If you are looking for a meal for a hot summer day, you needn’t look further! Along with being tasty and good for you, this healthy southwest salad (including the dressing) is simple and quick to prepare.

Healthy Southwest Salad

It seems like we have been eating a lot of meat lately so to change things up, our protein source in this salad is found in the combination of rice and beans. The optional toppings are marked as such because my husband isn’t a fan of pumpkin seeds.

Just look at all those greens! Yum! This southwest salad recipe can easily be adapted to suit your fancy. Add more or less of anything you like.

Since it is just the two of us (sadly my child isn’t a fan of green things unless it is hidden in a green smoothie), I opted out of putting the salad dressing on the entire salad. The salad and dressing will keep better for the next day if kept separate. But if you have a big group, it may be easier to mix the dressing in before serving for convenience.

Southwest Salad

A great simple hearty salad for a hot summer day... or any day!

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Ingredients

SALAD

4 green onions
2 roma tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 avocado
1/2 cup cilantro
1 heart of romaine lettuce
1 cup corn
1 can black beans
1 cup brown rice

DRESSING

1 avocado
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBS + 2 tsp lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

roasted pumpkin seeds
crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

Prepare rice.
While rice is cooking, chop all your vegetables and place in a large bowl. Combine remaining salad ingredients with vegetables, including the rice.
In separate bowl blend all the dressing ingredients together.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine/or pour over each severing separate to the individual’s liking.
Top with crushed tortilla chips and/or pumpkin seeds and serve.

A Hot Summer’s Day

It was pretty hot on Saturday, so we broke out the pool for our little guy. He wasn’t a fan at first until we brought out the water hose. As you can see he thoroughly enjoyed himself and cooled us off in the process.

A little power slide on the freshly cut grass.

Later on we ventured out to a drive-in movie to see a double feature of Turbo and Despicable Me 2. It was our little man’s first time and our second, both of us going once when we were really young. Our little man wasn’t too interested in the show, but thanks to Baby Einstein on our phone, we were able to watch both features.

Healthy Southwest Salad, perfect for Summertime!

Healthy Southwest Salad