Spicy Southwestern Salad with Tex Mex Dressing (vegan)

This easy Southwestern Salad is a fiesta of spicy Sante Fe flavors and epic textures. Ready in under 30 minutes, this Mexican style chopped salad is packed with fresh, wholesome ingredients and lots of add ins too! It's vegan and gluten free, and I guarantee it will leave you actually craving salad!

Summer is heating up!!! Time to bust out your best, big, loaded salads for dinner. Today’s southwestern salad recipe is all about BIG flavors and textures! It's the best of fresh, healthy, California cooking with a spicy Mexican twist.

This is a good (like really really good and easy!) southwestern salad recipe - vegan version. There's something about this combination of ingredients that makes them super satisfying and delicious. Think black beans, sweet corn, chopped romaine, crunchy tortilla strips, crispy vegan chicken, and a spicy n' creamy salsa dressing! Heck the creamy Tex Mex dressing alone is worth making this salad recipe!

What's in a Mexican Chopped Salad?

One of the best things about a chopped salad is you get a little bit of everything in each and every craveable bite! Here's what you'll need:

• Lettuce: Choose a variety of crunchy greens like romaine, iceberg or arugula.
• Produce: Load up the colorful, nourishing summer vegetables like carrots, red bell peppers, red onion, cherry or grape tomatoes. Chopped to similar size pieces.
• Avocado: Avocado adds rich creaminess and healthy fats.
• Corn: Corn is an essential ingredient in this Mexican chopped salad. In the summertime, steam fresh cobs of corn then just slice the kernels off. Could use frozen or canned corn in the off season. I've included grilling instructions below for EXTRA flavor.
• Black beans: Beans are a great source of plant protein and fiber. They add a creamy texture and heft to the salad.
• Plant protein: We LOVE Gardein's crispy vegan chicken (Chipotle-Lime Fingers or Seven Grain Crispy Tenders). Just pop them into the oven or air fryer - they turn out crunchy, tender, and flavorful every time. Or make your favorite crispy tofu, tempeh or seitan recipe.
• Garnish: Fresh cilantro, lightly toasted pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds), crunchy tortilla strips - the finishing touches to add extra Tex-Mex flair!

• And a killer Tex-Mex dressing!: This heavenly, taco flavored, Tex Mex sauce is made with mayonnaise, salsa, chili powder, cumin, fresh lime juice, and a touch of sweetness from maple syrup. It’s creamy, bold, spicy, and super quick to whisk together. PS It's great on everything not just this salad!

Options & Variations

• Panera Southwest Chicken Salad copycat: To make your favorite Panera salad at home, just swap out the Tex Mex dressing for creamy chipotle sauce.
• Cheese: Add a handful of non-dairy cheese and you've got yourself a vegan Chick-Fil-A spicy Southwest Salad copycat recipe. Yum!
• Jalapeño Peppers: Turn up the heat with thinly sliced jalapeño peppers.
• Black Olives: Black olives add a rich, buttery flavor and meaty texture.
• Can I use other vegetables?: Yes! Use any vegetables you have on hand like cucumbers, zucchini, green onions, pickled red onions, etc.
• Do I have to use mayonnaise?: No, feel free to use dairy free Greek yogurt or sour cream for the Tex Mex sauce. You may need to up the spices in the dressing with this swap.
• Grains: Adding rice, orzo, couscous or quinoa makes this chopped salad heartier. Grains are optional, but we love to add a handful or two sometimes to make it more like a southwest burrito bowl - so good and so filling!
• Dressing Options: The dressing is what elevates the salad and makes it feel different and special with each variation. Stick with my creamy salsa dressing or try this creamy chipotle sauce or cilantro lime dressing. Check out all the vegan dressing options!

How to Make this Mexican Chopped Salad

There's lots of room to customize this southwest salad bowl, but don't skip the dressing because it's what makes this spicy, crunchy, chopped salad sing! It's going to take ~30 minutes to prep this meal, start to finish:

1. Make the Vegan Chicken: Get the Gardein Chicken Tenders into the oven or the air fryer following the package directions. Once cooked and cool, cut them into bite-size pieces. OR prepare your favorite plant protein like crispy tofu!
2. Corn: Lots of options here depending how much time you have. Use fresh sweet corn and just steam it (yum). Grill it or quick fry it for extra delicious summery corn flavors. Pressed for time? Use frozen or canned corn.

3. Make the Tex-Mex Dressing: Whisk all the dressing ingredients together right in the serving bowl. Yes, this chopped salad is a 1 bowl recipe - woot woot! Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several days.
4. Chop the Vegetables: While the chicken is cooking, chop the vegetables into similar size pieces and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Save the avocados for later.

5. Toss Salad Together: Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing then fold in the avocado. Pile the vegan chicken pieces on top and garnish with cilantro, pepitas, and tortilla strips. Pour any extra dressing on top or serve on the side!

Ways to Serve It

I love this crunchy Tex Mex salad bowl as is for lunch or dinner, but there's lots of other ways to enjoy it too. Here is a few ideas to get you started, but don't limit yourself to this list:

• Delicious with any Mexican entree like black bean tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas or vegan breakfast burritos.
• Serve with tortilla chips, guacamole, and vegan queso.
• Skip the chicken and serve it as a side with vegan burgers or veggie sandwiches.
• Since it goes with everything, it's a popular side dish at potlucks and picnics.

More Vegan Salad Recipes

If you're looking for ways to add more veggies to your plate or you just love a BIG salad like we do, here's a few tasty vegan salad bowls to try next:

• Thai Crunch Salad - the most popular salad on the blog right now!
• Chinese Chicken Crunch Salad (vegan) - my favorite salad right now!
• Best Tasting Vegan Caesar Salad (excellent with crispy air fryer potatoes!)
• Summer Salad Rolls with spicy peanut hoisin sauce (it's addictive)
• Check out the full collection of salads and vegan salad dressings!