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A healthy Mexican salad bowl with lettuce, beans, tomatoes, avocado and tortilla strips

Mexican Salad

5 from 5 votes
The BEST Mexican salad! This easy Mexican salad with creamy lime dressing and sweet potatoes is healthy, vegetarian, and versatile.
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings (as a side) or 4 (as a main)
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Ingredients
  

For the Salad:

  • 1/4 cup raw pepitas
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks (about 2 pounds or 5 cups raw or 3 1/3 cups roasted)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped (about 6 cups)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 can reduced-sodium black beans (15 ounces) drained and rinsed
  • 1 small jalapeño* thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 small bunch radishes thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro packed
  • Crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese, or queso fresco (optional, for serving)
  • Tortilla strips or crushed chips (optional, for serving)
  • Sliced avocado (optional, for serving)

For the Dressing:**

  • 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest and juice of 1 medium lime (about 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice)
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pepitas in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast until the pepitas turn darker (they'll be a deep goldish brown) and are fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the pepitas to a small plate or bowl. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
  • On a rimmed baking sheet (I use the same one I toasted the pepitas on to save a dish; just brush it off first), toss sweet potatoes with the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt until evenly coated. Spread into an even layer and roast until browned and tender, 20 to 22 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Let cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients: Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime zest and juice, garlic, salt, and cumin. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. The dressing should taste very bright and limey—its flavor will mellow once tossed with the other ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, place the chopped romaine hearts. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to moisten.
  • Add the sweet potatoes, beans, jalapeno, radish, and cilantro, then drizzle on another 1/4 cup of dressing. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with tortilla strips. Enjoy, with extra dressing as desired.

Notes

  • *JALAPENO NOTE: For a more mild salad, you can remove the seeds and membrane from the pepper if desired. You may also omit the jalapeno entirely if you're particularly sensitive to spicy foods.
  • **DRESSING NOTE: This recipe yields about 3/4 cup of dressing. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight storage container.
  • MAKE IT VEGAN/DAIRY FREE: Swap a non-dairy yogurt for the Greek yogurt or use the dressing from this Grilled Corn Salad instead; omit the cheese.
  • TO STORE: Mexican salad may be kept in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. If possible, store your dressing in a separate container, and keep your tortilla chips outside of the refrigerator to keep crisp.
  • TO MAKE AHEAD: You can prep all the ingredients for the salad (except the tortilla chips) and keep them separate or mix them together. Prepare the dressing, but store it separately from the Mexican salad ingredients. I recommend waiting to add the creamy cilantro lime dressing until a few hours before you serve it and waiting to add the tortilla chips until immediately before serving, so they stay crunchy.
  • See the full blog post above for more tips on making this Mexican salad for meal prep!

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6); about 2.75 cups without optional toppingsCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 10gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 1mgPotassium: 760mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 11718IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 3mg

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