My southwest salad tosses mixed greens with black beans, corn, bell pepper, onion and cilantro, then tops it all with crushed tortilla chips and a creamy homemade southwest dressing. It’s ready in about 15 minutes and naturally vegetarian and gluten-free.
5-Stars From Our Readers
“I served fajitas for our Super Bowl party and had no idea what to serve with those. I’m not a salad person. I was SO happy when I came across this recipe. This was absolutely perfect, and almost everyone went back for seconds and thirds! Thanks so much. I put the cilantro to the side to avoid any problems with cilantro haters. 😆”
— Hannah
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“DELICIOUS!!!
I added some cherry tomatoes like you suggested and served it with a grilled mexican steak. The salad was so good! I loved the pops of crunch! YUMMY!”
— Claire
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Why I Keep Making This Salad
I’ve lived in the Southwest for 20 years now, so I’m no stranger to southwest flavors. Black beans, corn, cilantro and crunchy tortilla chips show up on my table all the time, and this salad is one of my favorite everyday ways to get them there.
It’s a step up from a simple side salad. The black beans and corn make it hearty enough to feel like a real part of dinner, and the crushed tortilla chips add crunch to every bite. The creamy homemade southwest dressing ties it all together, and it’s the one part I’d never skip.
It also doesn’t take much time. The salad itself comes together in about 15 minutes, and it’s easy to change up with whatever you have on hand, like avocado, tomatoes or crispy tofu.
Ingredient Notes
Mixed greens: Simply use a mix of your favorite salad greens or favorite lettuce (like romaine lettuce). I like to use a mix of baby arugula and spinach.
Black beans: A can of black beans adds flavor, texture, and nice doses of protein and fiber to this salad recipe. If you are not a fan of black beans, feel free to use chickpeas, pinto beans, or butter beans or omit them altogether.
Corn: Fresh corn off the cob, canned corn or frozen corn gets the job done here.
Bell pepper: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper—it all works!
Onion: A white, yellow, or red onion will add the onion flavor you need.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a pop of freshness but if you are not a fan of cilantro, feel free to use a different fresh herb such as parsley or oregano, or even omit it or use a handful of sprouts instead.
Tortilla chips: Simply crush a handful of tortilla chips to add to the salad, or if you have tortilla strips on hand, those work, too!
Cheese: This optional ingredient add additional flavor and texture. If you are not vegan, use a nice sharp shredded cheddar. If vegan or dairy-free, use shredded plant-based cheese, like Daiya.
Southwest salad dressing: Use this southwest salad dressing recipe for this salad for the best results.
How to Make Southwest Salad
- Make the southwest dressing.
- Rinse and drain the black beans. Chop the bell pepper, onion and cilantro.
- Combine the greens, beans, corn, pepper, onion and cilantro, and toss with the dressing.
- Top with the crushed tortilla chips, and cheese if using. Enjoy!
Make It Your Own
Once you get this base recipe down pat, feel free to make it your own with some of the following options.
- For additional protein, add some crispy tofu or tempeh.
- Add sliced cherry tomatoes.
- Add sliced avocado or a dollop of guacamole.
- Add a dollop of conventional or plant-based sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice before digging in.
- Serve with a side of soft tortillas and enjoy wrap-style.
Can I Meal Prep It?
Like most salads, southwest salad tastes best when made fresh to eat. But you can store the salad sans dressing in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Is Southwest Salad Gluten-Free?
Yes, as long as your tortilla chips are certified gluten-free.
More Delicious Salad Recipes To Enjoy
Southwest Salad with Black Beans, Corn and Homemade Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1 15-ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn fresh, canned or thawed frozen
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup tortilla chips crushed
- ½ white, red or yellow onion chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- shredded cheddar cheese optional, vegan if necessary
- 2 cups Southwest Dressing
Method
- In large bowl combine greens, black beans, corn, bell pepper, tortilla chips, onion, cilantro, cheese (if using).
- Top with the Southwest Dressing.
- Toss all together well. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
This is so perfect for my diet since it’s gluten-free! Tried the vegan option and added tofu to the mix and they were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
The cheddar cheese on top really added a nice touch to the salad, and I went with pinto beans instead of black beans which worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it was absolutely delicious!
The homemade dressing was so creamy and the veggies adds so much flavor to the salad. This is so much better than store-bought. I loved that I can customize the ingredients based on what’s in my pantry.
I served fajitas for our Super Bowl party and had no idea what to serve with those. I’m not a salad person. I was SO happy when I came across this recipe. This was absolutely perfect, and almost everyone went back for seconds and thirds! Thanks so much. I put the cilantro to the side to avoid any problems with cilantro haters. 😆
The homemade dressing is so zesty. I used chickpeas for this recipe because that’s what I had. Then I topped it with some shredded cheddar and it was so delicious. A new favorite for sure!
This salad was delicious but the highlight was the southwest salad dressing! I ended up making another batch last night to keep for salads this week. Sooooo scrumptious (and I loved that it was healthy and creamy)
Super delicious salad with a gentle kick with the dressing. Refreshing and super easy to make, I highly recommend it. Thank you.
DELICIOUS!!!
I added some cherry tomatoes like you suggested and served it with a grilled mexican steak.
the salad was so good!
I loved the pops of crunch!
YUMMY!
I just added this salad recipe to my go-to comfort food! It is so refreshing and rich in flavors. A must try!
This southwest salad was so good!! This is going to be a summer staple for sure!
We had this for dinner the other night, me with veggie nachos and my kids just with bread. It was really successful! I loved the creamy dressing and felt like it had just the right amount of heat. The kiddos loved the crunch and the corn bits 🙂
I LOVE black beans in salads like this. Thinking of making it with the suggested additions of avocado and a squeeze of lime. Can’t wait to try it for lunch next week!
I ADORE black beans in salad and love the idea of tossing in some avocado and a squeeze of lemon too. Adding the ingredients to my grocery list right now. Can’t wait to try this for lunch next week!
This is totally my kind of salad. So fulling and nutritious. I loved the combination of beans, crunchy veggies and cheese. I loved the crunch from tortilla chips. Will definitely be making this again.
This southwest salad was so delicious and we loved it. I added some grilled chicken and turned out into a wholesome lunch. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
This southwest salad is delicious but it was the dressing that hooked me. I used it for the salad but then I had to make it again and use it for EVERYTHING else. So delicious.
Decided to make this by using vegan cheese and it did turn out really good. This is a healthy lunch idea, especially because of the black beans. I think I will top this on a nacho salad too. It’s very delicious
This was our main dish for Taco Tuesday! The luscious Southwest Dressing should be bottled. It’s so good! We polished off every last leaf of lettuce and veggies. I’ll definitely be making this one again.
This southwest salad was so full of flavor! I brought it to work for lunch and it kept me full for hours! I added extra cheese because why not and added the tortilla chips right before the dressing. It was so good!
We loved this! I added in some tofu like you suggested as an option and it was a hit with everyone. Will be making this again. 🙂
I just loved this salad! With all the mix-ins, it was nice and hearty, and that salad dressing was perfectly creamy with just the right kick.
We are big fans of everything Southwest at our house! Southwest salad is a favorite, so I was excited to try your recipe. What a hit! It has all the bold Southwest flavors we love and your creamy dressing was delicious!