What makes The Best Southwest Salad the best? It checks all the boxes. Delicious, check! Healthy, check! Satisfying, check! Allergen-friendly, check! Easy to prepare, check! This tasty salad is vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.

This recipe presumes two servings, however, I've eaten the entire salad as a filling and satisfying dinner. Don't be shy with the leafy greens—load up!
The southwest salad dressing used in this recipe is the 5-Minute Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing. However another option—provided you don't have a nut-allergy—is the Green Goddess Dressing.
Make it TexMex night by pairing this beautiful salad with Jalapeño Poppers.
The Best Southwest Salad 8 key ingredients:
- Mixed baby salad greens
- Black beans, cooked or canned (drained and rinsed)
- Sweet bell pepper
- Tomato
- Corn
- Purple cabbage
- Corn tortilla
- 5 Minute Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
We'll also send you other yummy recipes. No worries! You can unsubscribe at any time. 💙
Other wonderful toppings and additions to this salad
- thinly sliced onion
- jicama, peeled and chopped
- raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- hemp hearts (seeds)
How to make this salad
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice corn tortilla into ½-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Prepare 5 Minute Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing by placing all ingredients into a mini food processor or mini-blender and blending until smooth and creamy. Salt to taste. Add to a large mixing bowl.
Put salad greens into the large mixing bowl. Carefully toss greens with southwest salad dressing.
Serve dressed salad greens in large bowl(s), and top with beans, chopped sweet bell pepper, corn, tomatoes, purple cabbage and corn tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a day. If you're meal prepping this, keep salad dressing separate for storage for up to 3 days. Or consider checking out this Southwest Salad in a Jar—developed specifically for meal prep.
We hope you love this southwest salad recipe. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
The Best Southwestern Salad
Ingredients
- 1 sprouted corn tortilla thawed
- 1 cup 5-Minute Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 5 oz mixed baby salad greens about 4 to 5 cups
- ½ cup cooked black beans if using canned, drain and rinse
- ½ cup chopped sweet bell pepper orange, red, yellow, or green
- ½ cup corn fresh or frozen then thawed
- 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup shredded purple or green cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice corn tortilla into ½-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Prepare 5 Minute Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing by placing all ingredients into a mini food processor or mini-blender and blending until smooth and creamy. Salt to taste. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Put salad greens into the large mixing bowl. Carefully toss greens with southwest salad dressing.
- Serve dressed salad greens in large bowl(s) and top with beans, chopped sweet bell pepper, corn, tomatoes, purple cabbage, and corn tortilla strips. Enjoy!
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a day. If you're meal prepping this, keep salad dressing separate for storage for up to 3 days. Or consider checking out this Southwest Salad in a Jar—developed specifically for meal prep.
Notes
EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES
- Oven (or air fryer) for corn tortilla strips
- Mini-blender or mini-chopper (food processor) for salad dressing
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Tongs
Gigi & Sersie
Simple and tasty. I love the added crunch of the tortilla strips.