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Southwest Salad with Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
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Southwest Salad with Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Loaded with all of the fresh veggies including corn, avocado, radishes, and tomatoes, as well as black beans and crispy tortilla strips this Southwest Salad is a chopped salad that everyone will love. Topped with a tangy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing, it packs all of the colors, flavors, and textures.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Healthy, Mexican
Keyword: beans, corn, healthy, salad, salad dressing, tomatillos
Servings: 6 - 8 people

Ingredients

  • 6 cups romaine lettuce (chopped)
  • 1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 cup corn (thawed if using frozen)
  • 1 avocado (chopped)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
  • 4 radishes (thinly sliced)
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
  • tortilla strips (recipe below)

Crispy Tortilla Strips

  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

  • 1/4 cup cilantro (stems included, tightly packed)
  • 1 tomatillo (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 1 jalapeno (stem and seeds removed)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup whole milk greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp ranch dressing mix
  • 1/8 tsp paprika

Instructions

  • For the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and evenly combined. Chill at least an hour before serving - this is a must as a it allows the flavors to combine and the dressing to thicken a bit.
  • To make the crispy tortilla strips, stack the tortillas and slice into thin strips (about 2 by 1/4 inch). Spread the tortilla strips evenly on a baking sheet, and toss with olive oil to evenly coat. Sprinkle salt, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder evenly over tortillas. Bake in 375 preheated oven for 15 minutes (stirring every 5 minutes), or until lightly golden brown and crispy.
  • For the salad, to a large bowl, add the chopped romaine, black beans, tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, radishes, red onion, cheese, and avocados. When ready to serve, add the dressing (to taste, you probably won't need all of it) and tortilla strips, toss to combine. If making ahead, store the tortilla strips in a separate sealed container or zip lock bag and add to salad just before serving so they stay nice and crunchy.

Notes

The Tomatillo Ranch Dressing recipe makes a lot, and is probably more than you will need for the salad, but it will keep for up to a week in the fridge. See the description above for more ideas of how to use up the leftover dressing.

https://namastehomecooking.com/