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This Mexican Chopped Salad is perfect with any Mexican meal and always gets rave reviews! It's also delicious spooned over chicken, shrimp or pork or beef!
This might seem a little strange, but it makes me really happy to come home from the grocery store or farmer's market loaded down with all sorts of beautiful, fresh produce. And if I find it for a super-duper price, well, let's just say I'm like a little pig in mud. This Mexican Chopped Salad is the result of a recent trip to the market.
I always have fun deciding what to do with my stash of fresh goodies. I've been rolling around ideas for a Mexican Chopped Salad for a while now. So when I found tiny sweet peppers, red onions, fresh succulent corn and zucchini, all on sale this week, I did a little happy dance, knowing it was time to make that south-of-the-border-inspired salad happen.
A delicious ugly duckling
I just needed to find one more item; an item that could very likely win "the ugliest member of the produce aisle" award. Can you guess what I might be?
One small jicama (pronounced hē-kə-mə) is what I needed to complete my salad. Jicama is native to Mexico and is used frequently in South American cuisine. I love to use it in salsas and salads as it has a lovely, slightly sweet flavor and a crisp, crunchy texture.
If you've never purchased jicama before, don't be surprised when you finally find it looking like a speckly, brown, misshapen potato. But there's lots of nutritional goodness hiding under that humble surface.
Jicama is low in calories and high in fiber, potassium, iron and vitamin C. I would describe the taste and texture as a cross between an Asian pear, a potato and an apple. Pick one up next time you're at the grocery, you may discover a new culinary friend! Jicama is wonderful in salads and can also be cut in sticks and eaten with dips like hummus and dips.
Back to my Mexican Chopped Salad. It's the kind of salad I can never get enough of; fresh, vibrantly colored and loaded with flavor. Eating it, makes me feel energetic and healthy. The dressing is light and bright, with just a few ingredients; fresh lime juice, honey, a clove of garlic and a splash of oil. A pinch of cumin along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper finishes it off perfectly. I love simple recipes like this.
If you like a little crunch in your salad, as we do, be sure to pick up a package of corn tortillas. That's what you'll use to make the crispy topping for this wonderful salad. Just slice them up, drizzle with a bit of oil on a sheet pan then pop the pan in the oven till the little strips are gloriously golden brown; a perfect complement to this Mexican Chopped Salad.
A kitchen magician!
Okay, and one little secret I have to share. See how all the veggies are chopped perfectly to the same size in this Chopped Mexican Salad? That's not me. Nope, if I were doing the chopping, they'd be all random sizes. I have this Vidalia Chop Wizard that I'd have a hard time managing without. When I want to make a pot of soup or a salad with lots of chopped veggies in a hurry, I just pull out this little magic chopper and 1-2-3 I'm done!
My daughter-in-law, Lindsay created a quick little video to demonstrate how this little kitchen magician works:
See for yourself!
She also made the video below, demonstrating how to make this Mexican Chopped Salad:
What to serve this salad with:
- It's perfect with any Mexican entree; tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, etc
- Spoon it on top of nachos, so delicious!
- Serve it with chips (omit the lettuce, if you prefer).
- Serve it with grilled chicken, seafood, pork or beef.
- It's a wonderful side to serve with burgers.
- Make a healthy, whole-meal salad by adding rotisserie chicken.
- This salad is perfect for potlucks and picnics as it goes so well with everything. Don't expect leftovers, you'll be sure to come home with an empty bowl!
If you're craving fresh and delicious, be sure to add these ingredients to your grocery list. Make this Mexican Chopped Salad and enjoy it for dinner along with some grilled chicken, pork or seafood. Then pack it up for lunch the next day, as it keeps quite well. Just a warning though; all your co-workers will be drooling over your delicious, brightly colored lunch. Enjoy!
Café Tips for Making this Mexican Chopped Salad...
- Cooking corn in the microwave is so simple and there's no mess. See the directions below in the recipe or check out the video below. The husks and silks just pull away. The corn is clean and just slightly cooked, perfect for salads like this.
- For a pretty presentation, try to chop all the ingredients about the same size. See the notes above regarding this.
- Although fresh corn is ideal in this salad, you can substitute frozen corn when fresh is not available.
- The tortilla strips are optional and if you're short on time, just skip them. The salad will be delicious without them. Often, if I'm serving this salad as a side to grilled entrees or burgers, I make it without tortilla strips.
- I love red onion in this recipe as it adds such pretty color but yellow or white onion is also delicious!
Enjoy South-of-the-Border cuisine? Check out some of our other Mexican-inspired recipes like our Homemade Flour Tortillas. We've gotten over 1100 comments from cooks all over the world who have fallen in love with these easy tortillas!
And this Mexican Honey Lime Grilled Chicken has also been super popular with our readers. It's perfect for a cookout or summer party!
Mexican Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
Thought for the day:
And we have this HOPE
as an anchor for the soul,
firm and secure.
Hebrews 6:19
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations.
This Mexican Chopped Salad might just be the freshest, healthiest, most delicious salad you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And it’s loaded with fabulous Southwestern flavor!
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- taste and add salt if needed
- 6 6- inch corn tortillas
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce chopped in approximately ½ inch pieces
- 1 medium bell pepper diced in ¼-inch pieces**, any color (I used orange)
- ½ medium red onion diced in ¼-inch pieces**
- ½ medium jicama peeled and diced in ¼-inch pieces**
- 1 medium zucchini diced in ¼-inch dice**
- 4 medium tomatoes seeded and diced into ¼-inch dice**
- 4 ears corn if fresh corn is not in season, substitute 1 ½ cups of sweet, tiny frozen corn
- 1 ½ cups canned black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired
- instructions
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For the dressing, combine lime juice, honey, cumin garlic and salt.
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In a slow, steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk.
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Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
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For the corn tortilla strips, preheat oven to 400˚F.
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Stack corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut in half. Cut each stack of halves into thin strips, widthwise, about ¼-inch thick.
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Transfer tortilla strips to a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
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For the salad, place corn, two ears at a time, in the microwave and cook for 3 ½ minutes.
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Remove from microwave with a hot pad and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
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After cooling, cut bottom end of corn off, about 1 ½ inches from end. Pull back husk and silks (almost all of the silk should easily pull away). Cut kernels from husks and set aside.
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Combine corn and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
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Serve with tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let guests help themselves.
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laNita Gibbs says
This salad looks amazing! Can't wait to try it. I am thinking I will leave out the tortilla strips and add a little bit of chicken breast to make a meal. I am also thinking about taking this to our family reunion this summer to balance out all of the yummy but high calorie comfort food that makes it's way to the buffet tables.
Chris Scheuer says
I love your version. And yes, those family renunions buffets can be pretty high fat, high calorie and starchy. This would be the perfect dish to take and I bet you don't bring a speck home 🙂
tracie c. says
this was a delicious salad! because i made it just for husband and myself i divided it and added the lettuce in just before each meal so the lettuce would be fresh and not wilted. thank you for the recipe it was a big hit!
tracie c. says
oh i wanted to add that i made this with a bag of frozen sweet corn and roasted it under the broiler for about 10 min. sweet corn is not in season where i live.
Elana says
Did you defrost the corn before you broiled it? Great idea!
Chris Scheuer says
Elana- You don't need to defrost the corn before you broil it. Enjoy!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know!
Nicole says
The salad looks wonderful! But as I read the recipe I noticed that you omitted putting down that you added cilantro..... I always find it frustrating when you find a great looking picture of a recipe and as you read the recipe it's obvious that not all of the ingredients are included in the list. Just a pet peeve I have. I'm most definitely going to make this (cilantro included of course) ASAP! Thank you
Barbara says
Yes, ma'am; this is right down my favorite alley, and I already know that I'll love it. Thank you!..
Pam says
Is that cilantro or dill? It looks amazing. I would think cilantro but it looks more like dill. I want to make this for my family reunion.
Chris Scheuer says
It's cilantro. I know it's a bit feathery. Sometimes when the weather starts getting warmer cilantro will grow more feathery leaves like that
motowngirl says
I am looking at the picture of the Mexican Chopped Salad and I don't see any romaine. (???) Is it on the bottom of the bowl, and then you toss it? Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sheryl, there actually is Romaine in there, it just doesn't show up well in the pics.
Sandra says
Yes!!! This looks so good and it will be on the menu next week. That was a great tip also for shucking corn.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love chopped salads, this looks so fresh and vibrant!
Pam says
Love everything about this salad. It looks FANTASTIC!
tahnycooks says
This salad is outstanding! So fresh, delicious, and so colorful! Already pinned it!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Your Mexican version of a chopped salad is so colorful. I can't wait until summer corn arrives at the farm stands.
Veronica says
Did you work some inside magic on my subscription? B/c after my complaint, I got this in my inbox, like nothing was every wrong! Woot! This is just LOVELY - you do the best things with your produce finds!!
sue/the view from great island says
Your salads have been breathtaking, Chris!
Vicki Bensinger says
I always look forward to seeing what you have to post Chris. Not only are your photos (or Scotts) stunning but your dishes are so appealing. Great recipe and perfect for summer.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
Me too, Chris! I do really enjoy simple yet full of flavor recipes such as this one. There is so much goodness in it. It fills the eyes! Gorgeous, colorful photos as well!
Debra says
What a great list of fresh ingredients. I would be doing the happy dance, too, Chris!
Angie (@angiesrecipess) says
This is so fresh and beautiful.!
Happy Sunday!
Angie
Liz says
This would be fantastic when we get fresh Indiana sweet corn...but I'm not sure I can wait that long to try it!!!
Happier Than A Pig In Mud says
This piggy says very pretty! Hope you're having a great holiday weekend:@)
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Salads like this always find me back in the fridge for a snack. I'd rather have a tiny portion of this than a brownie. It's so pretty in that bowl!
Judy ahrend says
I have made this salad for six weeks straight. As soon as one batch gone I make another.
It is not " zactly " like this one but close cousin. Must be the best nutritious salad on the web. Taste is lively,
I add garlic two cloves. To dressing.
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome Judy 🙂 I haven't made it for awhile now as I'm always onto something new but you've got me wanting to whip it up today!
Jodee Weiland says
This salad looks wonderful and so delicious! I love that it is healthy as well...thanks for sharing!
Ginny Hartzler says
Didn't you tell us once that your husband does all your photography? He has outdone himself here. He should really be a professional photographer, if he isn't already. I would nibble off of this all day!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Yum Chris! I love Mexican chopped salads and yours looks just amazing! The dressing sounds so good and light! What a wonderful recipe for this holiday weekend!
Monique says
A little pig in mud:-)
That's me in the garden right now..
What a cute expression.
Chris hope to make this this summer for my family.Thank you.
How to Philosophize with Cake says
Mmm, that looks amazing! I love chopped salads, so I'll have to try this Mexican-inspired variation someday.
Amira says
This absolutely looks divine... I - like you- get so excited when I buy many produce specially on sale. I go home wondering what to do with all these goodies but sometime they just go bad in the fridge 🙁 bad girl I know. I love your salad it is a keeper. I can add some black eyed beans and I have a meal :). Thanks