Description
This Southwest BBQ Summer Salad is a vibrant, flavorful, and refreshing dish perfect for warm weather. Featuring toasted spiced chickpeas, fresh romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, avocado, black beans, corn, and a combination of sticky sweet BBQ sauce and chipotle ranch dressing, it offers a delicious blend of smoky, tangy, and creamy flavors. Garnished with fresh dill and crunchy tortilla chips, this salad serves 8 and takes just 30 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal healthy and satisfying meal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Toasted Chickpeas
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp olive oil
For the Salad
- 1/2 to 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 mini cucumbers, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn, rinsed and drained
For the Dressing and Garnish
- 1/2 cup Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chipotle ranch or southwest dressing
- 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Tortilla chips, crushed, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Produce and Beans: Wash and dry all fresh produce thoroughly. Rinse and drain the canned chickpeas, black beans, and corn to remove excess liquid.
- Toast the Chickpeas: In a pan over medium-low heat, add the rinsed chickpeas, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and turmeric. Stir and toss them for about 8 minutes until they become fragrant and lightly crunchy. This toasting enhances the chickpeas’ flavor and texture.
- Chop Fresh Ingredients: While the chickpeas toast, chop the romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion, sprinkle it with salt, let it sit for 5 minutes to mellow out its sharpness, then rinse and drain it to remove bitterness.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, mix together the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, soaked red onion, diced avocado, black beans, corn, and the toasted chickpeas prepared earlier.
- Add Dressings and Seasonings: Pour the sticky sweet BBQ sauce and chipotle ranch dressing over the salad. Add the finely chopped fresh dill along with salt and pepper to taste. Start with smaller amounts of BBQ sauce and dressing, toss everything gently, and then adjust the seasoning based on your flavor preference.
- Garnish and Serve: Once the salad is tossed and seasoned to your liking, sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top for added crunch. Serve immediately and enjoy this colorful, delicious Southwest-inspired summer salad.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of BBQ sauce and chipotle ranch dressing according to your taste preference to balance flavors.
- Salting and rinsing the red onion reduces its pungency for a milder taste.
- Use fresh dill for a bright and herbaceous note; dried dill can be used in a pinch but will lessen freshness.
- For vegan option, ensure chipotle ranch dressing is plant-based or substitute with a vegan southwest dressing.
- Serve immediately after garnishing with tortilla chips to maintain their crunch.
