Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
This gluten-free and vegetarian main dish salad is a total crowd pleaser! It's crisp, festive and delicious on it's own or alongside a protein of choice. Paired with the Cilantro-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette, it's super fresh-tasting and perfect all Spring and Summer long!
Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
Easy Recipe for a crowd-pleasing Gluten-Free Main Dish Salad!
Update May 2021: It is suddenly feeling like Summer here in the Northeast and we are moving into all our “warm weather meals” starting with this Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing!
We literally enjoy this salad all Spring and Summer long! It is super fresh tasting, flavorful and so satisfying!
It is perfect by itself or alongside a grilled protein of choice.
And it’s perfect as a weekday meal or for entertaining — Memorial Day weekend, anyone?
And the quantity can be increased or decreased depending on how many you’re feeding.
But the one thing you won’t want to decrease is the HONEY-LIME DRESSING!
The dressing is just 6 ingredients including lots of fresh lime juice and it’s super fresh-tasting, a little tangy, a little sweet and reminiscent of fresh flowers and Summer!
If you cook nothing else this week, whisk together the dressing— you’ll love it on everything!
Update September 2020: This has been my go-to salad all Summer and it’s a perfect salad to take you through September while tomatoes and corn are still seasonal and plentiful.
It’s crisp, flavorful and so satisfying! Perfect on it’s own or with a protein of choice.
Plus the Cilantro Lime Dressing is delish!
Hope you love it!
Original post…
If you’re looking for a salad to please a crowd, look no further.
This Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette is a true rock star: crisp, festive, crazy delicious, satisfying, and a always a hit!
I got the recipe from a friend several years ago and have been making it ever since…
It’s perfect as an everyday dinner on a hot day (usually alongside some grilled chicken) and it’s become our go to “party” salad all Summer long because it doubles easily, feeds a crowd, is filling and satisfying for any vegetarians at your table and pairs great with grilled chicken or steak for the omnivores.
Bonus: it can be thrown together in no time!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Avocado
tomatoes
canned black beans
corn (fresh or canned)
red pepper
radishes
jicama
feta
romaine or lettuce of choice
and an easy to make honey-lime vinaigrette (more on that a few paragraphs down!)
As with all our recipes, feel free to omit or substitute any ingredient you don’t love.
And skip the feta for a dairy free option.
More on the Honey-Lime Dressing…
It’s made with just 6 ingredients…
Lots of fresh lime juice
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
honey
fresh chopped jalapeno
minced garlic
and fresh cilantro
Together is fresh tasting, a little tangy, a little sweet and reminiscent of fresh flowers and Summer!
And all you do is whisk it all together!
The dressing tossed with the salad is an incredible mix of flavors and textures.
Hope you love it as much as we do!
For more simple and delicious salad ideas,click here.
Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
This gluten-free and vegetarian main dish salad is a total crowd pleaser! Easy to prepare, crisp, fresh and festive, it is great alone or with a grilled protein of choice. This salad is perfect for a family, a party or meal prep. Salad doubles easily. Leave out the feta for a dairy-free option.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Salads, Dinner
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Keyword: main dish salad, Spring/ summer salad recipe, mexican chopped salad, honey lime vinaigrette, gluten-free main dish salad
Servings: 4servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family
Ingredients
Honey Lime Vinaigrette
1/4cupfresh lime juice
1/4cupolive oil
2tablespoonshoney
2tablespoonschopped fresh cilantro
1clovegarlic, minced
1teaspoonchopped jalepeno (seeds removed)
Mexican Chopped Salad
2 1/2cupschopped romaine
115 oz canblack beans, drained and rinsed
3/4cupchopped seeded tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
This SALAD. is absolutely amazing. Made a big one for multiple meals! It will be a repeat recipe for sure. Added ground turkey seasoned with chili lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s. Highly
Recommend this recipe with or without added protein.
My family loved this! Used Trader Joe’s thick batonnet (thick matchstick) pre-cut jicama that comes conveniently packaged and TJ microwave frozen brown rice (the best! 3 minutes). I sautéed the peppers (and used an orange one for change of color) in oil with a bit of salt. I cooked the corn in a butter with some lime juice, zest, a shake of crushed pepper, parm cheese and cilantro. I served with grilled Chicken marinated in Greek Dressing. Eating such a fresh and piecey meal felt so clean and filling. I could see this as a salad, rice bowl or even thrown in a wrap!
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
OMG, that looks delicious! Will be making it tonight!
Thank you! It is such a fresh and delicious salad! Let me know how you like it:)
This SALAD. is absolutely amazing. Made a big one for multiple meals! It will be a repeat recipe for sure. Added ground turkey seasoned with chili lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s. Highly
Recommend this recipe with or without added protein.
Thank you so much! So happy you love it too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My family loved this! Used Trader Joe’s thick batonnet (thick matchstick) pre-cut jicama that comes conveniently packaged and TJ microwave frozen brown rice (the best! 3 minutes). I sautéed the peppers (and used an orange one for change of color) in oil with a bit of salt. I cooked the corn in a butter with some lime juice, zest, a shake of crushed pepper, parm cheese and cilantro. I served with grilled Chicken marinated in Greek Dressing. Eating such a fresh and piecey meal felt so clean and filling. I could see this as a salad, rice bowl or even thrown in a wrap!
Thanks Lisa! I’m going to have to look for the pre-cut jicama! And love all your adaptations!
My husband and I love this! I followed your recipe to a T. The mixture was divine. It all worked together! Thanks so much.
Happy you loved it! Thank you!
Can you supply nutritional information for the dressing?
Thank you
Hi! At this time I don’t have nutritional information on my recipes.