Creamy Mexican Salad

Here in Melbourne we have been having many hot days this summer and we are in full fire alert with more hot days with temps. around 35 - 40oC (95 - 110oF). When its hot, I have no desire to heat up my kitchen at all! That is right, my first thought is to maintain a cool home (air con isn’t cheap to run) so turning on any heating appliances is a no-no.

This recipe I have been making for years, it came about purely due to what I had available in my kitchen. I normally add 1 cup of frozen corn (thawed) but had run out, so they are not listed, but please add them if you have them. Due to the stirring and mixing of the salad, I don’t add avocado as it breaks up and turns to mush (yes, that is a technical word hahaha).

I serve this as a complete meal, though it is great with grilled chicken, fish or steak. A quick word about serving this. This Creamy Mexican salad MUST be made and dressed as close to serving time as possible. The lettuce will wilt very fast due to the natural acids in the dressing. Other than that one issue, it is delicious and very moorish. Recipe serves 6.

Recipe:

1/2 a Ice berg or Cos (Romaine) lettuce, washed, dried and torn
2 tomatoes (I like Roma tomatoes due to their taste)
2 lebanese cucumbers
2 cups shredded cheese
800g tin of mixed beans, rinsed (such as kidney, lima, butter and pinto beans)
300g tub Old el Paso Tomato Salsa (I use mild due to children)
1 cup low fat sour cream
200g bag of plain corn chips, crushed

In a bowl, mix the Old el Paso salsa and the sour cream to make the dressing. Set aside.
In a large bowl add the remaining ingredients and top with the dressing.
Stir and serve.

Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x