Crisp fresh lettuce, black beans, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn & green onion all tossed in a creamy homemade taco dressing & sprinkled with cotija cheese! This Mexican chopped salad is the perfect side dish for all your favorite Mexican recipes!
Chopped salads seem to be all the rage right now…and I’m so here for it! (I think it all started when Melissa’s green goddess chopped salad that went viral on TikTok a few weeks ago and since then they’ve all been blowing up!) Which is A-ok with me because I LOVE them! Especially this Mexican chopped salad! Not only is it loaded with fresh greens & crisp veggies but that creamy taco dressing is absolutely de-licious! It’s the perfect side salad for all your favorite Mexican inspired recipes and would be a fantastic dish for potlucks too!
Quick little tip…eat it with chips! Trust me loves, you’ll thank me later.😉
Ingredients For Your Chopped Salad
- Lettuce: I love using a mix of green leaf lettuce and romaine. (Romaine provides a strudy base and green leaf is a pretty filler.)
- Black beans: Use canned black beans for easy prep. (We’ll usually look for low sodium or no salt added beans.)
- Corn: Fresh corn works the best for this recipe because it gives your salad a nice pop of texture. (Frozen corn can be used as a replacement – just make sure to completely thaw it and drain as much excess liquid as possible.)
- Tomatoes: Any type of tomato works for this recipe. We’ll be chopping the tomatoes into bite-size pieces so feel free to use your favorite. (I always love using cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes on the vine because they have so much flavor!)
- Green onion: We’ll be using the entire onion (white & green parts) for this recipe!
- Cotija cheese: Completely optional but adds so much flavor! (Queso fresco or feta cheese can be used as a replacement.)
- Sour cream: Used as the base for your creamy taco dressing.
- Taco seasoning: Use your favorite taco seasoning! (The flavor in this dressing is pretty strong so make sure to find a seasoning you love. My personal favorite taco seasoning is Lawry’s Taco Seasoning.)
- Lime juice: Adds flavor and pizzaz to your dressing!
- Water: Just a small splash is all you need to help thin out your dressing.
How To Make A Mexican Chopped Salad
- Make your dressing. Whisk your dressing ingredients together then keep it stored in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
- Cook & cool your corn. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and shuck your corn cobs. (Remove the husks & silk.) Once boiling, add your corn to the pot and boil for 1 – 2 minutes. Then remove the cobs and let them cool completely. Cut the kernels off the cobs once they’re cool enough to handle. (If using frozen corn, thaw & drain as much excess liquid as possible before adding to your salad.)
- Prepare the rest of your ingredients. Chop the lettuce & tomatoes, slice the green onion and drain and rinse the black beans.
- Mix & serve! Add your prepped ingredients to a large bowl and toss in your desired amount of dressing. Then sprinkle your cotjia cheese over the top and serve! (We love eating this salad with tortilla chips! Because all the ingredients are bite size, you can scoop it up like a dip!)
What Is A Chopped Salad?
Chopped salads are salads made with uniform ingredients or ingredients cut similiar in size. What’s the point you ask?! To ensure you get the perfect mix of everything in every single bite! You can use a spoon or eat them with chips! They’re so much fun!
Sooo are chopped salads healthy then? Absolutely! Especially this one! It’s loaded with greens & veggies with a little protein from your beans. It’s such a great way to add more nutrients to your diet!
FAQ’s
- Can I prep my chopped salad beforehand? Yes! You can cut your lettuce, tomatoes, green onion and corn, drain & rinse your beans & make the dressing in advance. I would keep all your ingredients stored in separate containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your salad.
- How do I keep my chopped lettuce fresh in the fridge? Place a wet paper towel over your lettuce before putting the lid on your container. This should keep your lettuce crisp for a few days before using it.
- Do I have to cook my corn? No! Fresh corn can actaully be eaten raw! But it does tend to plump up more after cooking so I would personally suggest it.
Why you’ll love this Mexican chopped salad recipe
- The perfect bite! Chopped salads = same size ingredients! So you get a little bit of everything in every single bite!
- A salad you can eat with chips! Honestly, what could be better right?! Just scoop & devour!
- Perfect way to get those greens in! Looking to eat more veggies this year? This chopped salad is loaded with them! Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, fresh corn, green onion… it’s got them all!
Need it gluten free? Great news, it already is!
Need it dairy free? Omit the cotija cheese & use dairy free or lactose free sour cream instead!
More salad recipes you might like:
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
- Summer Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp & Avocado Salad
- Guacamole Chicken Salad
- Spinach Salad with Bacon & Hard Boiled Eggs
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]
Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Taco Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 head of green leaf lettuce or romaine, chopped (about 2-3 cups)
- ¾-1 cup fresh corn kernels (can be replaced with frozen corn)*
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 15oz. can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 3-4 green onion stalks, sliced (use the white & green parts)
- Cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Tortilla chips, for serving
For the taco dressing:
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp water (or more to thin it out)
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Whisk your dressing ingredients together and keep it stored in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your salad. (The dressing should be fairly thick but you can add more water to thin it out as needed.)
To make the salad:
- Add your lettuce, corn kernels, black beans, tomatoes and green onion to a large bowl and toss in your desired amount of dressing.
- Sprinkle your cotija cheese over the top (if using) and serve immediately.
