Bright fresh crunch in an easy big salad! This southwest salad recipe takes just minutes to put together and is topped with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Whether you're looking for a tasty light lunch for two or a big side salad to share at dinner time, this is an easy and delicious salad.
Hey you! It's Deb stopping by again from Bowl Me Over. I have another easy recipe for today and this one is bright and fresh and best of all? Easy!
Let me tell you a bit about the inspiration for this recipe. Dan and I just got back from a road trip. We went from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe and then northwest to Mesa Verde Colorado National Park to tour the ancient Pueblo ruins.
In a word, it was AMAZING!
We took two days to tour the park. One of our hikes included touring the Pueblo Cliff Palace. We hiked all the way to the bottom of the valley and then traveled thru the ruins. We snapped photos during our journey and enjoyed the tour, the sights and the lectures from the park rangers.
After our hike we dined at a local restaurant and both nights we shared a Southwest Salad topped with a Balsamic Vinaigrette and it was crunchy fresh and delicious!
Here's what you'll need to make this salad
Southwest Salad Recipe Ingredients
- romaine lettuce or mixed greens
- tomatoes
- bell pepper
- red onion
- black beans
And to top it all off, a quick homemade Vinaigrette! This balsamic soy vinaigrette is easy to make and delicious. and only has 6 ingredients. Click here to grab the recipe.
How to make a Southwest Salad
- Open a can of black beans. Rinse well under cold water and allow to drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Tear or dice the greens into bite sized pieces.
- Cut the red onion and bell pepper into slivers.
- Slice the tomato.
- Toss everything into a large bowl and top with homemade vinaigrette.
See, super easy huh?!! If you're in a mood for some extra protein topping this salad with grilled chicken or shrimp is the perfect combination!
Looking for more delicious bright crunchy salads? I got ya covered - here are a couple of my favorites!
Southwest Chicken Salad Bowl with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Grilled Shrimp Nicoise Salad Recipe
Garden Salad with Creamy Vinaigrette
Southwest Salad Recipe
Bright fresh crunch in an easy big salad! This southwest salad recipe takes just minutes to put together and is topped with an easy homemade balsamic soy vinaigrette.

Southwest Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups romaine lettuce or mixed greens
- 1 14.5 oz. black olives well rinsed and drained
- ½ bell pepper yellow, orange or red, thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tomato thinly sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Open the can of beans, rinse well under cold water and allow to drain completely.
- Tear or dice the greens into bite sized pieces.
- Slice the red onion and bell pepper.
- Cut the tomato into small wedges.
- Add everything to a large bowl and top with homemade vinaigrette.
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