Have you ever seen such a vibrant salad? This southwestern salad is loaded up with unique flavors, tons of protein and provides an incredible crunch that you just can't find with other salads. We're going to start with a sturdy Mexican slaw base and load on the toppings from there. If you're looking for a salad that satisfies, stick with me on this recipe!
This southwestern salad recipe is: Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly and loaded with flavor.
YUMMY SOUTHWESTERN SALAD
At my catering company, we had a wonderful southwestern salad that was one of our best sellers. Our customers kept coming back time and again because the flavors were surprising... most people thought that it would be way too spicy with all the peppers and chipotle salad dressing. But that's the cool part of this salad, all the flavors play off one another.
What I love most about this salad is just how good it is for you. It's PACKED full of protein. Some of the biggest contributors are the yellow corn, cheddar cheese, avocado, red cabbage, red onions and the cherry tomatoes. I would definitely call this salad a protein power bowl. Unlike a lot of salads that are laden with heavy dressings and toppings, this one will have you raring and ready to go right after you eat it.
If you want to add other southwestern ingredients to this salad to increase the protein potential even more... go ahead! This salad loves pepitas, sunflower seeds, black beans, crumbled Queso Fresco or simple slices of avocado.
TACO BOWLS: ALL THE TOPPINGS
If you're more comfortable calling this salad a taco bowl, I wouldn't be offended in the least. It has so many wonderful toppings that fare perfectly well on both tacos and fajitas. We have some traditional toppings as well as non-traditional toppings that make these perfect for your next Taco Tuesday get together.
We start with an incredible Mexican slaw that has the slightly bitter red cabbage and sweet carrots. The romain provides a nice pop of crispness and neutrality that helps to mellow out some of the more intense ingredients. You can dress this slaw with the Chipotle salad dressing and not worry about it wilting for a long time. If you're using this on a taco, make sure that you slice the cabbage small enough so it will fit!
The four remaining toppings were designed to work well with one another. You are going to see that the salsa has a bright, vibrant flavor profile which plays nicely against the more savory sauteed peppers and onions. The most surprising and wonderful topping is the Pickled Onion and Corn Relish. You just have to try this one. The onions are spicy with a nice zip. It's just lovely.
The proverbial "cherry on top" for this southwestern salad is a fresh green guacamole. It provides a nice mellow flavor. My suggestion is to make extra guacamole. It simply evaporates off our table somehow.
CHIPOTLE SALAD DRESSING
If you've never had chipotle salad dressing, you're in for a real treat. We made enough of this salad dressing at our catering company that we needed to buy the chipotle sauce in half gallon containers. It's got everything you need for a southwestern salad or taco bowl: the spice from the chipotle sauce, vibrancy from the lime and body from the olive oil.
You can make this dressing with olive oil, canola oil or a blend. It is NOT good with very high quality olive oil. The fruity almost bitter flavor doesn't play well with the chipotle sauce. The more flavor neutral the oil, the better.
Want to make it a creamy chipotle salad dressing? Easy. Add in ¼ cup of sour cream and ¼ cup of mayonnaise. Whisk well and you've got a creamy southwestern dressing perfect for this salad or try it on a baked potato with some chorizo. Super yummy.
QUICK COOKING TIP: So the prep for this salad takes a long time. There is a lot of chopping, slicing and dicing. The good news is that you can make just about everything ahead of time.
- Pickle the onions the day before. After you add in the vinegar and spices, seal up the onions and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the salsa the day before. It will be absolutely delicious right out of the fridge.
- If you make the guacamole ahead of time, be sure to pack it down in the container with some plastic wrap. The more airtight the seal the less it will turn brown.
- The sauteed onions and peppers can be made several days in advance and held in the refrigerator.
- I would slice the cabbage and lettuce the day you are going to use it. Unless you are using a ceramic knife, it will start to turn brown.
With a little planning, this is a really easy recipe. Plus, you can make some chicken or steak fajitas with any leftover toppings. So yummy.
Ok. Let's get to this super delicious southwestern salad recipe!
Southwestern Salad
This is a southwestern salad like no other... with fresh, vibrant ingredients that all work together in a chorus of flavor explosion. Absolutely delicious, vegetarian and packed full of vegetable proteins too!
Ingredients
Spicy Pickled Onions
- 1 Red Onion, Sliced Thin
- 1 teaspoon Hot pepper, Sliced Thin
- 1 Garlic Clove, Cut in half
- ½ teaspoon Honey
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Tomato Medley Salsa
- 2 cups Cherry Tomato, Quartered
- ½ Red Onion, Fine dice
- 1 clove Garlic, Fine dice
- ¼ cup Cilantro, Finely chopped
- ½ Lime, Juice only
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Garden Style Guacamole
- 2 Avocado, Peeled, pit removed & mashed
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Lime, Juice Only
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
- 1 tablespoon Shallot, Minced
- ½ Red Onion, Finely diced
- ½ Jalapeno, Finely diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro, Finely chopped
Pickled Onion & Corn Relish
- 1 cup Yellow Corn
- ⅓ cup Pickled Onions, Diced
- ⅓ cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
- 1.5 teaspoon Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Hot Peppers, Finely diced
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro, Finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Mexican Slaw
- 1 head Romaine Heart, Sliced thinly
- ¼ head Red Cabbage, Cored & Sliced thinly
- 1 Carrot, Shredded
- 2 tablespoon Chipotle Hot Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Lime Juice
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cracked Pepper
Sauteed Peppers & Onions
- 1 Red Pepper, Sliced
- 1 Onion, Peeled & sliced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Chipotle Salad Dressing
- ½ Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Black Pepper
Instructions
Spicy Pickled Onions
- Boil 2 cups of water. Add the sliced red onion and allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and strain out the onion.
- Place the onion in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Make sure the onion is covered with the vinegar. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Tomato Medley Salsa
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well and allow the flavors to develop for at least 30 minutes before serving. Mix well before serving.
Garden Style Guacamole
- Add the avocado, spices and lime juice to a bowl. Mix well. Add in the remaining ingredients and gently incorporate. Allow the flavors to develop for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Pickled Onion & Corn Relish
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Mexican Slaw
- In a small bowl, mix the chipotle sauce, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure that the red cabbage is separated. Sometimes it gets stuck together when shredding. The same applies to the romaine.
Sauteed Peppers & Onions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add in the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add in the onions and salt. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in the red peppers. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until nicely browned. Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
Chipotle Salad Dressing
- Add the ingredients to a bowl. Whisk well to emulsify. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Southwestern Salad
- Add your base of Mexican Slaw to a bowl. Top with the Salsa, Peppers & Onions and Corn Relish. Give a healthy dollop of guacamole. Pour some of the Chipotle Salad Dressing over top and dig in!
Notes
The best part of this salad is having leftover toppings! Make sure you store them well covered in the refrigerator. They are perfect the next day in a fajita or a taco. Around our house there is no such thing as too much Mexican!
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 522
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE SOUTHWESTERN SALAD RECIPE:
Oh what crunch. What flavor! This is a delightful salad. I think it is funny that I spend so much time putting together this salad so it looks absolutely delicious... then mix it all together which doesn't look so great but tastes incredible.
If you have leftover peppers and onions... plan on making my Fajita Frittata Recipe the next day. It is super easy and loves being topped with salsa and guacamole too. What a way to start your day!
What are some of your favorite toppings for either tacos or other southwestern goodies? Let me know in the comments. I hope you love this salad as much as we do! Happy eating.
First time reader, stopped by from the reciperedux linkup. You had me at tacos and chipolte dressing! I love them in everything, this looks delish!
Hi Autumn:
Welcome! And thanks for leaving a comment- I really appreciate it. The chipotle dressing was a favorite at my catering company... and it is so easy to make.
Hope that you have a fantastic day today-
Scott
This salad looks amazing!! I can see all the love you put into this southwestern bowl. Mmmm....
Hi Lauren:
Thanks so much- I really appreciate it. Southwestern flavors are some of my favorites- I need to be posting up more of my recipes in this area I think.
Take care-
Scott
This has so many of my favorite things in it! <3 Love the different salsas and toppings! <3
Hi Farrah:
Thanks for taking a minute to drop in a comment- I really appreciate it. It has so many of my favorite things too... as well as my wife's favorites. This one has made our monthly rotation for me to make.
Hope you have a great day in the kitchen-
Take care,
Scott
Yum. I can't wait to try this!
Hi Elaine:
Thanks! I'm going to be making it again soon- my whole family wants it again!
Have a great day today-
Scott
Taco bowls are my favorite! I call them bowls so that I don't frighten my husband with the word "salad" 🙂
Hi Kaleigh:
You just made me laugh out loud- that's funny.
Taco bowls are my favorite too-
Have a great day-
Scott
Gorgeous salad! And what great ingredients, this looks amazing!
Hi Lauren:
Thanks so much for your comment- I really appreciate it more than you know. The salad has a lot of ingredients, but sometimes the extra effort goes a long way toward a truly wonderful eating experience- you know what I mean?
Take care and have a great day-
Scott
This looks so delicious and your photos are GORGEOUS!
Hi Laura:
You just made my day with your comment. Working so hard to improve my photography- it is hard work! Means a lot as well because your photos are just incredible- I've been surfing around your site. Excellent.
Have a great day and take care-
Scott
This looks absolutely stunning and delicious! Love the recipe and loves the photos!
Hi Shannon:
Thanks so much for writing- very much appreciated! I hope that you get a chance to make it- it is really crunchy and delicious.
Have an excellent day today-
Scott
This looks great! I'm a big salad fan so this is right up my alley. I've been loving pickled onions too lately so I can't wait to try this!
Hi Denise:
Thanks for stopping over to check out this recipe- I really appreciate it. I'm working on my new salad cookbook (hope to have it ready by January) and this one is going to make it in there for sure!
Take care and have a great day-
Scott
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]
I love the crunch factors and balance with pickled onions and heat! sounds great, Scott!
Hi Cindy:
Thanks so much for writing! I love pickled onions- and they are just so easy to make. Hope that you have an opportunity to give it a try!
Have a great day in the kitchen-
Take care,
Scott
I love all the ingredients! Recently I've been really into spicy dishes so I can't wait to try this one 🙂
Hi Veronika:
Thanks for taking the time to drop over- I appreciate it! The spice is really nice, but can always be adjusted up if you want. Adding in some fresh chili peppers to the salsa or to the slaw would really add a nice layer of up-front (rather than creeping) heat!
Thanks again-
Scott
Hey Scott! Love the colors in this salad. Makes me just want to dive right into that bowl! Everything looks so fresh and delicious! Can't wait to try it!
Hi Julie:
Thanks so much- I really appreciate the comment. The best part about the colors is the deeper you dive into the salad the more colors appear. I hope that you have a chance to make it.
Take care and have a great day in the kitchen-
Scott
As always Scott, amazing recipe! I'm so looking forward to making another one of your dishes! Beautiful pictures and I LOVE that this recipe is full of protein!!
Hi Amanda:
Your comment just made my day- thank you so much. My favorite part to this power bowl (aside from the huge flavors) is the crunch. It is just so fun to eat.
I hope that you have an excellent day in the kitchen-
Take care,
Scott
I love that this salad has so many vibrant colors and spices. Pinning this recipe to make later. 🙂
Hi Allison:
Thanks so much. My daughter told me that it was just such a pretty salad. I love it.
Have a great day-
Scott
[…] Southwestern Power Bowl (Find the recipe for pickled onions here too!) Fajita Nachos Pulled Pork Tacos Low Carb Fajitas Easy Guacamole Recipe […]
Hi this salad looks amazing! I can wait to try it but I can't seem to find the recipe for the chipotle dressing... Am I missing something? It doesn't seem to be in the broken down ingredient list.
thanks!!!
Hi Nicole:
Thanks so much for checking out the salad... and you're right- where the heck did I put the chipotle salad dressing?!?! The good news is that I make this salad dressing about 1X per week, so I just went back into the recipe and updated.
Keep in mind that the lime juice from a squeeze bottle will taste pretty gross in the dressing... fresh squeezed if possible. Also, you can make it a creamy dressing by adding in sour cream and a dollop of mayo along with more Chipotle if you like the spice.
Have a fantastic day in the kitchen-
Scott
Awesome! Thanks for getting back to me.
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