This easy Mexican chopped salad has a delicious cilantro-lime dressing to make all the crunchiness zing. Quick to make and a perfect lunch or side.
This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.
As I was introduced to the various typical places to take my son in the Boston/Cambridge area, that extended to places to eat. There's a cafe near the children's museum that has a sandwich that I have had many times.
I'm not generally one to eat the same thing, but with this it's partly it's really good, and partly because my son loves 'sharing' the avocado-smothered bread in it. It also has nice crisp chunks of jicama.
Despite spending a bit of time in Mexico a few years back, I don't really remember having it before that sandwich but it has me hooked. I knew I needed to find other ways to use it, and this Mexican chopped salad was the perfect place to start.
What is jicama?
Jicama is a root vegetable but as well as working roasted like other roots, it is also great raw - it is pretty light and naturally slightly sweet (hence I have since included it in my mango jicama slaw). If pushed to describe the flavor, I would say it was somewhere between a radish, cucumber and apple.
When I hunted it down, I found it had been in my local supermarket all along. I just hadn't known what it looked like whole. (By the way, it's a bit like a turnip - you'll see it in the video below.)
This salad is incredibly quick to make, with only a few ingredients needing chopped up, a quick and easy dressing then toss it all together.
See just how easy it is to make in the short video!
The fantastic lime-cilantro dressing to make all the crunchiness zing. Colorful and with a nice range of textures, this Mexican chopped salad is definitely one to make regularly. Deliciously fresh, it's great for a warm day either as a lunch by itself or as a side. Try it with grilled fish or meat, or any excuse you can find.
Try these other salads perfect on the side:
- Mexican street corn salad
- Rainbow slaw
- Easy white bean salad
- Plus get more side dish recipes in the archives.
Mexican chopped salad
Ingredients
- 8 leaves romaine lettuce approx, sliced
- 1 cup black beans approx 180g
- 1 cup corn approx 160g
- 1 cup jicama , diced = approx 150g
- 1 tomato , diced (med/large)
- 1 avocado , peeled and diced
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 handful cilantro/coriander leaves , finely diced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice and dice the ingredients needing cut up as above then put the lettuce, beans, corn, tomato and avocado in a bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped cilantro and mix well then pour over the salad and mix well but carefully so you don't break things up, then serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Remember to pin for later!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Swayam
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant
a great way to get Mexican flavors and crunch with fewer calories! Works for me. When I turned thirty I threw a dinner party and something on the menu called for jicama which I'd never heard of. I made a pilgrimage to the Latino market on the LES to get it. And was glad I did! Such a great texture. Thanks for linking up at #SaucySaturdays.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Christine, jicama is great, I must use it a bit more.
Judi Graber
I posted a Mexican recipe too Caroline - at a Mexican class recently they cut up the jicama into thin slices and then dipped them in a mixture of equal parts chili powder and salt. Very interesting and hot! If I make them I will change up those two ingredients 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
I can imagine that's good, but as you say, hot! Let me know what you come up with instead!
Kaila (GF Life 24/7)
I make a watermelon fruit salad with jicama, I bet it goes well in here too!! I love the vibrant colors in this salad! This looks like something my whole family would enjoy. Happy FF, and have a fantastic weekend. 😀
Caroline's Cooking
I can imagine watermelon and jicama go really well together - one for me to try! And it works well here, too. Happy FF to you too.
Julianna
So bright and beautiful! School is back in soon and I am always looking for great salad recipes! I will give this one a go for sure! 😀 Thanks for this!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Julianna, I hope you like it. It's lovely and fresh, great for lunch!
Jhuls
I used to eat Jima a alone - with salt and soy sauce. I don't think I have tried it with salad. The crunch from Jimaca would be perfect for Mexican salad. Thanks for bringing this at FF table, Caroline. I hope you are enjoying the party. Have a lovely weekend and happy FF! 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
It is delicious in this salad, Jhuls, I hope you give it a try. Thanks for co-hosting FF this week, hope you've had a good weekend!
Angie@fiestafriday.net
I've been making chopped salads, too!! But haven't tried the Mexican version. Time to get jicama. I love that crunchy thing!
Caroline's Cooking
It is great, isn't it? And works so well in this salad!
Life Diet Health
Yummy! and fab photos! I need this right now with my sundried tomato houmous and spinach oat wraps! Thanks for bringing to Fiesta Friday 🙂
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
Your salad looks delicious, I've never come across jicama before. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Sarah, it is definitely worth hunting down, it has a great flavor and texture.
Sarah
I love jicama! This salad looks so bright and beautiful 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Sarah. Jicama is great, isn't it?!