Southwest Salad
on Jan 09, 2023, Updated Apr 12, 2024
This Southwest Salad recipe is easy to make and tastes amazing! Chopped romaine and fresh crunchy veggies are topped with a delicious homemade chipotle ranch dressing.
You will love this Southwest Salad
My absolute favorite kind of salad is a southwest salad! Loaded with fresh veggies and crunchy tortilla strips, it’s not only flavorful but has great texture in every bite.
This fresh salad is bursting with flavor and features a delicious homemade creamy chipotle ranch dressing.
This southwest salad is absolutely delicious and drizzled with a homemade southwest ranch dressing that is absolutely delicious.
Chipotle ranch dressing is made with sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, and salt. It’s quick and easy to make and all you need is either a blender or a food processor!
Chipotle Southwest Salad ingredients
- romaine lettuce
- cherry tomatoes
- black beans
- bell pepper
- red onion
- corn
- tortilla strips
- chipotle ranch dressing
How to make a southwest salad
Step 1: Prepare your vegetables. Chop up the romaine lettuce. Cut up the bell pepper, onion, corn, and cherry tomatoes.
Step 2: Drain and rinse the black beans. If you plan to make this recipe as a meal prep option, simply store all of your vegetables besides the tomatoes in their own bags or containers in the fridge.
The tomatoes I would not recommend cutting up in advance, but everything else will store well in the fridge for several days.
Step 3: Assemble the southwest salad. Add the red onion, corn, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, black beans, and tortilla strips over a bed of romaine lettuce. Add the avocado slices if desired.
Step 4: Top the salad with homemade chipotle ranch dressing to taste. This dressing is so flavorful, just the right amount of heat, and made in 5 minutes or less in a food processor!
Southwest salad is crunchy, creamy, spicy, and so fresh. This meal is so flavorful and satisfying.
Make it your own by adding more veggies, using what you have on hand, or topping with more protein of choice. If you are looking for a new salad recipe to try, this is it!
How to serve Southwest Chipotle Salad
If you are making this salad to share, use a large salad bowl to place your lettuce and toppings in. Drizzle the chipotle ranch dressing over the salad right before serving and toss to combine.
How to store
If you do not plan to eat the whole salad, you can place the individual ingredients into airtight bags or containers in the fridge and store leftovers to enjoy the next day.
The salad dressing will keep well in a mason jar with an airtight lid for up to a week and you can add it to taste as you enjoy your leftover salad. This is a great recipe to meal prep ahead and toss it together when you are ready to eat!
More Salad Recipes
Love chipotle ranch? Be sure to try this southwest pasta salad too!
This southwest salad with creamy chipotle ranch is an easy fresh meal that is sure to impress!
Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of 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
For Serving
- Avocado slices
- Tortilla strips
- Homemade Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- Chop up the romaine lettuce and place in a bowl
- Chop up the corn, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper and add them to the romaine lettuce
- Drain and rinse the black beans and add them to the salad
- Pour the chipotle ranch dressing to taste
- Serve the salad topped with tortilla strips, avocado slices, or toppings of choice
Please add the recipe for making the chipotle ranch dressing.
It’s linked in the recipe card!