Mexican Kale Salad

4.89 from 26 votes

Mexican Kale Salad with black beans, corn, bell pepper, cilantro and creamy cumin flavoured avocado dressing.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings (as a side)

Calories: 240kcal

In a large salad bowl, add kale, black beans, corn, bell peppers, avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro and jalapenos.
In a food processor or blender, add 1/2 avocado, jalapeno, warm water, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and process until smooth.
Pour dressing over salad, gently toss and serve.

Store: Refrigerate tossed salad for up to 24 hours.
Make ahead: You could prepare salad and dressing in advance, refrigerate for up to 24 hours and combine before serving. Dressing does get brown a bit but once mixed with the salad ingredients, it's not noticeable.
Do I have to massage kale? I find this process unnecessary, I don’t have time for it and it deters me from making and eating a salad.
Can I use baby kale? If you want to enjoy very soft kale salad, buy baby kale. Or this time, I used a mix of baby kale, spinach and swiss chard. Even more nutrients than fully grown greens.
Can I use other greens? Yes, baby spinach or arugula would be great. You can buy 5 oz box of pre-washed organic greens at reasonable price.
What can I substitute avocado with? If you have allergy to avocado, use this healthy ranch dressing instead.
Control the heat: Jalapeno's heat is contained in seeds. You can easily control the spiciness of dressing and salad itself by how little or much of seeds you add. My kale salad recipe is mild.
Other additions: You can also add finely shredded red or green cabbage, diced zucchini, sliced raw mushrooms, a sprinkle of hemp hearts, toasted almonds or other nuts. Anything but kitchen sink goes!