This Vegan Southwest Salad is so easy to prepare, and comes together in minutes. It consists of romaine lettuce, black beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, avocado, and cilantro, tossed in a creamy avocado dressing.

Growing up, kidney beans were my favorite beans, but now I prefer chickpeas and black beans. I find them to be more versatile to use in creating new recipes, like my General Tso’s Chickpeas and my Vegan Black Bean Burritos.

Another thing that I love to do is to include lots of different vegetables in different colors in my salads. We eat with our eyes, so I do my best to make dishes that are very pleasing to the eyes and also very flavorful.

This black bean salad is no exception. I include a base of chopped Romaine lettuce (my favorite), chopped red and yellow bell peppers, black bean, organic corn, avocado, spring onions, and cilantro.

FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS, SCROLL TO SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END. BUT BEFORE YOU SCROLL CHECK IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BLURB.

Originally published March 11th, 2018.

Black Beans Nutrition

Black beans are a very common staple food, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. I especially love adding black beans to my meal because of their very high protein and fiber content. The combination of protein and fiber will help to keep you full, even in a relatively light meal.

One of the particular types of fiber in black beans is resistant starch. It is not able to be digested by the body, meaning that the starch is not converted into sugar.

This means that it does not cause blood sugar spikes, and the body doesn’t need insulin to normalize it. For this reason, it is believed that black beans are a great food choice for diabetic individuals.

Lastly, black beans are full of minerals, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and molybdenum. All of these are essential for your body to function.

Avocados From Mexico!

Did you think of the commercial? :-p

I, like many of us, absolutely love eating avocados. It is known as a superfood, and has recently soared in popularity. Avocados are grown in tropical or Mediterranean climates, particularly in Central America, and is a common food in the diets of cultures from these areas. With its impressive nutritional value, it is no surprise that it has become so well loved.

The variety that we commonly eat is the Hass avocado, but there are many other kinds, with avocados coming in many shapes and sizes. In Jamaica, where we call avocado “pear”, the variety we have is larger in size and has a lighter green colored skin.

This variety also has a pleasant flavor and harder texture. It is eaten cut up as a cool creamy side to spicy curries and jerk, and actually does not mash well. Some people also eat it drizzled with lemon or lime juice and sprinkled with salt.

Avocado Nutrition Facts

Avocados are found in guacamole, sushi, avocado toast, and sliced on salads and sandwich. You can also find avocados in milkshakes, smoothies, creamy desserts, sauces, and baked as a snack.

Avocados not only so versatile, but also so often eaten, because of their dense nutrition. They are a high fat food, but they are full of essential fats that your body needs. Despite being high in fat, avocados have no cholesterol. Oleic acid, a type of fatty acid found in avocado, is actually good for heart health.

Avocado also has many vitamins and minerals, in particular lots of vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting and potassium, essential for cell and heart function.

Lastly, and perhaps surprisingly, avocados also have lots of fiber. One serving of avocado has 27% of the recommended daily intake of fiber, which helps with digestion and keeping you full.

With avocados having all of these benefits, plus many more, I believe it is well deserving of its superfood and trendy status.

Avocado, Fruit or Vegetable?

Avocado is grown on trees, making it a fruit! Even though we commonly associate it with savory dishes, that comes from the cultural influences of our southern neighbors in Mexico.

In other countries, for example in Indonesia and the Philippines, avocadoes are found in milkshakes and ice cream. With its high fat content and creaminess, vegans have discovered its usefulness in desserts and it is slowly becoming more commonly found in sweet recipes as well as savory.

Vegan Southwestern Salad with Avocado Dressing

Tips For Making Vegan Southwest Salad with Avocado Dressing

This salad really doesn’t require lots of prep time except for cooking the black beans, or you can just use canned beans instead.

You can use canned, fresh, or frozen corn (I like to cook my frozen corn for about one minute in boiling water).

The avocado dressing is creamy and delicious, with a blend of almond milk, avocado, cilantro, cumin, maple syrup, and garlic.

This salad is delicious on its own for a light meal or served as a side. I also love having it as the filling for a veggie wrap, using a brown rice tortilla.

Avocado Dressing Recipe

Avocado
Cilantro
Almond Milk
Lime
Maple Syrup
Garlic
Cumin
Salt

Southwest Salad Recipe

Lettuce
Black Beans
Corn
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Bell Pepper
Avocado
Red Onion
Cilantro
Spring Onion

How To Make Southwest Salad?

Toss the lettuce, black bean, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, red onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.

Drizzle the salad with avocado dressing, or serve it on the side. Garnish the salad with spring onions.

How To Make Avocado Dressing?

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Use immediately or keep leftovers refrigerated for about 3 days.

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