Mexican Salad

5 from 2 votes

This Mexican Salad is fresh, filling, and made with authentic Mexican flavors! Romaine lettuce, beans, avocado, tomatoes, and roasted sweet potatoes make it colorful, nutritious, and absolutely delicious.

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 45 mins

Servings: servings (as a side) or 4 (as a main)

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Ingredients

For the Salad:

1/4 cup raw pepitas
2 medium/large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds) peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks (5 cups) or 3 1/3 cooked
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large head romaine lettuce chopped (6 cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 can (15 ounces) reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small jalapeno cut into thin rounds, seeds/membranes removed if desired (removing will yield a more mild salad; heads up—it's pretty spicy if you include it), 1/4 cup
1 small bunch radishes thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
Crumbled feta cheese goat cheese, or queso fresco (optional, for serving)
Tortilla strips or crushed chips for serving

FOR THE DRESSING (3/4 cup dressing):

2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 medium lime 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice
1 clove minced garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Preheat 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 bow. 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 though. 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—it's flavor will mellow once it's tossed with the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, place the chopped romaine hearts. Drizzle with about ¼ cup of the dressing and toss to moisten. Add the sweet potatoes, beans, jalapeno, radish, and cilantro and drizzle on another ¼ cup dressing. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with tortilla strips. Enjoy, with extra dressing as desired.

Notes

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 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 for now. I recommend waiting to add the creamy 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.
TO STORE: Place Mexican Salad 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 so they stay crunchy.
See blog post above for more tips on making this Mexican Salad for meal prep!

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6); about 2.75 cupsCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgPotassium: 388mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 7121IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg

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