserved tomatoes and corn over the avocado for color variety.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad can be made ahead of time, but add the avocado and tortilla strips just before serving to maintain freshness and crunch.
- Feel free to customize the salad with your favorite ingredients or proteins.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Layering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 15mg