Mexican Restaurant Salad

cookiedog's Note:

This is inspired by a salad from a popular Mexican restaurant chain. If you can't find Queso Fresco, you can substitute with a mild feta. Recipe is from San Francisco Firehouse Food: Cooking with San Francisco's Firefighters.

• Total Time: 23 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

CILANTRO-SOUR CREAM DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• ½ cup stemmed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
• 1 green jalapeno chile , stemmed, seeded, and deribbed
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds , shelled
• salt

Salad

• 2 heads romaine lettuce , outer leaves removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small red onion , thinly sliced
• 1 avocado , pitted, peeled, and cubed
• 1 ½ cups lightly crushed yellow corn tortilla chips , lightly crushed
• fresh ground black pepper
• 4 ounces queso fresco , crumbled

Directions:

1. To Make the Dressing: Put the lime juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and Parmesan in the container of a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
2. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To toast the pumpkin seeds: heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the pumpkin seeds.
4. Toss continuously until the seeds are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and let cool.
6. To Assemble the Salad: Combine the lettuce, onion, avocado, tortilla chips, and dressing in a large salad bowl.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle the queso fresco and toasted pumpkin seeds over the salad.

Reviews

[newfiechic]

This salad is great exactly as written. Spectacular flavour - we loved this. I've also made this substituting sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds and that was delicious as well. Thanks for posting!

[aronsinvest]

Very nice!!! Served with taco burgers...it was a hit!

[iris5555]

Great salad. The dressing is nicely seasoned.