Chopped Mexican Vegetable Salad
Chopped Mexican Vegetable Salad
Do you love chopped salads? This delightful mix of fresh vegetables, bean, corn and rice.... Seasoned with spices, cilantro and a delicious lime dressing. Perfect side for your grilled entrée ... or all by itself for a yummy vegetarian meal!
Chopped Mexican Vegetable Salad
Yield: 6-8 side servings or 4 entrée portions
Ingredients:
1 cup cold, cooked rice
1/2 sweet red pepper
1/2 sweet orange or yellow pepper
1/3 cup red onion, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cubed cucumber, ~ 1/2 large fresh
1 small zucchini, sliced & small cubed
1 cup sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice (fresh & bottled)
1/2 lime, zested (~1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional: 1/2 – 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
Equipment needed:
Chef knife & cutting board
Measuring spoons
Dry measuring cups
Medium mixing bowl
Small bowl or jar for mixing dressing
Microplane grater
Rubber spatula
I love salads! Especially chopped salads with tons of fresh vegetables and yummy ingredients. Was looking for a salad to accompany the Mexican Style Grilled Fish and shrimp I was preparing for dinner. Looking online, I found a number of recipes and put them all together! Added rice and created a salad that can also be a great vegetarian meal too! Plant based... Healthy bowl of YUMMM!!
Grab your veggies and let’s see what you think ....
** To begin, you will need cooked rice, so if you don’t have any leftover in the fridge... Here’s a quick recipe.
Combine 1⁄2 cup rice, 1 cup water & 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 12 minutes. Keep covered and turn off heat. Allow to sit for another 5-7 minutes until water is absorbed by the rice. Cool rice in refrigerator or quick cool in the freezer.
This recipe is simple to put together and requires little cooking skill too. Grab your cutting board & chef knife and prep your veggies per the ingredient list. Drain the black beans in a strainer and rinse to remove liquid. As the beans drain, add the cooled rice to a medium mixing bowl and add chopped vegetables as you cut them along with the beans. Chop the cilantro fine and place on top.
To prepare the dressing, place the olive oil, lime juice and seasonings in a small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake together well. Pour over bowl of chopped ingredients. Stir well. Add corn and stir until all moistened with dressing. Garnish bowl with a bit more chopped fresh cilantro.
Doesn’t it look amazing and so colorful? Go ahead and taste it... Mmmmm! Adjust your seasonings as desired or add a bit of chopped jalapeno for a spicier fare. Serve alone or as a side dish for tacos, grilled pork or any grilled meat or fish!