Southwestern Chopped Salad
This Southwestern Chopped Salad features grilled corn, shredded cheese and lettuce tossed in a tangy southwestern dressing. Oh, and it gets topped with Fritos!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
Ever since I made this Ground Beef Taco Salad last year, I’ve been searching for more ways to use Fritos in recipes. Ok, maybe it’s not that dramatic. I haven’t been searching for a whole year. But Fritos are delicious. So therefore using Fritos in a recipe? Also, delicious.
This Southwestern Chopped Salad is similar to that taco salad, but instead of ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning, this salad uses a flavor-packed dressing. And get this – that dressing? It’s Greek-yogurt based. The tanginess of Greek yogurt pairs quite well with the southwestern flavors in the dressing.
Southwestern Chopped Salad
I can’t sing the praises of this salad enough – seriously! Not only is it packed with flavor, but the various textures add a fun aspect to this recipe. The corn chips are pretty amazing on this salad, but the grilled corn and shredded cheese are important components as well.
For this recipe, you’ll need to grill 6 ears of fresh corn – you’re looking for that corn to get nice and charred. It’ll take ~20 minutes on the grill (rotating occasionally) to get that charred flavor. If you don’t have a grill, you can broil the corn to achieve the same charred flavor. It’ll take about 15-20 minutes under the broiler.
One side note here about the corn: After you grill the corn and let it cool, you’ll need to slice it off the cob. I’ve found that using a serrated knife works well for slicing corn off the cob. A non-serrated blade works, too, but I find that it sends corn kernels everywhere. A serrated blade does the job, and it doesn’t leave corn kernels all over the counter! I prefer the Wusthof Sausage Knife for this task – in fact, I find that sausage knife is one of my go-to knives in general.
Aside from grilling/broiling the corn, there is no other active cooking involved in this recipe. Just mixing and chopping. This Southwestern Chopped Salad is a great recipe for busy nights – plus, it’s just fun to put chips on top of your dinner!
For the shredded cheese in this salad, I used Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar. It provided the perfect punch of flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. However, with that said, I could see other cheeses like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack working well in this recipe, too.
If you’re looking for a tasty and easy summer salad idea, put this Southwestern Chopped Salad on the menu. The grilled corn + shredded cheese + Fritos make for a fun recipe! Enjoy!
Did you make this Southwestern Chopped Salad at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version. (And more importantly, I’d love to see how many Fritos you managed to pile on top!)
Southwestern Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 ears corn husks and silk removed
- 1 head iceberg lettuce chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 14.5-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup diced red onions
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese I used Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups corn chips i.e. Fritos
For the Dressing
- 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
For the Salad
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush corn with olive oil and place on grill. Grill, turning occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly charred. (Note: If you don’t have a grill, place corn on a foil-lined sheet pan. Broil for 6-8 minutes, or until charred. Rotate corn and continue broiling for 6-8 more minutes, or until charred on the opposite side.)
- Slice corn off of cobs.
- Using a large bowl, add corn, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, onions and cheese; toss until well combined.
- Add dressing; toss until well combined.
- Add corn chips; toss until well combined.
- Serve immediately. (Note: If salad is being made in advance, wait and add corn chips right before serving so that chips don’t become soggy.)
For the Dressing
- Using a medium bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients; whisk together until well combined. Set aside. (Note: If possible, make this sauce the day before and store covered in the refrigerator overnight. The flavors will meld together and the sauce will taste even better on the 2nd day!)
Looking for more tasty summer salad recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the salad can i use vegan cheese and skip lettuce as am not a big fan of lettuce and dressing can i use coconut yogurt i never had southwestern chopped salad before i never had southwesten chopped salad before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Yes – you can absolutely adjust this recipe to fit your preferences, Ramya. If you skip out on the lettuce, you might want to substitute another green, leafy vegetable in its place. The flavors in this salad are great, though – I hope you enjoy it!
Chopped salads are the best! Love the ingredients in this one, and the dressing.
The dressing on this one, Mimi! It’s so good! 🙂
I mysteriously have a tin of black beans in my pantry 🙂 I like the idea of a chopped salad David. I checked out the sausage knife; interesting, I’ve never heard of one before.
Well it sounds like the universe was planning ahead for you to make this salad, Sherry! 🙂 Also, that sausage knife. It’s amazing. I use it ALL the time – everything from sausage (obviously) to tomatoes to you name it. It’s a good way to treat yourself – good knives make cooking so much more fun!
Looks delicious David! I love hearty salads that are full of flavor like this one 😋. A good dressing and a nice, crunchy component (yes to Fritos!!) is an addicting salad combo for me, and you’ve nailed that in this gorgeous Southwestern Chopped Salad!
The Fritos are a surprising – but amazing! – addition to this salad. The salty crunch adds so much flavor!! Thanks, Shannon!
Love this chopped salad David! I’m a big fan of salad dressings I haven’t tried before too, so I’m looking forward to trying this one! Hope you are well!
Definitely give this one a try, Neil – this dressing is packed with flavor! And don’t forget to add the corn chips on top. Not sure if Fritos are available over there, but try to find something similar! 🙂
I love everything about this, from the roasted corn to the Fritos. And I never heard of a sausage knife. I’m going to have to look that up!
Oh, that sausage knife. You need one. It will transform your life, Jeff. Ok – maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but it will be your new best friend in the kitchen!
I couldn’t agree more about the deliciousness of Fritos. They add such a fantastic crunch and flavor to recipes. And your Southwestern Chopped Salad sounds absolutely amazing! Grilled corn, shredded cheese, and lettuce tossed in a tangy southwestern dressing? Yes, please!
I mean, I love Fritos by themselves…but add ’em into a recipe? Now you’re speaking my kinda language! This chopped salad has so much flavor – it’s a new favorite around here!
Mmm what a delicious hearty salad, my type of salad! Love that crunchy texture the Fritos add to it!
Thanks, Michelle! The Fritos really do add a fun texture (not to mention flavor) to this salad!