Tex-Mex Rainbow Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Break out the light jackets, turn on the grill and slice up the watermelon!

You think I am joking, but I am actually not! My kids (and my husband and I) felt like it was summer this weekend. Which is actually really funny because if it hit 50 degrees in August, we would all be complaining how bad the summer weather was and there was nothing to do, blah, blah , blah. But, in March? We were all throwing open our windows and proclaiming it a “beautiful day!” The kids were rejoicing outside with light or no jackets, riding their bikes through puddles and jumping off them and dumping them right in the…snow.

We were doing sidewalk chalk all over our soggy driveway and blowing bubbles outside as if it were the most beautiful summer day. My youngest asked if we could go to the pool later. We could all feel summer creeping closer.

So, as expected, I started to get into the warm weather spirit and fresh food was on my mind. Ditch the soups and heavy comfort foods, I wanted something crisp, something light, something…you would eat when it was actually much warmer than 50 degrees outside. 

Enter this beautiful salad. It is so beautiful, it almost pains you to take the salad tongs and mix it all up. You will soon forget those feelings though when you drizzle it with creamy avocado dressing and maybe crunch a few tortilla chips over the top of it.

Ahh…summer at its finest. Well, at least when you are pretending it’s summer. 

The salad can really be played with to your liking. Add what you like, take out what you don’t. It’s easy like that. Easy like a lazy summer day.

Had enough with the summer references? Ha! Get ready-they will be on overdrive for the next few months!

Tex Mex Rainbow Salad
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
Tortilla chips, crumbled – optional
Grilled shrimp or chicken – optional

Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter. Drizzle with avocado dressing or your favorite salad dressing.

Creamy Avocado Dressing
2 garlic cloves
1 avocado, pit and skin removed
1/3 cup cilantro, torn
1-2 limes, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp chili powder

Add garlic cloves to a food processor and pulse until it is in small pieces. Add avocado, cilantro and lime juice and pulse until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil. Pulse. Add honey, salt and chili powder. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Adjust taste with extra seasonings, extra lime juice, olive oil if necessary. Dressing should be thick and creamy, but pourable. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Drizzle over salad and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored for three days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.