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5 from 1 vote

Southwestern Pepper Jack Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing

A simple salad has been given a Southwestern makeover. Chock full of healthy veggies, this salad also has pepper jack cheese & crunchy sun flower seeds. Served with it's easy but out of this world avocado salsa dressing, a couple tortilla strips for garnish, and this is a delectable meatless meal you can feel good about serving and get full from eating.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
Servings: 4
Calories: 338kcal
Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

For the Southwest Salad

  • 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of drained can corn or thawed frozen corn
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup diced roma tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese or more to taste
  • crispy tortilla strips or tortilla chips

For the Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing

  • 1 small avocado peeled and sliced
  • 1 small jalapeno seeded, de-veined and roughly chopped, optional
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mild or medium salsa
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4- 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • tiniest of dashes of cayenne pepper optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add all of the Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides down as needed. If using it, add in the cayenne pepper before adding additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • If your dressing is too thick, then add in a little extra milk and stir until you’re reached the desired consistency. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • Add salad ingredients to a large bowl, except for the tortilla strips/chips,  and toss to combine.Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing or drizzle dressing over individual servings, especially if you’re not planning to polish off the entire salad in one meal.
  • Garnish the salad, or servings, with tortilla strips, or tortilla chips and freshly cracked salt and pepper.

Notes

Are your hungry, hungry omnivores still looking for more protein and/or a denser dish? Serve it topped with grilled chicken strips and they’ll love it.
recipe adapted from Carlsbad Cravings

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2032IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2mg