Mexican Caesar Salad

This recipe for mexican caesar salad is crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy cilantro dressing, then finished off with a variety of fun toppings. It’s caesar salad in a whole new way that might be even better than the original!

Remember how last week I was raving about that chopped greek salad I made? This mexican caesar salad is just as amazing (if not better!). Clearly it’s not a caesar salad in the traditional sense, but a lot of the same elements are there – romaine lettuce, creamy dressing, shaved cheese and here we’ve got tortilla strips in lieu of croutons. I also added some extra toppings because in my opinion that’s the best part of any salad!

Romaine lettuce forms the base for this mexican caesar salad and in the topping lineup we’ve got tortilla strips (you can also use crumbled chips), diced tomato, black beans, pepitas (aka toasted pumpkin seeds), crumbled cotija cheese and sliced avocado. It’s all topped off with a creamy cilantro dressing.

The dressing is made in a blender or food processor and is full of ingredients that add a ton of flavor like green chiles, pepitas, cotija cheese, lots of cilantro and lime juice. Toss the dressing with the lettuce and toppings and you’ve got salad perfection.

This mexican caesar salad recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd, it would be the perfect contribution to a potluck! I like to make a batch of this salad and then eat it for lunch for days, so far I haven’t gotten tired of it. Regardless of how you eat it, you’ll love the bold flavors and textures in this caesar salad variation.

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5 from 3 votes

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Mexican Caesar Salad

This recipe for mexican caesar salad is crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy cilantro dressing, then finished off with a variety of fun toppings. It's caesar salad in a whole new way that might be even better than the original!

Course Salad, Side

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 633 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 5 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
• 1/2 cup diced and seeded tomatoes
• 1 cup of canned black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup of tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
• 1 avocado , pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted and salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Optional garnishes: Lime wedges and cilantro leaves

• For the dressing:
• 1 whole canned mild green chile or 1 anaheim pepper , seeded, roasted and peeled
• 2 tablespoons of roasted and salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of cotija cheese , finely crumbled (can substitute feta)
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup of cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise or sour cream

Instructions

1. For the dressing:
2. Place all of the salad dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add a little water if needed to get to a pouring consistency.Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
3. For the salad:
4. Place the lettuce, tomatoes and beans in a large bowl. Add the dressing (in the amount you prefer) and toss to coat. Top the salad with tortilla strips, cotija cheese and avocado slices. Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Cotija cheese can be found in most grocery stores, mine was in the regular cheese aisle but the check the specialty cheese area in the deli too. Feta is an acceptable substitute.
Mild green chiles come in small cans in the mexican food area, I use the ortega brand.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Caesar Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 633 Calories from Fat 396

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 44g 68%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 26mg 9%

Sodium 703mg 29%

Potassium 1240mg 35%

Total Carbohydrates 44g 15%

Dietary Fiber 13g 52%

Sugars 5g

Protein 18g 36%

Vitamin A 113.1%

Vitamin C 17.4%

Calcium 21%

Iron 24.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Things You’ll Need (or Want!)

Salad Dressing Bottle I like to store my homemade salad dressing in a bottle like this one, I love that it fits on the door of the fridge with the rest of my condiments.

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Salad Spinner There’s nothing worse than wet, soggy lettuce. This salad spinner transforms all of your cleaned greens into fresh and dry delights that are sure to be the star of any salad.

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Mini Food Processor I use my mini food processor for smaller jobs like making this salad dressing.

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