Mexican Chopped Salad with Chipotle Pepitas

Recipe & Photo Courtesy Sandra Valvassori

For more information on ingredients and recipes visit www.sandravalvassori.com

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Ingredients...

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise or vegenaise
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Chipotle Pepitas:

• 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Salad: 

• 1 medium heat romaine lettuce, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups chopped cabbage, red or green or a mix
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced
• 4 - 5 radish, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1/2 medium jicama, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernals, grilled or cooked from frozen
• 1 can (19 oz/596 mL) black beans, drained and well rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta, optional

Method...

1. Dressing: Whisk lime juice, honey, garlic, mayo (or vegenaise), olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth.
2. Chipotle Pepitas: In a saucepan over medium heat, lightly toast the pepitas, tossing constantly until fragrant and golden brown. Turn the heat off and add the coconut oil, chipotle powder and salt; toss well, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Salad: Combine the lettuce and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Drizzle about half of the dressing and toss carefully to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves and chipotle pepitas. Taste and drizzle with a little more dressing if needed. Top with feta cheese, if desired.

To Grill Corn: 

• 3 to 4 ears corn, husks removed
• Olive oil for brushing
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Brush the corn with a light coat of olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Corn the corn over a grill or grill pan heated over high heat until the corn is charred and tender on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cut the kernels from the cobs. You should have about 1 1/2 cups kernels.