This quick Mexican salad plate for one is delicious and easy to adapt with veggies you have on hand. The dressing ingredients are pantry friendly and everything is mixed on the plate for a delicious, healthy meal.
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Hello, my friends.
I’m excited to share another quick salad plate for one with you today. You might know by now that these salad for one recipes have been game changers around here. They are so easy to make, healthy and delicious; the perfect quick and easy lunch for one.
And this quick Mexican salad plate fits in nicely with the others. A good Mexican salad always sounds yummy to me.
Once again everything (including the dressing) is added and mixed together right on the plate. No extra dishes. No large batch of homemade dressing you will get sick of before it goes bad. A simple solution to healthy salads.
Mexican salad dressing
This Mexican-style dressing is made from 7 simple pantry friendly ingredients:
- avocado oil
- apple cider or red wine vinegar
- liquid honey or agave
- cumin
- oregano
- salt
- pepper
Good quality ingredients will make all the difference in a delicious salad dressing.
I love the Chosen Foods brand of avocado oil. I use liquid raw honey or the BetterBody Foods brand of agave. If using honey, make sure it is runny so it distributes well.
Variety, variety, variety
This Mexican salad plate plus the Italian, the Asian, the Cobb, and the Poppy Seed that I previously posted, create a lineup of five delicious salad plates for one.
I love the adaptability this provides. You can change up the veggies and the dressing every time you make a salad for lunch.
Five salads for five weekdays. The perfect solution for people who want to eat healthier with easily bored food pallets, like mine. Having a variety is what makes salad something that’s enjoyable to eat every day.
In the Italian salad plate post, I shared some ideas for how you can prep once for the week and then make a different salad for every day of the week by changing the dressing and adding different toppings and protein. It’s a super handy way to prep several day’s worth of lunches in advance.
Portioning out and freezing precooked meats (a rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled steak, Asian or Mexican-style meats, cooked bacon, etc) for salads is another good way to make adding variety easy.
Take it with you
If you are taking lunch to go, I love these clear Rubbermaid food storage containers (aff. link). They seal really well. I love that they are clear and the perfect size for a lunch salad. To avoid wilting lettuce and soggy extras (cheese, chips etc), I wouldn’t make ahead more than about 4 to 5 hours. Adding the dressing ingredients at the bottom may also help the salad stay fresh longer.
I’d love to hear if you come up with other solutions that work.
The salad plate formula
I’ve told you before, but I just want to reemphasize that you can treat these salad plate recipes like a formula. I have tested out the measurements but they are just to give you a basic idea.
Eyeballing the greens, veggies and toppings even the first time you make it should work just fine. Just aim for a dinner plate full of salad. I often just drizzle or sprinkle on dressing ingredients. As long as you’re not too heavy or light handed it’s hard to mess it up.
Tips to make a good Mexican salad plate for one:
Mix the greens: I love Romaine or iceberg lettuce on Mexican salads. Or use a mixture of the two along with some chopped cabbage for even more crunch. Mixing the greens adds variety to flavors and textures. I also love adding some cilantro (chopped or sprigs). It adds a delicious flavor.
Blacken the corn: Blackened corn really adds a lot to a Mexican salad and it takes just a couple of minutes.
Heat a pan over medium high heat (a cast iron pan works best). Add the frozen corn to the hot pan in a single layer (no need to thaw first). Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes until lightly blackened.
Multiple veggies: Use at least three grated or diced veggies on top to give the salad enough taste variety.
Add color: The best salads have color variation. Not only is it more visually appealing, but health benefits come from “eating the rainbow.”
Add texture: I always enjoy a salad much more when in has a crunch factor. I love a few crunched up tortilla chips on top of this Mexican salad.
Salt and Pepper: If you taste the salad and it’s not flavorful enough, try adding just a little more salt and pepper.
Well that’s about it. It’s time to wrap up and get you to your recipe.
I hope you enjoy this quick Mexican salad plate for one.
Quick Mexican Salad Plate for One
This quick Mexican salad plate for one is delicious and easy to adapt with veggies you have on hand. The dressing ingredients are pantry friendly and everything is mixed on the plate for a delicious, healthy meal.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ cups salad greens e.g. iceberg, romaine, spinach, spring mix, cabbage, see note
- ¼ to ½ cup grated or diced vegetables e.g. green or diced purple onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, sliced avocados, diced bell peppers, olives
- ⅓ to ½ cup meat or protein e.g. leftover cooked meat-grilled or rotisserie chicken, cooked beans, taco meet, cheese cubes or grated cheese, cooked quinoa
- ½ cup blackened corn see note
- tortilla chips & cilantro sprigs optional toppings
Single serving Mexican salad dressing:
- 1 tablespoon avocado or light olive oil see note
- ½ tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar see note
- 1 teaspoon agave or liquid honey
- dash cumin
- dash oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Fill up a dinner-sized plate with your choice of salad greens, grated or diced vegetables, meat or protein, blackened corn, and optional toppings, as desired.
-
Drizzle or sprinkle dressing ingredients over salad and toss right on the plate to combine.
Recipe Notes
1. Romaine lettuce is a good option if you are looking for something that will stay fresh for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
2. To blacken corn: heat a pan over medium high heat (a cast iron pan works best). Add the frozen corn to the hot pan in a single layer (no need to thaw first). Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes until lightly blackened and caramelized.
3. For best flavor, use a good quality oil and vinegar.
4. I like to chop up the greens and veggies for a week’s worth of salads ahead of time. I usually store everything in a large bowl in the fridge with a paper towel on the bottom to catch any extra liquid. Then when I’m ready to eat, I load up my plate with the prepared salad and veggies. Then add the extras (meats, cheese, toppings), sprinkle on the dressing ingredients, toss and enjoy.
5. I have made these salads in go-to containers (aff. link) when I want to take a lunch with me. Just prep it like you would on your plate and toss just before eating. To avoid wilting lettuce and soggy extras (cheese, chips, etc), I wouldn’t make ahead more than about 4 to 5 hours. Adding the dressing ingredients first may also help the salad last longer.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
