Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch Recipe
A refreshing and flavorful Southwest Salad featuring black beans, fresh vegetables, and a creamy, smoky chipotle ranch dressing. Perfect for a quick, vibrant meal packed with textures and bold flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Southwestern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 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 (to taste)
- Tortilla strips (to taste)
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- 8 oz sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare the Romaine: Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large salad bowl as the base.
- Combine the Vegetables: Chop the corn kernels from the cobs, thinly slice the red onion, halve the cherry tomatoes, and chop the bell pepper into large chunks. Add all these fresh vegetables to the chopped romaine in the bowl.
- Add Black Beans: Drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly, then add them into the salad mixture for protein and texture.
- Make Chipotle Ranch Dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, salt, and lime juice. Blend until smooth, creating a creamy and smoky dressing.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the chipotle ranch dressing over the salad to your preferred taste, tossing gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Top the salad with tortilla strips and avocado slices, or any additional toppings you prefer, and serve immediately for the best freshness.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh to maintain the crispness of the vegetables and tortilla strips.
- You can adjust the number of chipotle peppers to control the spiciness of the dressing.
- For a lighter version, substitute sour cream and mayo with Greek yogurt.
- The salad can be prepared ahead but add tortilla strips and avocado just before serving to keep them from getting soggy.
Keywords: Southwest salad, chipotle ranch dressing, black bean salad, vegetarian salad, quick salad, southwestern cuisine