Mexican Chopped Salad
This chopped
Mexican salad with honey-lime vinaigrette is the perfect, light side dish for a
meal of heavy Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients
salad:
- 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced 1/4 inch **
- ½ medium red onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces **
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch cubes **
- ½ medium jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces **
- 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 ears of corn if fresh corn is out of season, replace 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, tiny frozen
- 1 medium-sized romaine lettuce, chopped into about 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces **, any color (I used orange)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired
Pad:
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- taste and add salt if necessary
- 1 finely chopped garlic clove
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- freshly ground black pepper
tortilla
strips:
- 1 ½ tablespoon canola oil
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
For the
dressing
First, mix
the lime juice, honey, cumin garlic and salt.
Then, in a
slow and steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or a
small whisk.
Taste and
add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Put aside.
For the corn
tortilla strips
First, preheat
the oven to 400˚F.
Then, stack
the corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut in half. Cut each stack of halves
into thin strips, crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick.
Transfer the
tortilla strips to a leaf pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and mix to
coat.
Bake 15 to
20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Set
aside to cool.
For the
salad
First, place
the corn, two ears at a time, in the microwave and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.
Then, remove
from microwave with hot pad and let cool for 5 minutes.
After
cooling, cut the bottom end of the corn, about 1 1/2 inches from the end.
Remove the pod and the bristles (almost all of the silk should come off easily).
Cut the grains of the cockles and set aside.
Combine corn
and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Add dressing and
toss to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
Serve with
tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let the guests help
themselves. Happy Cooking Time.
