This Mexican Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing is light, healthy, and bursting with Mexican-inspired flavors!
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Note: This post was originally published in 2014. I am republishing today with some updated photos. I have made this Mexican Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing countless times–it’s one of my very favorites. Here’s what I first wrote about it three years ago:
This salad! I am so madly in love with this salad. I sound like a young girl falling in love for the first time, but really, it kind of feels like way.
Only this is a salad, and therefore that’s weird. But I can’t help but be excited about this glorious, healthy, Mexican-inspired salad. Remember when I was pregnant with Luke and craving Mexican food like it was nobody’s business? Well since that pregnancy, the amount of Mexican food consumed in this house has decreased drastically. It’s a tragedy.
Here’s the thing. Tim developed some strange aversion to spicy food, so he requested I don’t put anything spicy on the menu very often. He likes spicy food, but his body doesn’t. Then there’s the kids. Well, let’s just say if Luke eats a piece of food with the tiniest bit of pepper on it, he screams, as loud as he can, “Hooooooooooot!” and spits out the offending food while rubbing his tongue with his hand.
Despite this, I couldn’t let Cinco de Mayo sneak by without having some Mexican-inspired food come out of my kitchen. The great thing about this salad is that I can serve the kids everything from the salad and instead of the spicy avocado dressing, they can have some avocado chunks. Tim can simply leave off the dressing and have a different dressing of his choice. Win.
They are all missing out, though, because it’s the dressing that makes this salad so amazing. Avocado lends a creamy texture without any dairy at all. It’s bursting with flavor from cilantro and lime and a touch of hot sauce gives it some heat.
Never made your own dressing? You will be shocked at how easy it is. Just blend everything together and you’re all set.
As much as I love Mexican food, sometimes I don’t love the heaviness of it. This salad is the perfect solution. It’s dairy-free, wheat-free, and bursting with tons of colorful produce. I hope you’ll put it on your Cinco de Mayo or next party menu!
It would go so well with this Sopa de Conchas recipe! Your menu is complete!
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Mexican Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Mexican Chopped Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing is light, healthy, and bursting with Mexican-inspired flavors!
Ingredients
For the Salad
2 hearts of romaine, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 green onion, green part sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 cup cooked black beans
For the Spicy Avocado Dressing
1 small, ripe avocado
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
heaping 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice from 2 limes
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3–5 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or more or less to taste
Instructions
- Put all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and use two large forks to toss well.
- To prepare the dressing, put the flesh of the avocado, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt, 3 tablespoons water, garlic, and the Tabasco sauce into a blender or mini-food processor. I like my small, Magic Bullet blender for this.
- Process until the dressing is very smooth. Add more water if needed for desired consistency (it will depend on the size of your avocado and how thick you like your dressing).
- You can dress the salad and then serve, or allow each person to put the amount of dressing they desire on their individual salads. Enjoy!
Notes
Extra dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Fat: 12 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
- Fiber: 12 grams
- Protein: 9 grams
If you make this or any other Happy Healthy Mama recipe, you’ve got to show me! Snap a quick pic and post it to Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama.com I can’t wait to see your healthy creations!
If you love flavorful salads as much as I do, I encourage you to try this Warm Quinoa Salad as well. So good!
If you love Mexican flavors and are looking for a hearty meal, try my Mexican Beef Rice Skillet.
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This is exactly what I was looking for. Has anyone tried making the dressing the day before using it?
Thank you again for the recipe.
Can I replace the cilantro with parsley? Cilantro seems to always linger on my tongue for hours!
Sure!
Thanks for the tips
I made this tonight with a couple minor tweaks and we loved it! My husband isn’t big on salads but gave me the thumbs up to make it again. I added diced chicken breast to make it a meal. Yum!
OH.MY.GOSH! I made this last night and I am so in LUV with the dressing. I am afraid I will be making it everyday! Thanks for the recipe!!
You’re welcome! I have been making this non-stop, so I completely understand. 🙂
Oh my goodness, this looks so fresh and tantalizing!! I can’t say I’ve ever had avocado dressing, but it sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
This was my first time, and I don’t know what I waited so long for! Avocado makes the best, creamiest dressing!
SO much goodness in one salad! As soon as my avocado ripens up, I’ll be whipping this up 🙂
Hi Maryea, I just made a salad similar to this yesterday and we loved it. Ours was not very spicy either, oh well! Love your avocado dressing!
My body doesn’t like spice either, unfortunately. How do you think the dressing would work if I simply leave out the hot sauce? Thanks!
Yes, I tried it without the spice and it was really good. I loved it with the heat, but it was still good as a milder dressing.
thanks!
Mmm, I love Mexican food. I am printing this one out right now!!
Great!
Mexican food is a favorite in our house and this is my kinda salad. I will definitely be trying this recipe soon. Of course the little one will take her’s deconstructed. I can’t convince her either that she doesn’t know what she is missing. I can’t wait to try the dressing since avocado mixed with salsa is my typical salad dressing.
Oooh avocado with salsa–that sounds like a great dressing, too! I’ll have to try that next.
YUM. I love black beans and corn on salad. I will def be adding a good amount of red onion and garlic though- the stinkier the better!
I was so close to adding red onion, but I was afraid it’d be too strong with the green onion. I’m such a wimp when it comes to raw onions!
This sounds so delicious, Maryea! Can’t wait to try!
Let me know how you like it! 🙂
you had me at spicy!!
You’re my kind of girl!!
Ditto on the Mexican food. Could eat every day. Looks scrumptious. Beautiful pictures.
Thanks, Laura!