Mexican chopped salad is full of fresh vegetables, and black beans in a simple and healthy lime dressing. Get a fork full of wonderful with each bite!
In Arizona, this week, the temperatures are high! Since I love salad, this week is a week of salads. When planning my meals this week, there was no way I was cooking using the oven. The oven outside is hot enough. So, today, I made a chopped Mexican salad. Even though I love all salads, my Vegan Mexican chopped salad recipe is so filling and the dressing is so simple, it makes a perfect cool summer night meal.
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Without a doubt, chopped salads taste different than other salads. Simply put, Mexican chopped salad has a unique texture. Not only do the ingredients all fit on one fork in each and every bit, but chopped salads are portable. For instance, I can eat a chopped salad, while working without having to cut or attempt to search my salad for a great combination of ingredients. Instead, each delicious bite is full of all the ingredients in my bowl.
Chopped Salad
For instance, the goal of making any chopped salad is to chop all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
For that reason, I use my vegetable chopper to make my vegetables the same size. For Mexican chopped salad, I used the larger chopping blade for all the vegetables except for the jalapenos.
I chopped the jalapenos smaller, so to make them less overwhelming.
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce: I love the crispiness of Romaine lettuce chopped in a salad.
- Red onion: Red onion is sweet and not as harsh as white or yellow onions.
- Red bell pepper: Red peppers are also sweet and offer a freshness to a chopped salad.
- Jicama: Jicama is a root vegetable with thick, brown skin. It's white inside and tastes like an apple but not as sweet. It's a bit like a potato but with a lot fewer carbs. It tastes slightly sweet, refreshing, and very crunchy,
- Zucchini: Zucchini has a very mild taste that is slightly sweet, grassy, or green. Because of zucchini's mild flavor, it's a wonderful addition to any salad and is firmer, and has fewer seeds than cucumbers.
- Corn: I prefer fresh corn in the summer months.
- Grape tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are firmer and have less seed than cherry tomatoes.
- Jalapenos: When cooking with jalapenos, always wear gloves and remove the seeds and veins before chopping.
- Avocado: Avocado adds a creaminess to the chopped salad
- Cilantro: Cilantro is fresh and gives freshness.
- Black Beans: Black beans are firm and sturdy. They are meaty and a wonderful addition to a salad.
Substitutions
- Add-in Vegan Lentil Meat
- Instead of avocado, add guacamole
- Instead of dressing, add your favorite salsa or pico de gallo recipe
- Vegan sour cream is one of my favorite ways to serve Mexican chopped salad.
- If you don't like cilantro (some people say it states like soap), add basil or parsley for freshness.
- Jicama is similar to the texture of radishes. If you can't find jicama, try watermelon radishes, which are beautiful in color.
- Substitute pinto beans for black beans.
Dressing Ingredients
Although there are always options, I chose to make a simple dressing that brings out the natural flavors in the salad.
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is preferred. For even more lime flavor, add lime zest.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a little sweetness to the dressing.
- Cumin: Cumin brings a warm earthy flavor to the dressing.
- Coriander: Coriander is a very fresh-tasting spice. Its mildly sweet, lemony flavor is often harnessed in conjunction with other spices in savory recipes
- Garlic: The garlic in this recipe adds a warm buttery flavor to the dressing.
Dressing Substitutions
- Bottled lime juice is a substitute for fresh time juice.
- Date syrup or agave nectar makes a great sweetener for dressing.
- sing fresh herbs enhance the flavor of the dressing. Add cilantro for an extra flavor.
But, for those of you who prefer options, I suggest using vegan Southwest dressing, or maybe my vegan ranch dressing.
Recipe FAQs
Common ingredients in a chopped salad include onions, bell peppers, olives, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cold meats like grilled chicken, pickled peppers, cooked legumes, pickled beets, and greens such as romaine or spinach.
Because we go to exhaustive lengths to source flavors and ingredients, it's important to us that these are experienced in one bite. Chopping is a qualitative measure we take, and the salad tastes better for it.
Are chopped salads healthy? Chopped salads are loaded with greens and veggies. A great way to add nutrients and fiber to your diet. Add some grilled beans, lentils, or tofu.
Tips
- Use a vegetable chopper to make uniform size vegetables.
- Do not dress the salad until right before serving.
- Tossing a salad in the dressing before serving allows for the dressing to saturate the entire salad.
- Use fresh herbs instead of dry herbs for the freshest taste.
- If you make the salad ahead of time, do not include the avocado until right before serving.
Try this Mexican chopped salad for a great lunch recipe or a quick, cool dinner this summer! This recipe takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish!
If you love this Mexican chopped salad, give us a 5-star review and a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Mexican Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper 1 cup chopped
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn cooked
- 1 red onion chopped (1 cup)
- 2 jalapeños deseeded, and diced smaller than the other vegetables
- Jicama chopped ( 1 cup)
- 30 ounces black beans drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced (don't add until right before serving)
Lime Dressing
- ½ cup lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Chop all ingredients in similar sizes, except the jalapeno
- Chop the jalapeno smaller, so it isn't overwhelming in the salad
- Place the chopped lettuce in the base of the bowl
- In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss
- Do not add the avocado until right before serving, so it doesn't get brown
- Add all teh ingredients to the bowl of lettuce
Dressing
- Whisk all ingredients together
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss
- Serve
Notes
- Add in vegan lentil meat for extra protein.
- Try topping with guacamole as an alternative to the avocado.
- Instead of the dressing add your favorite salsa as an alternative.
- Top with vegan sour cream for a cool option.
- Use canned, frozen, grilled, or boiled fresh corn.
- If using corn on the cob, a helpful tip is to use a bundt pan and place the cob in the center to hold it in place, and cut the corn from the cob. The corn will fall into the inside of the bundt pan.
- Dress the salad in advance, so the flavors enhance as they chill.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Linda
Delicious and very fresh. I had run out of cumin so I added salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Wonderful.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Linda, I'm so glad you liked the salad. Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to rate the recipe and comment.
Karen weber
I live in small town USA, there is no coriander seasoning at the store. What can I substitute for it? Thanks
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Karen, the best spice to replace coriander is cumin, garam masala, curry powder, and caraway. Or, mix equal parts of Equal parts cumin and oregano together. I hope you enjoy the salad:)