Southwest Salad with Crispy Onion Straws (30 Minutes)

Print

Print Recipe

When you’re looking for something light yet satisfying, look no further than this delicious Southwest-inspired salad. The recipe is loaded with crisp romaine lettuce, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, black beans, and a tangy lime dressing. The star of the show, though, is the crispy onion straws, which add a crunchy and savory element to the dish. Let’s begin!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup of corn kernels (fresh or canned)
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 sweet onion chopped into straw-like pieces
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup of lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and red onion. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Set aside.
  3. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
  4. In another shallow bowl, pour the buttermilk.
  5. In a third shallow bowl, add the panko bread crumbs.
  6. Dredge the sweet onion pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip them in the buttermilk, then coat them in the panko bread crumbs.
  7. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the sweet onion pieces in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
  8. Toss the salad with the dressing and divide it among four plates.
  9. Top each salad with a generous serving of crispy onion straws.

Notes

To save more time, feel free to use store-bought crispy onions though they aren’t quite as yummy in my opinion. You can also throw on some chicken or shrimp for extra protein if desired. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can always make your own by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.heresyourdinner.com/southwest-salad-with-crispy-onion-straws-30-minutes/