Mexican Restaurant Salad

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.

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• CILANTRO-SOUR CREAM DRESSING

• 2  tablespoons  freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 2  tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons sour cream
• 1⁄2 cup  stemmed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
• 1  green jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and deribbed
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2  tablespoons  grated parmesan cheese

• Pumpkin Seeds

• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 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 1⁄2 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.