Try this Mexican Chopped Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- ingredients for the salad:
- ingredients for the dressing:
- taste and add salt if needed
- ingredients for the tortilla strips:
- 6 6- inch corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce chopped in approximately 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium bell pepper diced in 1/4-inch pieces, i used small orange-hued peppers (the mini ones). feel free to use whichever color you want.
- 1/2 medium red onion diced in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 medium jicama peeled and diced in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini diced in 1/4-inch dice
- 4 medium tomatoes seeded and diced into 1/4-inch dice
- 4 ears corn (if fresh corn is not in season substitute 11/2 cups of sweet, tiny frozen corn)
- 11/2 cups canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired
- Carbohydrate 53.4974774326147 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 11.4897373611179 g
- Fiber 18.2782322565068 g
- Protein 18.4794389583783 g
- Saturated Fat 1.19843665277855 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 as a side (248g)
- Sodium 148.636694444698 mg
- Sugar 35.219245176108 g
- Trans Fat 0.425161069447435 g
- Calories 381 calories
Step-by-step
- For the dressing, combine lime juice, honey, cumin garlic and salt. Stir to combine. In a slow, steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
- For the corn tortilla strips, preheat oven to 400°F. Stack corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut in half. Cut each stack of halves into thin strips, crosswise, about ¼ inch thick.
- Transfer tortilla strips to a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
- For the salad, place corn, two ears at a time, in the microwave and cook for 3½ minutes. Remove from microwave with a hot pad and allow to cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, cut bottom end of corn off, about 1½ inches from end. Pull back husk and silks (almost all of the silk should easily pull away). Cut kernels from husks and set aside.
- Combine corn and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
- Serve with tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let guests help themselves.
Emulsification and Knife Work
Uniform particle sizing is critical for textural distribution. Dice bell peppers, red onions, jicama, zucchini, and tomatoes into consistent 1/4-inch cubes so every spoonful captures multiple components. When building the dressing, whisk the lime juice, honey, cumin, minced garlic, and salt thoroughly before introducing the fats. Pouring the extra virgin olive oil and canola oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking continuously ensures the acidic lime juice suspends the oil molecules properly. If oil is dumped in all at once, the mixture breaks instantly.
Baking Tortilla Strips
Homemade tortilla strips require high heat and frequent agitation to turn crisp rather than chewy. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice six six-inch corn tortillas into quarter-inch strips, toss them with 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil and salt on a sheet pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the strips every 5 minutes to promote even browning. Remove them from the oven the moment they turn light golden brown, as residual pan heat will continue cooking them. Cool completely before topping the salad.
