Tex-Mex Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

While perusing Pinterest a few days ago I came across this recipe, re-pinned it to my “Recipes to Make” board and when I got a head of cabbage in last week’s veg box, gave it a try.  And I’ve been making it nearly every day since.

My feelings about Pinterest are conflicted.  I love looking at the gorgeous food photos – could get sucked into it for the better part of an afternoon if I let myself.

But I often find the picture much more appealing than the underlying recipe.  I’ve had more #pinterestfails than I can count.

This recipe is the exception.

The pinner insisted it was her “salad of the summer” and she “craved it every day”.  And that creamy cilantro dressing, well, it just drew me in.

So I made the recipe and it is seriously delicious (more-ish, as they say here in the UK).  It’s not a dainty side salad, it’s a hearty entrée salad…a meal in itself.

Food snobs, you may need to step away for a minute while I make this next confession.  It totally reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory’s Santa Fe Salad which was probably my favorite dish for most of the mid-to-late 90’s (I moved to Chicago in 1995 and a Cheesecake Factory had recently opened in the John Hancock Building, which became a required stop for all of my out-of-town guests and I was all-to-happy to oblige them).

So give it a go and see if you get as addicted as I am.

Tex-Mex Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing (makes 4 servings)

Note:  The dressing can be made a few hours ahead and the salad ingredients can be chopped and tossed together (with the exception of the avocado) a few hours ahead as well.  Toss the salad with the dressing and chop and add the avocado when you are ready to serve.  Since this salad has cabbage rather than lettuce it can be eaten as leftovers the next day without being a soggy mess, though may not look as pretty (avocado will probably turn a bit brown…but still tastes fine).

For the dressing:

2/3 cup (12 grams) cilantro/coriander leaves

5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) olive oil

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 teaspoons honey

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more if you like spicy things)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

1/2 white or firm green cabbage, finely chopped (about 4 cups or 400 grams)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 ear sweet corn, kernels sliced off the cob

15 ounces (400 grams) canned/tinned black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped

---

To make the dressing:  Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor (I used my NutriBullet) and blend until well-combined.

To make the salad:  Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with the dressing and serve.

Adapted from simplyrealhealth.com