When I dive into a salad, I want it to be fully loaded with crunchy crisp things, creamy things, salty things, sweet things...basically all the things.

No limp lettuce with disappointing dressing for this chick. Salads get a bad rep because more often than not, they aren't satisfying. They're boring. They're not a meal. They're...dare I say....WIMPY.

But a salad is such a magical foundation of health for just about anything. I mean it's basically a sandwich without the bread. Pasta without the noodles. K I went overboard.

The point is that salads need oomph. Just like you wouldn't want a sandwich that's only bread or noodles with a boring sauce, you most definitely aren't going to run home to your refrigerator to whip up a salad unless it's balanced, delish, and exciting. Correct? Correct.

So play with different textures and flavors! Add color. Add contrast. You may not have thought of putting mango in this salad or a touch of maple syrup in the savory dressing, but you wouldn't believe what a touch of sweetness does to balance out the palate. The sweet mango, crunchy bell peppers, protein-packed beans, tangy hummus dressing (how fun is that?), and creamy avocado come together to create a seriously delectable salad that's actually...wait for it...CRAVEABLE.

Lettuce chat (pun intended) about what sparked the idea of this sensational salad. Food Should Taste Good (which you probably know from their yumtastical chips) just released a new collection of hummus that is so gosh darn packed with flavor and creaminess that I honestly almost (I just wrote almond instead of almost) can't handle it.

Between the spot-on unique flavors and the super smooth texture, I don't know what's more remarkable about it---the flavah flave or the consistency. I think it's a tie. The Black Bean Hummus is made with lime adobo and topped with tomatillo salsa verde, so naturally as soon as I tasted it, I knew it was destined to be turned into a dressing for Mexican-inspired chopped salad. Duh, right?

There are a bunch of intriguing flavors, but my favorite to eat straight up was hands down the Chickpea Lentil Hummus made with vindaloo curry and topped with mint chutney. What makes this hummus difference from other hummus I've tried is the unique flavor blends. We're not talking garlic or roasted red pepper. We're talking innovative add-ins like curry, ginger, togarashi spice, edamame, Herbs de Provence, and caramelized onions. I mean are you drooling yet?!

Seriously stellar.

I kind of went to town on these. Then I went so far as to crumble their new Pinto Bean Multigrain Bean Chips on top of this very salad for crunchy saltiness (don't fall out of your chair) I was just like....OMG DEAD.

Mexican Chopped Salad with Zesty Hummus Dressing

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Salad

Print Recipe

Description

This refreshing salad is packed with flavor, fiber, and crunch from the crisp mango, black beans, peppers, tomatoes, and a creamy avocado hummus dressing.

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad:

2 heads romaine, chopped
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ bunch green onions, chopped
1 mango, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 large tomato, chopped (or a handful cherry tomatoes)
½ avocado, diced

For the dressing:

¼ cup Food Should Taste Good Black Bean Hummus
½ avocado
⅓ cup cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
½ cup water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
If serving immediately, add dressing and toss to combine. If saving some for later, place salad in serving bowls and top with desired amount of dressing.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ¼ recipe
Calories: 298
Sugar: 18g
Sodium: 375mg
Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Unsaturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 43g
Fiber: 13g
Protein: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg

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