I am so guilty of buying those bagged salads in the produce section at the super market. I LOVE THEM. Whenever I am feeling unmotivated to meal prep for the week, my go-to is any kind of southwest salad. But at $4-$5 a pop those bagged salads are not a very economical solution to my mid-day meal hunt. So this week, feeling quite motivated and also a little strapped for cash, I decided to create my own southwest style dressing and get my salad on at home.

To be honest, I’ve tried repeatedly just to buy a southwest dressing and I cannot find one to save my life. I’ve seen a couple southwest ranch dressings out there but they’re not even close to the same. Too much ranch (is there such a thing?!) and not enough southwest.

I’ve had the southwest salad a Mickey D’s a few times (see, I told you, I really am a southwest salad connoisseur) and it comes with the most glorious Newman’s Own Southwest dressing. After a little research I discovered that Newman’s Own makes it exclusively for McDonald’s and you cannot find it anywhere else. So Mickey D’s has the monopoly on the only delicious southwest dressing ever.

Until now! I would venture to say that this dressing might even be better than Newman’s Own. But I’ll let you be the judge!

The Best Chopped Southwest Salad

• Author: Midwest Foodie
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: American/TexMex

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Description

Save money and prep this Southwest salad at home for a week’s worth of healthy lunches! You’ll never want another bagged salad again after you try this homemade Southwest dressing!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 small bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
• 2–3 teaspoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• 4–5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn kernels, (fresh corn is even better if it’s in season)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 cup tortilla strips or chips
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced

Dressing:

• 16 oz. light sour cream
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2–3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 6 lime wedges

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Instructions

1. Place kale in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. Massage for 3-4 minutes until it gets bright green and starts to wilt. Mix kale with romaine and assemble salads by dividing greens between six plates or Tupperware containers (or place in a large bowl if you are serving family style). Then add remaining toppings.
2. Add all dressing ingredients to a large mason jar and shake vigorously until well combined. Pour dressing over salad, garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and enjoy!

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Keywords: easy, simple, healthy, meal prep, lunch, recipe, quick, vegetarian