Mexican Chopped Salad

I have been really looking for some healthy summer recipes recently and came across this gem on Pinterest. It was so yummy and I felt healthier just after making it. Even the husband said afterwards that he would eat this often if I made it more. Win. Win. I'll post the original recipe from here, but as always will add my own notes below. This made a TON. It could easily serve 6 as a main dish or even more if it was a side dish. 

Mexican Chopped Salad (from here)

• For the dressing:
• -¼ cup fresh lime juice
• -2 tbsp honey
• -½ tsp cumin
• -1 clove garlic
• -½ tsp salt
• -freshly ground black pepper
• -2 tbsp canola oil
• -2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• *I actually used 4 tbsp of EVOO instead of half canola.
• 
  
• For the tortilla strips: (I actually didn't make these, because I didn't have any tortillas, but I'm including them for anyone that wants to)
• -6 six inch corn tortillas
• -1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
• -½ teaspoon sea salt
• 
  
• For the salad:
• -1 medium head romaine lettuce , chopped in approximately ½ inch pieces
• -1 medium bell pepper, diced in ¼-inch pieces (I used 1 red bell pepper)
• -½ medium red onion, diced in ¼-inch pieces
• -½ medium jicama, peeled and diced in ¼-inch pieces
• -1 medium zucchini, diced in ¼-inch dice (I would probably use cucumber next time. I like zucchini better when it's cooked instead of raw)
• -4 medium tomatoes, diced (I actually used a small carton of grape tomatoes and sliced them in half)
• -4 ears corn
• -1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• -½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1. For the dressing, combine lime juice, honey, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. In a slow, steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
2. For the corn tortilla strips, preheat oven to 400˚F. Stack corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut in half. Cut each stack of halves into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick.
3. Transfer tortilla strips to a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
5. Cook the corn however you'd like. We chose to grill ours, because I think it gives it a great flavor, but you can easily cook it in the microwave or boil it. 
6. Combine corn and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
7. Serve with tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let guests help themselves

*I sauteed some shrimp in a pan on the stove with some salt, pepper and EVOO and added them to make it more of a main course. Next time, I will definitely add some sliced avocado as well. DELISH.

Enjoy!