Tex Mex Salad
with pinto beans / cilantro-lime ranch
This hearty salad is full of delicious Tex-Mex flavors. Sauteeing the beans and corn adds extra layers of flavor and texture, and fresh cilantro-lime ranch brings everything together.
Ingredients
- Onions, medium and red - 1/2 , thinly sliced
- Bell peppers, any color - 1 , chopped
- Corn kernels, fresh or frozen - 1 cup
- Lettuce, romaine - 8 oz , chopped
- Tomatoes, medium - 1 , chopped
- Avocados - 1 , cubed
- Beans, pinto (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Chili powder - 1 tsp
- Cumin, ground - 1/2 tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1/4 tsp
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
- Cheese, feta (opt) - 2 oz , crumbled
- Tortilla chips - 4 oz , for serving
- Cilantro, fresh - 2 Tbsp , chopped
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1/2 cup
- Mayonnaise - 1 Tbsp
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
- Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
- Onion powder - 1/4 tsp
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Prep
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Onions / Bell peppers - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make dressing - Chop cilantro. Blend together cilantro, yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice (portion for dressing), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sugar with an immersion blender or standing blender until smooth. Add a bit of water if needed until the sauce is easy to pour. (You can also just finely chop the cilantro and whisk everything together.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Corn - Defrost if frozen. If using fresh corn, slice kernels off the cobs. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Make
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Heat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add beans to heated oil along with chili powder, cumin, paprika, and some salt and pepper. Saute until beans are heated through and spices are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice (portion for salad). Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
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Return pan to heat and add corn (add another splash of oil if the pan seems too dry). Saute until corn is heated through and beginning to brown in places, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Assemble salads by forming a bed of lettuce on serving plates. Arrange onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and avocados on top of lettuce.
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If dressing was made ahead of time, give it a stir.
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Top salads with beans, corn, and feta crumbles (if using).
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Serve salads with cilantro-lime ranch for drizzling over top and tortilla chips on the side. Enjoy!
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