Southwest Salad

I like to always serve a salad with a meal. My favorite foods tend to be carb-heavy and laden with cheese, so I always need something fresh and crisp to counterbalance that.

For last year's Cinco de Mayo, I came up with this Southwest Salad. It's a pretty hearty one that could easily become a main dish with the addition of chicken or shrimp. A little bacon wouldn't hurt either. 

Southwest Salad

2 heads of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup frozen corn, defrosted

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Large handful tortilla chips, or bag of tortilla salad strips

Chipotle ranch dressing (you can buy, or add some chipotle powder and lime juice to your favorite ranch dressing)

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, black beans, corn and cherry tomatoes.  Line bowl with tortilla chips.  Serve with chipotle ranch dressing.