ST. LOUIS —
Fiesta Chopped Salad
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 red onion, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 can corn, drained (or use 1 cup of fresh corn cut off the cob)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced (sub: fresh parsley)
Dressing:
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (sub: avocado oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional Add-Ins:
hot sauce, to taste (optional)
1–2 avocados, diced (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir together the the peppers, onion, tomatoes, corn, beans, and cilantro in a large serving bowl.
In a mason jar with a lid, add the lime zest, lime juice, oil, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Shake until combined.
Pour 3/4th of the dressing over the salad and stir, reserving the rest for later if needed. Cover the salad and extra dressing and store in the fridge until ready to use, up to a day in advance. Let the chopped salad marinate for at least 20-30 minutes ahead of time before serving to give the flavors a chance to marry together.
Right before serving, stir in the avocado (so it doesn’t get brown and mushy ahead of time). Taste and season with more salt, pepper, hot sauce, and dressing as needed.
NOTES
Cover and store in the fridge for about 3 days or so.
Serve with tortilla chips or sturdy crackers.
-Rachel Tiemeyer
