Mexican Black Bean and Corn Salad with Crispy Tortilla Strips
This Mexican Black Bean and Corn Salad combines crisp vegetables, creamy avocado lime dressing, and crispy tortilla strips for a fresh and satisfying dish packed with bold Southwest-inspired flavor. It’s an easy salad recipe that works perfectly for taco nights, cookouts, potlucks, or quick lunches.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Large salad bowl
- Blender or food processor
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 flour tortillas (quartered and sliced into thin strips)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 1 medium iceberg lettuce (thinly sliced), about 4 cups
- 1 14-oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 14-oz can corn (rinsed and drained)
- 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled
For the Avocado Lime Dressing
- 1 avocado (peeled and pitted)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 medium limes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Add the tortilla strips to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the iceberg lettuce, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, and red onion. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Add the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, salt, and black pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the avocado lime dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Top with crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Add the dressing and tortilla strips right before serving to keep the strips crunchy.
- To make ahead: prep the salad base and tortilla strips separately; blend the dressing and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- For a dairy-free version, swap the sour cream for a dairy-free alternative or a couple of tablespoons of full-fat coconut cream.
- For gluten-free crispy strips, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
- Cotija can be substituted with crumbled feta.
