Southwest Chopped Salad with Chipotle Ranch

Name: Southwest Chopped Salad with Chipotle Ranch
Prep time: 29 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: ¼ cup (55 g) mayonnaise; ¼ cup (58 g) sour cream; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) buttermilk, shaken, plus more to thin; 1 pepper (15 g) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and finely minced; 2 teaspoons (10 ml) adobo sauce from the can; 1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 1 large (30 ml) lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml juice); zest not needed; ¼ cup (4 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) onion powder; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 4 tortillas (100 g) 6-inch corn tortillas, stacked and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) strips; 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola); ½ teaspoon (1½ g) chili powder; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) kosher salt; 3 hearts (510 g) romaine hearts, washed, very dry, chopped into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed well, then patted dry; 1½ cups (240 g) corn kernels, thawed if frozen, or fresh from about 2 cooked ears; drained and patted dry; 1½ cups (225 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered; ¼ cup (40 g) red onion, finely diced; 3 scallions (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced; 2 medium (300 g) ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; ½ cup (60 g) cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp romaine, black beans, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado are chopped small and tossed with a smoky, tangy homemade chipotle ranch and crunchy baked tortilla strips. It's a hearty main-course salad that comes together in under 40 minutes.

Prep: 29 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 37 min
Makes: 4 main-course salads (about 2 generous cups each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chipotle ranch
¼ cup (55 g) mayonnaise
¼ cup (58 g) sour cream
3 tablespoons (45 ml) buttermilk, shaken, plus more to thin
1 pepper (15 g) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and finely minced
2 teaspoons (10 ml) adobo sauce from the can
1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
1 large (30 ml) lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml juice); zest not needed
¼ cup (4 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) onion powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For the tortilla strips
4 tortillas (100 g) 6-inch corn tortillas, stacked and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) strips
1½ tablespoons (22 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola)
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) chili powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the salad
3 hearts (510 g) romaine hearts, washed, very dry, chopped into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned black beans, drained and rinsed well, then patted dry
1½ cups (240 g) corn kernels, thawed if frozen, or fresh from about 2 cooked ears; drained and patted dry
1½ cups (225 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup (40 g) red onion, finely diced
3 scallions (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced
2 medium (300 g) ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
½ cup (60 g) cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)

Equipment (6)

Large rimmed baking sheet (18×13-inch / 46×33 cm)
Large chef's knife and cutting board
Large salad bowl (at least 5-quart / 4.7 L)
Small bowl for the dressing
Fine-mesh strainer or colander
Whisk and rubber spatula

Steps

Before you start

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine; wet leaves make the dressing slide off and the salad watery.
Use a ripe avocado that yields slightly to gentle pressure; cut it just before serving so it doesn't brown.
Chipotle peppers in adobo are spicy: start with 1 pepper for medium heat and add more to taste.
The dressing chills in the fridge while the tortilla strips bake and cool, so make it first.

1
Preheat the ovenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F (200°C).
- Have a large rimmed baking sheet ready.
- The oven will finish heating while you make the dressing in the next step.
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Ready when: Oven reads 400°F (200°C)
2
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, minced chipotle, adobo sauce, grated garlic, lime juice, chopped cilantro, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper until completely smooth and evenly speckled with red-brown flecks.
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Ready when: Smooth, pourable but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
Tip: Wear gloves or wash hands well after handling chipotle; the adobo sauce stings eyes.
3
Chill the dressing
- Cover the dressing and refrigerate it while you season and bake the tortilla strips and chop the vegetables (at least 10 minutes).
- Taste, then add more salt, lime, or minced chipotle if you want it brighter or spicier.
- Thin with 1 teaspoon buttermilk at a time if it seems too thick to drizzle.
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Ready when: Dressing is cold and has thickened slightly
4
Season the tortilla strips
- Toss the cut tortilla strips on the baking sheet with the oil, chili powder and ¼ teaspoon salt, using your hands to coat every strip.
- Spread into a single even layer without overlapping.
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Ready when: Strips are evenly glossy with no dry patches
Tip: Crowded strips steam instead of crisp; use a second sheet if needed.
5
Bake until crispOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the strips are deep golden at the edges and smell toasty.
- Transfer the sheet to a rack and let the strips cool completely while you chop; they crisp further as they cool.
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Ready when: Golden brown at the edges, and they snap rather than bend when cooled
Tip: Thin strips go from golden to burnt quickly, so check at 6 minutes.
6
Chop the vegetables
- Place the chopped romaine in a very large bowl.
- Add the dried black beans, corn, quartered tomatoes, diced red onion and sliced scallions.
- Keep the pieces small so each forkful has a bit of everything.
- The tortilla strips cool during this time.
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Ready when: All ingredients are roughly bite-sized and dry to the touch
Tip: Pat beans and corn dry; excess moisture dilutes the dressing.
7
Add the avocado
- Just before serving, add the avocado cubes to the bowl, along with half of the cotija if using.
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Ready when: Avocado cubes hold their shape
Tip: Don't cut the avocado earlier; it browns and mashes with sitting and tossing.
8
Toss and serve
- Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and fold gently with a spatula from the bottom up until everything is lightly coated.
- Add more dressing as needed.
- Top with the cooled tortilla strips and remaining cotija, and serve right away with extra dressing on the side.
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Ready when: Leaves look glossy, not soggy, and avocado is still in distinct cubes
Tip: Add tortilla strips last so they stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Dry every ingredient well; wet beans, corn and lettuce are the main cause of a watery, diluted salad.
Chop everything to a similar small size so the salad eats like a mix rather than separate pieces.
Add protein for a heartier meal: 2 cups sliced grilled chicken or steak works well on top.
Dress just before serving and toss gently to keep the avocado intact.

Make ahead

Make the dressing up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. Bake the tortilla strips up to 2 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature. Chop the romaine, tomatoes, onion and scallions up to 1 day ahead and store with a paper towel in an airtight container; combine with beans and corn, then add avocado and dressing just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Dressed salad is best eaten immediately but keeps in the fridge up to 1 day (it will soften and the avocado may darken). Undressed salad components keep refrigerated for 2 days. Dressing keeps 5 days in the fridge; stir before using. Tortilla strips keep 2 days airtight at room temperature; re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 2 minutes. Not suitable for freezing.

Substitutions

buttermilk → milk plus ½ teaspoon lime juice or vinegar. Let it sit 5 minutes to thicken slightly before using.
sour cream → plain Greek yogurt. Gives a tangier, slightly lighter dressing.
cotija cheese → feta or shredded Monterey Jack. Feta is similarly salty; Jack is milder, so season to taste.
6-inch corn tortillas → about 1½ cups (60 g) store-bought tortilla strips. Skip the baking steps and add just before serving.