Vegan Santa Fe Salad
This Vegan Santa Fe Salad explodes with all kinds of bold Mexican flavors! It’s loaded with corn kernels, black beans and tomatoes, all divinely brought together with a tangy lime chipotle vinaigrette. Can you say yum?
If you are into Mexican food, then you will definitely be all over this Vegan Santa Fe Salad… Not only does it come together in no time at all — I mean really, got 10 minutes to spare? — it harbors so much flavors and textures under its hood, it’s just like a crazy Mexican fiesta on a plate!
You get all the fresh and natural flavors of the corn and beans, onions and tomatoes, all wrapped up in a sweet, tangy and zesty Lime Chipotle Dressing, which has just what it takes of a kick. Of course, it’s the perfect side kick to practically any Mexican dish — Pulled Jackfruit Tacos, anyone? — but it’s also so filling and satisfying that it can totally be enjoyed as a main!
Try it at your next picnic, potluck or themed party… it’s guaranteed to be a hit!
Start by prepping all your ingredients… no need to place them in a separate bowls, though… I just wanted you to get an idea of what you’re looking at!
For the corn, you can use fresh, canned or frozen, whatever floats your boat! Fresh would be the most complicated and time consuming to use, as you’d have to cook and cool it first, unless you had some leftover in the fridge… If using frozen corn kernels, there’s no need to even bother cooking it, really; just rinse it under cold running water until it’s completely thawed and then drain it well. And if you’re using canned, just be sure to drain it really well.
Same goes for the black beans. For the sake of convenience, I like to use canned beans in my salads, but feel free to cook your own if you prefer. Whatever you do, though, make certain that you rinse your beans really well before to throw them in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Oh, and don’t go slicing that avocado right away, save that for the very end, that way you’ll be sure that it won’t go browning on you.
Now place the lettuce, corn, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Then, make the vinaigrette: combine some avocado oil, lime zest and juice, maple syrup, garlic, salt, cumin and chipotle powder in a small measuring cup and whisk until everything is well combined and slightly emulsified. Pour that right over the salad.
Give everything a delicate toss to combine. Technically, your salad is now ready to be served, but you could also place it in the fridge to chill for an hour or two to allow all those gorgeous flavors to meld.
At the time of serving, slice the avocado and top your salad with it, then garnish the whole thing with a handful of broken corn tortillas, as well as a few wedges of lime, if desired.
Vegan Santa Fe Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 3 cups corn kernels, thawed, canned or fresh (drain well if applicable)*
- 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, sliced
For the vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- grated zest and juice of 2 lime
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
Optional Garnish
- Lime wedges
- Crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Place the lettuce, corn, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
- Next, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small measuring cup and whisk until well combined and slightly emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss delicately to combine.
- Serve immediately or place in the fridge for about an hour to allow flavors to meld.
- When ready to serve, top with the sliced avocado and garnish with a handful of crushed corn tortillas as well as a few lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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4 Comments on “Vegan Santa Fe Salad”
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
this is one of the best things I’ve read when eating healthy foods!
This recipe is pure genius, thank you! xxxxx
Haha. Thank YOU, Gat!