Chopped Salad With Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing
This chopped salad is fresh, festive and excessive in a celebratory way. While most salads opt for the lightest layer of dressing to optimize the produce’s flavors, this one calls for the dressing to generously coat the crisp ingredients. Inspired by Caesar salad, ranch dressing and the dinner-worthy salads popularized at chain restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, this salad is punchy and satisfying, thanks to rich ingredients, like avocado, Cotija and a mayonnaise-thickened dressing, plus those with bite, like radishes, corn kernels and tortilla chips. Pair the salad with grilled tofu, chicken, shrimp or burgers — or nothing at all. This salad eschews subtlety, and hits all the right notes.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- ½cup buttermilk
- ½cup mayonnaise
- 3large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- ⅓cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño with its seeds (or to taste)
- 1lime, zested
- ½teaspoon onion powder
- ¼teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 3romaine lettuce hearts (about 1 pound), trimmed and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3fresh ears of corn, shucked, kernels removed from cobs
- 8radishes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 2large, ripe avocados, pitted and diced
- 5scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced at an angle
- ½cup crumbled Cotija (or grated Parmesan)
- 1cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- 2cups crumbled lime tortilla chips (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the dressing: In a large measuring cup, whisk all the dressing ingredients together to combine. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. (Makes 1 ¼ cups. It will taste quite salty at this point, and that is intentional. You want it to hold up when tossed with a big pile of vegetables.)Step 2
In a large shallow bowl or platter, toss the romaine with half of the following ingredients: corn, radishes, avocado, sliced scallions, Cotija and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup dressing and toss to coat. Season again with salt and pepper.Step 3
Top with the remaining corn, radishes, avocado, scallions, Cotija and cilantro, scattering the garnishes on top or arranging them in stripes or piles. Sprinkle some crumbled tortilla chips on top, if using. Drizzle the salad with an additional 1/4 cup dressing, and serve immediately, serving any remaining dressing and additional tortilla chips alongside.