Tex-Mex Salad with Crispy Quinoa & Chili Lime Crema
This salad is a full-on flavor fiesta. It’s packed with vegetables, chicken, beans, and standout toppings like crispy quinoa and creamy chili-lime dressing!
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups leafy greens
- ¼ to ½ cup black beans
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup chopped orange bell pepper
- ¼ to ½ cup fresh corn kernels
- ¼ avocado, chopped
- 3 oz chopped chicken breast
- ⅓ cup Crispy Tex-Mex Quinoa, (recipe below)
- ¼ cup Chili Lime Crema, (recipe below)
- Lime Zest
- Sprinkling of pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Tex-Mex Quinoa
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, rinsed and cooled
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoky
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional, for a kick
Chili Lime Crema
- ¼ cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
- ½ small garlic clove, finely minced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- ½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce, adjust to your spice preference
- 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh cilantro and scallion, optional, but recommended
Instructions
- To make the Chili Lime Crema: Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Taste and tweak the seasonings or lime juice to your liking. You may want to chill before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Set aside.
- To make the Tex-Mex Quinoa: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, oil, and all the seasonings. Toss well to evenly coat the quinoa.
- Spread the quinoa out evenly on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the quinoa is deeply golden and crispy throughout. Start checking at 15 minutes—some ovens run hot, and you want that perfect golden crunch without going too far.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. The quinoa will crisp up even more as it cools.
- To make the salad: Layer leafy greens in a large bowl and top a quarter section each with beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn and avocado, leaving the center open. Place the chicken in the middle. Sprinkle the quinoa on top and drizzle on the Chili Lime Crema. Add lime zest and a sprinkling of seeds to the top.
Nutrition Information per serving
Serving Size: 1 saladCalories: 480Carbohydrates: 49gProtein: 39gTotal Fat: 17g— Unsaturated Fat: 14g— Saturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 1240mgFiber: 13gTotal Sugar: 8g— Natural Sugar: 8g— Added Sugar: 0gVitamin A: 2403IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 4.4mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.