You will love the bright fresh crunch in this easy big salad! This southwest salad recipe takes just minutes to make and is topped with a simple homemade vinaigrette. Whether you're looking for a tasty light lunch for two or a big side salad to share at dinner, this is an easy and delicious salad!
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Why you'll love this recipe
This salad is very simple, full of lots of crunch with great fresh ingredients.
✔️ Simple!
✔️ Fresh ingredients.
✔️ A big salad is always a great meal!
This is... dare I say a healthy salad! Light, fresh and delicious. It's perfect all year round.
Ingredients
The salad ingredients are simple. Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- fresh greens - romaine lettuce or mixed greens
- tomatoes - I used Roma tomatoes, but you can use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
- red bell pepper
- red onion
- black beans, red kidney beans or pinto beans
And to top it all off, a quick homemade Vinaigrette! The southwest salad dressing is easy to make and delicious. Even if you've never made salad dressing before.
If you'd prefer to purchase salad dressing, avocado cilantro dressing or a creamy dressing. Both would be delicious!
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Open a can of black beans. Rinse well under cold water and allow to drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Tear or dice the greens into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the red onion and bell pepper into slivers.
- Slice the tomato.
- Toss everything into a large bowl and top with homemade vinaigrette.
Equipment
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FAQ's
I prefer romaine because it's my personal favorite, however you can certainly use green or red leaf lettuce, crunchy iceberg.
Typically it contains black beans, fresh corn, tomatoes, cheese and tortilla strips.
Variations
- grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken
- spicy grilled shrimp
- chunks of avocado
- grilled corn on the cob
- jicama
- frozen corn
- green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- cotija cheese (my favorite!)
- fresh cilantro
- fresh lime
- sour cream
- homemade pico de gallo
Related recipes
- Steakhouse Salad
- Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipes
- Spinach Garbanzo Bean Salad
- Ooh, before I go we had more summer fun you can read about here - Family Fun Night
Serve with
Serve with plenty of tortilla chips, of course! This would be amazing with the Chicken Spaghetti or the Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
If you love this as much as I do, comment below, leaving a five-star rating. I would appreciate it! Also, if you make it I would be honored if you took a moment to tag me so I can see your great eats! On Instagram @bowl_me_over or #bowlmeover - thank you!
Southwest Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups romaine lettuce or mixed greens
- 1 14.5 oz black beans rinsed and drained well
- 1 tomato cut into wedges
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- ½ bell pepper thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro minced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
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Instructions
- Open the can of beans, rinse well under cold water and allow to drain completely.
- Tear or dice the greens into bite sized pieces.
- Slice the red onion and bell pepper.
- Cut the tomato into small wedges.
- Add everything to a large bowl and top with homemade vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Sign up for my recipes here!!
Don't worry, we'll never share your email.Today seems like the perfect day to share this recipe for a light easy salad!! Personally, I love a big salad!
I have three separate sets of HUGE bowls here at the house just to make the perfect "big" salad in. Does anyone else have this issue or am I unique?!!
You choose, what's your favorite?!!
This easy Southwest Salad Recipe is my new favorite!
Let me tell you a bit about the inspiration for this recipe. Last summer Dan and I went on a great road trip. We went from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe and then northwest to Mesa Verde National Park to tour the ancient Pueblo ruins.
In a word, it was AMAZING!
We took two days to tour the park (you can read all about the adventure here!), honestly we could have been there for 10 and left with more to see next time.
One of our hikes included touring the Pueblo Cliff Palace. We hiked all the way to the bottom of the valley with the tour group and then traveled thru the ruins.
We snapped photos along the way and enjoyed the tour, the sights
It was worth all the planning, the drive, park entrance cost, everything!
If you haven't spent time touring National Parks (in my opinion) you're missing out. For simply the cost of admission, there are amazing sights to see and great things to learn and experience.
After our hike, hot tired and exhausted we dined at a local restaurant. I had a Southwest Salad and it was crunchy fresh and delicious!
First published September 12, 2018 - Updated April 27, 2022 to improve readability.
Lewis Johnson
I'm making this tonight, it looks delicious.
Bowl Me Over
Enjoy Lewis, this is a great salad!
Melissa Howell
This salad looks so refreshing and yummy! And I just discovered cotija cheese, and it is AMAZING!
Coleen Koehl
My daughter passed this recipe along and I tried it yesterday. Both my husband and I loved it!
Julie Evink
I make a similar salad a lot but never thought to add black olives! Such a great addition. Going on my regular salad rotation.
Michaela Kenkel
Looks like you had a great time!! Awesome photos and yummy salad recipe for me to try!! Thanks!
Bowl Me Over
You betcha Michaela!! Most definitely put Mesa Verde on your bucket list!!
Malinda
I'm in need of healthy salads like this!! Thanks!!
Bowl Me Over
Enjoy Malinda, I love this salad!!
Jennifer A Stewart
I love all these southwest flavors and always need new options for lunch salads!
Bowl Me Over
An easy lunch! Toss some grilled shrimp on top and it's dinner!
Danielle Green
A salad like this is so refreshing!
Bowl Me Over
Most definitely Danielle, love a big salad!
michel
Those photos of mesa nat'l park are incredible... what a fun trip! The salad sounds so hearty I think I'll bring it to a tailgate party next weekend... I can only eat brats and burgers so often and would love to have something a LOT healthier to serve!
Bowl Me Over
Ha! Ain't that the truth! Not many healthy eats for tailgating! 🙂
Healing Tomato
What a fresh and healthy salad recipe! I love the southwest flavors.
Bowl Me Over
Thank you so much!!
Kathy McDaniel
Such a fresh and tasty salad! I love Southwestern flavors so this is right up my alley. A must try recipe for me! Thanks for sharing!! (Love the National Park photos too!)
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Kathy, the park was amazing! We are already planning next summer's National Park trip - not sure where we are going yet, but it will be fun, I'm sure! Enjoy this salad, I hope you give it a try!!
Sandra
Oh yes, huge fan of salads here and big bowls! Salad looks scrumptious and wow, what a hiking trip! Adding Mesa Verde National park to my must see list!
Bowl Me Over
Yes! Be sure to visit Mesa Verde, it's so amazing! Enjoy the salad Sandra!!
Madi
This sounds like such an awesome salad! This would be such a hit at my house!
Bowl Me Over
Most definitely, I hope you give it a try Madi!
Dan from Platter Talk
I love anything with balsamic and the southwest theme of this beautiful salad has my drooling glands working overtime; great job with this recipe!
Bowl Me Over
Thank you so much Dan!
Liza
Loving this recipe! It sounds like just what I need: filling, low-calorie, healthy and flavorful! Thanks!
Bowl Me Over
You're welcome Liza, enjoy! We love it!