Mexican Chopped Salad with Crispy Tortilla Strips Recipe
A vibrant and refreshing Mexican Chopped Salad featuring a zesty lime-honey cumin dressing, crunchy homemade corn tortilla strips, fresh vegetables, and black beans. Perfect for a flavorful, healthy side or light main dish, combining textures and colors with easy-to-find ingredients and simple microwave and oven preparation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Tortilla Strips
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Salad Ingredients
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce (chopped in approximately ½ inch pieces)
- 1 medium bell pepper (diced in ¼-inch pieces, any color; orange used)
- ½ medium red onion (diced in ¼-inch pieces)
- ½ medium jicama (peeled and diced in ¼-inch pieces)
- 1 medium zucchini (diced in ¼-inch pieces)
- 4 medium tomatoes (seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces)
- 4 ears corn (if fresh corn not in season, substitute 1½ cups sweet tiny frozen corn)
- 1½ cups canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro (plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine fresh lime juice, honey, ground cumin, finely minced garlic, and salt. Slowly whisk in canola oil and extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt and add freshly ground black pepper as needed. Set aside for flavors to meld.
- Make tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Stack 6-inch corn tortillas, cut each in half, then cut these halves into thin strips about ¼-inch wide. Place strips on a baking sheet, drizzle with canola oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat evenly.
- Bake tortilla strips: Bake the coated tortilla strips for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even crisping, until they are light golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool completely to retain crunchiness.
- Cook corn: Place ears of corn two at a time in the microwave and cook for 3½ minutes. Carefully remove with a hot pad and allow to cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, cut off about 1½ inches from the bottom end of the corn. Pull back husks and remove silks thoroughly, then cut kernels off the cob and set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the boiled corn kernels, chopped romaine lettuce, diced bell pepper, red onion, jicama, zucchini, seeded diced tomatoes, rinsed black beans, and finely chopped cilantro. Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Garnish with whole cilantro leaves if desired. Serve the salad topped with homemade tortilla strips or provide the strips on the side for guests to add themselves.
Notes
- To save time, you can use frozen corn as a substitute when fresh corn is not available.
- Adjust the amount of honey in the dressing to your preferred sweetness level.
- For a spicier kick, add diced jalapeños or a pinch of chili powder to the salad.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; add tortilla strips just before serving to maintain crunch.
- Make sure the tortilla strips cool completely before serving to keep their crisp texture.
Keywords: Mexican Chopped Salad, Lime Dressing, Tortilla Strips, Fresh Corn Salad, Healthy Salad, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
