Nacho Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 425.2 g (1 (15 oz) can) black beans
- 165 g (1 cup) corn kernels
- 200 g (1) avocado
- 150 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 14 g (1) jalapeño
- 2 big handfuls tortilla chips, lightly crushed
- Seasoned Beans:
- 2 g (1 tsp) cumin
- Chipotle Lime Dressing:
- ⅓ cup vegan sour cream or cashew cream
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
- 5 ml (1 tsp) maple syrup
- ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt
- 1–2 tbsp water to thin
Equipments:
Features:
20 minutes or less
Gluten-Free
Meal Prep Friendly
Soy-Free
Oil-Free
Refined Sugar-Free
Nutrition:
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
Let the corn sit undisturbed in the hot dry skillet for the first 2-3 minutes — moving it too soon steams it instead of giving it real charred spots.
Instructions:
- Season the beans: Warm black beans in a small saucepan over medium heat with cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the beans are fragrant and coated in the spices. Set aside.
- Char the corn: Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Add the corn and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until charred in spots. Season with a pinch of salt. This smoky step adds serious depth to the salad.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the vegan sour cream, lime juice, minced chipotle, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until you reach a pourable, creamy consistency. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more chipotle for heat.
- Assemble: Add the romaine to a large bowl or platter. Top with seasoned beans, charred corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
- Add chips and dress: Scatter the crushed tortilla chips over the top. Drizzle with the chipotle lime dressing just before serving so the chips stay crunchy.
- Serve immediately: Toss lightly and serve right away. If prepping ahead, keep the chips and dressing separate until the last minute.
Tips: Charring the corn dry in a screaming hot skillet (no oil) is the single best thing you can do for this salad — it adds a smoky, almost roasted flavor that makes it taste restaurant-quality. Don’t stir it, just let it sit and blacken.
Add chips last: Always add the tortilla chips right before serving. If you toss them in early they go soggy — keeping them on top preserves the crunch that makes this salad feel like nachos.
Protein boost: Add crispy seasoned tofu, tempeh crumbles, or vegan ground meat for extra protein. Grilled corn on the cob sliced off works beautifully too.
Dressing swap: The chipotle lime dressing can be replaced with the Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette from the site, or a simple lime-tahini dressing (2 tbsp tahini + 2 tbsp lime juice + 1 tbsp maple syrup + water to thin).
Make it a bowl: Swap the romaine for cilantro lime rice or cauliflower rice to turn this into a fully loaded nacho bowl.
Storage: Store all components separately. The dressing keeps up to 5 days in the fridge. The assembled salad (without chips and dressing) keeps 1 day. Always add chips and dress fresh at serving.
This recipe leans on a handful of key ingredients to get its flavor and texture right. The canned black beans adds protein and a creamy texture that bulks up the dish. The avocado adds a buttery creaminess and healthy fat. The cherry tomatoes adds bright acidity and juicy body. The cumin adds warm, earthy depth.
Nacho Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 425.2 g (1 (15 oz) can) black beans
- 165 g (1 cup) corn kernels
- 200 g (1) avocado
- 150 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 14 g (1) jalapeño
- 2 big handfuls tortilla chips, lightly crushed
- Seasoned Beans:
- 2 g (1 tsp) cumin
- Chipotle Lime Dressing:
- ⅓ cup vegan sour cream or cashew cream
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
- 5 ml (1 tsp) maple syrup
- ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt
- 1–2 tbsp water to thin
Equipments:
Features:
Why These Ingredients:
This recipe leans on a handful of key ingredients to get its flavor and texture right. The canned black beans adds protein and a creamy texture that bulks up the dish. The avocado adds a buttery creaminess and healthy fat. The cherry tomatoes adds bright acidity and juicy body. The cumin adds warm, earthy depth.
Prep:
Let the corn sit undisturbed in the hot dry skillet for the first 2-3 minutes — moving it too soon steams it instead of giving it real charred spots.
Instructions:
- Season the beans: Warm black beans in a small saucepan over medium heat with cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the beans are fragrant and coated in the spices. Set aside.
- Char the corn: Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Add the corn and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until charred in spots. Season with a pinch of salt. This smoky step adds serious depth to the salad.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the vegan sour cream, lime juice, minced chipotle, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until you reach a pourable, creamy consistency. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more chipotle for heat.
- Assemble: Add the romaine to a large bowl or platter. Top with seasoned beans, charred corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
- Add chips and dress: Scatter the crushed tortilla chips over the top. Drizzle with the chipotle lime dressing just before serving so the chips stay crunchy.
- Serve immediately: Toss lightly and serve right away. If prepping ahead, keep the chips and dressing separate until the last minute.
