Mexican Caesar Salad | Gimme Some Oven

Easy20 minsQuick

This Mexican Caesar Salad recipe is made with a lighter Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing, lots of my favorite Mexi ingredients, and it tastes so fresh and flavorful and delicious!

Look out, world. My favorite kind of food just met my favorite kind of salad.

And the result is a mega-delicious win-win. ??

Seriously, this recipe is everything I love about a rich and creamy Caesar salad…but kicked up a notch with lots of my favorite Mexi ingredients (think: creamy avocado, crunchy pepitas, salty tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, zesty cotija, y más)…and then lightened up a notch with lots and lots of fresh kale and a lighter Caesar dressing (featuring lots of Greek yogurt and fresh lime juice).

So basically, you have every excuse in the book to go back for seconds, right?!

Seriously, I have no idea how it took me so long to consider this favorite food mash-up, but thank goodness it finally happened.

To make the salad, simply combine all of your salad ingredients in one big bowl:

• lots of fresh kale and Romaine lettuce (I recommend dinosaur/Lacinato kale)
• fresh cilantro
• crispy tortilla strips (I made my own, but you can use store-bought)
• toasted pepitas
• sliced avocado

Then all of that gets drizzled with my favorite Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing (<– which I recommend making with lime instead of lemon juice for this recipe, as part of the Mexi twist). Delish.

Give it all a good toss until everything’s nice and coated with that heavenly dressing…

…then sprinkle with cotija or queso fresco…

…and voila! In just 20 minutes or so, this fabulous salad will be ready to serve and enjoy. It’s awesome as a main dish or a side dish. And if you’d like to add in some grilled chicken or shrimp or steak, go for it!

Enjoy, everyone!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Mexican Caesar Salad

Everything you love about a classic Caesar salad…made with a Mexican twist! Feel free to add grilled chicken, shrimp or steak to this salad, or serve it vegetarian as-is!

Total Time:20 mins

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:0 mins

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups roughly-chopped dinosaur (lacinato) kale leaves, tough stems removed
• 4 cups roughly-chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup fried tortilla strips, homemade* or storebought
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 batch Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing (which I recommend making with lime juice, instead of lemon juice, for this recipe)
• crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco

Directions:

1. Combine kale, Romaine, tortilla strips, cilantro, pepitas, and avocado in a large mixing bowl.
2. Drizzle evenly with the Caesar dressing, and toss to combine.
3. Serve immediately, sprinkled with crumbled cotija or queso fresco.

*You can either buy crispy tortilla strips at the store (they’re usually in the salad dressing section). Or if you’d like to make them homemade, just cut a bunch of corn tortillas into small strips. Fill a small saucepan or sauté pan 1/2-inch full of oil. Heat over medium-high heat, until the oil sizzles when you add a drop of water. (If it sputters and splatters, the oil is too hot — turn it down.) Add in a handful of the tortilla strips and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until they start getting golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tortilla strips to a paper-towel-covered plate, and let cool. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips until all are fried.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Quick

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