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Southwestern Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

29 Comments Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dish Salads, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian

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I told you guys last week that I had a problem where I just couldn’t stop loading my salads with toppings and apparently I’m not cured yet.  This salad might have the most toppings yet, but that is what makes it a Power Salad.  You can eat it for lunch or dinner and it will fill you up with protein, vegetables, good fats and lots of vitamins and minerals.

Are you guys still sticking to your New Year’s resolutions?  I think I’ve read that most people only stick to them for about two weeks, but hopefully you aren’t like most people!  I didn’t really make any resolutions this year, but I’m on a never ending quest to eat healthier and do a bit more meal planning.  This Southwestern Power Salad is really great for both those resolutions!  You can make a big batch of this salad and take it to lunch with you all week and it’s really healthy, while also being super delicious.  That sounds like a win-win-win to me!  

dressing

I think I’ve told you all this before, but I’m obsessed with the grocery store.  Sometimes I go there when I’m bored and spend way too long going up and down each aisle.  I like to tell myself that it helps Eli fall alseep, but really it’s just for me.  I’m also pretty picky about the grocery stores that I spend my time in.  They have to have nice checkers who are quick (just in case Eli is fussy), they need to be clean (because who wants to buy their food in a dirty place?!), and they have to have a wide variety of healthy and fresh, whole food products.  For those reason, I love shopping at my neighborhood Fry’s store, which carries Kroger’s products.  If I’m planning on making a big meal that requires lots of fresh products, I always know that they will have the best to choose from.  And, if they don’t have them out on the shelf, the staff is always more than happy to go in the back and dig them up (trust me, I’ve asked before!).

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They also carry lots of Silk and So Delicious Products which I buy on a regular basis.  Not only do I enjoy eating a vegetarian diet, but I also like to do mostly plant based meals.  I’m a sucker for a good creamy dressing, but I don’t usually like to load them with mayo so I have lots of fun making my own out of plant based ingredients, like cashews.  To make the dressing even creamier I used the Cashew Milk from Silk and it went perfectly with the raw cashews.  I flavored it up with some cilantro and lime and it turned into such an amazing, creamy, flavorful dressing.  I might have used it to dip a bunch of chips in and top some tacos with 🙂

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Southwestern Power Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Salad, Gluten Free, Vegan
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 7–8 cups greens, I used 1/2 curly kale and 1/2 romaine lettuce
  • 1 large sweet potato, diced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Simple Truth black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Simple Truth sweet corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup roasted peptias
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 30 minutes
  • 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Cashew Milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, about 3/4 cups
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large baking sheet toss together the sweet potato, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast sweet potato until fork tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. Add all dressing ingredients into a powerful blender and blend until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Set aside until needed.
  3. In a large bowl mix together the greens, sweet potato and remaining salad ingredients. Serve salad and dress each serving individually.

Notes

If making ahead for lunches all week, leave out the avocado until day of eating.
Dressing will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 6 days in an air tight container.

 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Comments

  2. I’m glad I’m not the only one who loves the grocery store! I feel like it’s almost therapeutic for me, when it’s not crowded (which is hardly ever haha). This salad looks SO good, Izzy! I could eat salads just about every day, and this is the one I want to be eating. Love the toppings and that cilantro lime dressing!

    Reply

    • I feel the same way, I love it but when it’s crowded I just want to get the hell out of there! Thanks, Gayle!

      Reply

    • Parsley will definitely work! You could switch out the cilantro for pretty much any green herb 🙂

      Reply

  9. I can’t wait to make this!! Have you tried almond milk instead of cashew milk?? Would that be a reasonable switch-a-roo?!?!? Thanks! Can’t wait!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. The dressing is absolutely delicious! It tastes as though it was made with sour cream (which I haven’t had in years due to lactose intolerance). I couldn’t wait to try it on the salad, but only had time to toss it with lettuce and a left over sweet potato. The flavors were wonderful together. Thank you so much!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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