Southwest Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

Southwest Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

Sometimes a simple dinner is exactly what is needed at the end of a long day.  The night I made this I was cooking only for myself, but I wanted something healthy and satisfying.  I just didn't want to spend more than 10 or 15 minutes in the kitchen preparing it.  I had eaten the same salad mix in a bag a few days before and although I liked the ranch style dressing that came with it, I wanted to make something I knew would be not only more nutritious, but more flavorful as well.  So I got rid of the dressing packet and got out some fresh ingredients from my fridge and whipped up this delicious meal.  Because the salad base is mostly cabbage and kale it held up well with the creamy avocado dressing and honestly tasted just as good, if not better, as leftovers the next day for lunch.  I know that corn is not the most nutritious "vegetable" and has been vilified in the news recently as a contributing factor to high spikes in blood sugar, but I wanted some carbs in my salad and I figured organic corn was a decent pick. I added black beans for protein, although cut up chicken or salmon would have worked as well.  The secret is in the dressing, which tasted so creamy you would think it is bad for you, but it is just the perfection of an avocado adding healthy fats and flavor to a delicious dinner salad.

Southwest Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

ingredients

Dressing:
1 avocado
juice of two limes
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. salt

Salad mix and
dressing (before being blended)

Salad:
3 C. chopped salad mix
1 can (15 ounces) organic black beans
1 C. cooked organic corn kernels
crumbled organic corn chips, optional
shredded cheddar cheese, optional


Blend the dressing ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Toss with the salad ingredients and serve.  Make 2-4 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

enough for 2 (or probably 3 or 4) meals!

my dinner plate