Fresh, colorful, and vibrant, Southwestern Salad with Green Chile Lime Salad Dressing has an incredible, bold flavor. It’s the perfect salad to serve for Taco Tuesday!
This hearty Texas-size salad is loaded with corn, black beans, avocado, red bell pepper then enhanced with a creamy green chile and lime dressing! (Note: For photo purposes, I didn’t put the dressing on the salad.)
This recipe pairs beautifully with burgers especially my Enchilada Burger Recipe, hotdogs, and Orange & Jalapeno Marinated Grilled Flat Iron Steak.
Southwestern Salad with Green Chile Lime Salad Dressing
Just like for any non-baking recipe, especially a salad, you can add or omit any ingredient. Therefore, if you don’t like red bell peppers, leave them out or substitute yellow bell peppers for example.
While we’re talking about additions and substitutions, you can add chicken to this for more protein. This recipe is a great way to use leftover chicken.
When I add red onions to almost any recipe, I almost always use Pickled Red Onions. Pickled onions still have the crunch, but the strong, tart flavor is replaced with a more mellow flavor that I much prefer (especially in a salad).
You can add more crunch with tortilla strips or broken tortilla chips.
Furthermore, I recommend making the salad dressing a few hours before you plan to serve the salad. This way the flavors have a chance to blend. Therefore, the dressing will be much, much better!
Moe’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing is another option for the salad dressing.
WHILE YOU’RE HERE, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES
- Favorite Fruit Salad
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad
- Pina Colada Ambrosia Salad
- Fruit Salad Basket
- Grape Salad
- Sweet and Sour Citrus Salad
- Best Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Dressing
- Loaded Keto Avocado Bacon Chicken Salad
I updated this post from an earlier version. I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.
These bowls are similar to the festive bowl in the photos!
Green Chile Lime Salad Dressing
Ingredients
DRESSING
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ medium jalapeno diced fine
- 2 Tablespoon green Chile minced, juice included
- ½ medium lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 medium shallot minced fine
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
SALAD
- 3 cups Romaine lettuce chopped or torn into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup corn canned shoepeg or whole kernel, drained
- ½ cup black beans drained
- 1 medium avocado cut into chunks
- ¼ cup tomato peeled and diced
- 2 Tablespoons red bell pepper diced or sliced
- 1 Tablespoon red onion diced or sliced
- 1 teaspoon green onion green parts only, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon jalapeno diced
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled, *optional
- ½ cup grilled chicken chopped, *optional
Instructions
DRESSING
- Mix all ingredients together, stir until smooth. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to let flavors marry. Serve over Southwestern Salad
SALAD
- Layer all in a large bowl beginning with lettuce. Drizzle salad dressing over top and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Jaclyn says
Super tasty and perfect for switching taco tuesdays up!
Kathy says
This salad was the best! So fresh and full of flavor. everyone at home loved it, including my picky teen!
Sarah M says
I know you don’t have the dressing in the photos but it is SO GOOD! I licked the spoon.
Danni Baird @ Silo Hill Farm says
Yummmm this looks awesome!
Sarah Carletti says
This is something my hubby and I would love! Thanks for linking up! Sarah
Leslie says
Sounds fab! I have a similar dressing recipe. Love salads! Yes I have dipped a tortilla chip in some ricotta! lol! It's really good with celery sticks and cherry tomatoes, too. 🙂