Chopped Salad With Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing

Courtesy of NYTCooking

It is very hard for me to find salads I love and that I would want to make again, hence why I do not share that many. But this one, is an exception. The grilled corn on the cob, the crispy lime tortilla strips and the homemade ranch create the best chopped Mexican-inspired salad. I followed the dressing exactly as stated and saved myself some time by prepping it during the day and sticking it in the fridge to cool until needed. I did not have any ripe avocados, so I subbed in chopped Roma tomatoes which worked great and grated fresh parmesan versus cotija as I am personally not a huge cotija fan. I grabbed a pre-marinated skirt steak from the grocery that Marc grilled up along with the corn on the cob, which gave the dish a nice char and smokiness. I also made homemade tortilla strips (recipe below), which are honestly so addicting that you'll find yourself wanting to eat them by themselves.

Ingredients:

FOR THE DRESSING

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup mayonnaise

3 large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (about ¼ cup)

⅓ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño with its seeds (or to taste)

1lime, zested

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

FOR THE SALAD

3 romaine hearts (about 1 pound), trimmed and chopped into bite-size pieces

3 fresh ears of corn, shucked, kernels removed from cobs

8 radishes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons

2 large, ripe avocados, pitted and diced

5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced at an angle

½ cup crumbled Cotija (or grated Parmesan)

1cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

2 cups crumbled lime tortilla chips (optional)

FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS

5 taco-sized corn tortillas

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the dressing: In a large measuring cup, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together to combine. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. (Makes 1 ¼ cups. It will taste quite salty at this point, and that is intentional. You want it to hold up when tossed with a big pile of vegetables.)

Step 2: For the homemade tortilla strips, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and use corn tortillas to cut strips (1/4 in) and lay on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and bake for 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they will burn quickly. Lightly season with lime zest at the end.

Step 3: In a large shallow bowl or platter, toss the romaine with half of the following ingredients: corn, radishes, avocado, sliced scallions, Cotija and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup dressing and toss to coat. Season again with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Top with the remaining corn, radishes, avocado, scallions, Cotija and cilantro, scattering the garnishes on top or arranging them in stripes or piles. Sprinkle some crumbled tortilla chips on top, if using. Drizzle the salad with an additional ¼ cup dressing, and serve immediately, serving any remaining dressing and additional tortilla chips alongside.