All of this cold weather has me dreaming of a Mexican vacation filled with sunshine and sandy beaches! This is a Mexican inspired salad that is perfect to make ahead of time so you have a quick and easy lunch during a busy work week.
For my salad I had the time to make fresh pico de gallo but in a pinch salsa will work well. The avocado cilantro dressing is similar to the dressing we used in this Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad recipe except this time it has a taco flavoured kick! People either love or hate cilantro so if you are a lover you can follow the recipe as is, if you are a hater simply omit the cilantro in the salad and dressing.
The dressing will make enough for salads all week and can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
Ingredients
2 heaping tbsp of pico de gallo or any type of salsa
¼ cup black beans
2 tbsp chopped red onion
¼ cup corn
⅛ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped jicama
⅛ cup chopped peppers
Romaine lettuce chopped
Chopped cilantro
Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing
½ avocado
¼ small onion
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup of cilantro
½ cup of water to thin
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Assemble the salad in layers in a glass jar adding romaine lettuce at the end to fill the jar.
2. For the dressing: add avocado, onion, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Add a small amount of water and blend again, repeat this until the dressing is at your preferred thinness.
4. Pack the dressing in a separate container. Mix with the salad just before eating.
Recipe by Rae-Ann Hagen and Marisa Salon, Registered Dietitians
