It is time to party with our Fiesta Salad this fresh, delicious, and super healthy salad works as a light lunch, as a side dish or as a starter.
While Fiesta Salads were very much the thing in the 80s and 90s it is such an easy, fun and colourful salad to make that I though it was time to revive this old favourite.
In our version we have combined lettuce, tomatoes, corn, mixed beans, avocados, and parsley then tossed everything in an oh so easy red wine vinaigrette with a bit of taco seasoning for some spice.
What Can I Serve With It?
This is salad is ideal to serve with any grilled meats, poultry or seafood at a barbecue and makes the perfect side to any Mexican meal try it with…
Ingredients & Variations
- Base & Crunch – we have used some curly lettuce that we had growing in the garden, but you can also use romaine/cos lettuce, or iceberg lettuce. Or if your prefer sturdy greens try some kale, silverbeet or rainbow chard.
- Added veg – we have used sweet mini Roma tomatoes, creamy avocado and sweet corn. Feel free to use some diced, carrots, celery or peppers instead.
- Protein – we have used a four bean mix for some colour and protein, but you can use any beans that you like. Chickpeas/garbanzo beans, black beans or red kidney beans are also great. Some crumbled feta is also great in this salad.
- Flavour – we have used fresh parsley because there was just so much of it in the garden but if you are not a fan you can substitute it with some citrusy coriander/cilantro, or some aromatic mint instead.
- Dressing – we kept things simple by just using a simple red wine vinegar vinaigrette with some taco seasoning, but I also love this salad with our lime-cilantro vinaigrette.
You Will Need
How to Make It
1PREP LETTUCE
We have used a curly leaf lettuce that we grew in our garden which required more rinsing.
Remove the core from your lettuce and wash thoroughly in a colander under cold running water, make sure that you wash it carefully so that you don’t damage the delicate leaves.
Dry thoroughly with or spin dry in a salad spinner, then and using a sharp knife.
CUT OFF THE ROOT 
WASH LETTUCE SPIN OR PAT LETTUCE DRY SHRED LETTUCE
2CHOP YOUR VEG
You can either prepare fresh corn by boiling or grilling and then cutting off the kernels or keep it super simple by using a can of corn and rinsing the corn kernels in a colander under cold water.
Rinse the beans in a colander under cold water.
Wash your tomatoes, pat dry and slice in half.
Wash, peel and remove the pit from your avocado then dice.
Remove the papery skin from your onion, trim and then dice.
Pick the parsley leaves from the stems, wash, pat dry and roughly chop then.
USE FRESH OR CANNED CORN CUT YOUR MINI-ROMAS IN HALF DICE AVOCADOS DICE YOUR RED ONION PICK PARSLEY LEAVES FROM STEMS CHOP PARSLEY LEAVES
3ASSEMBLE SALAD
Place everything in a large mixing bowl, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper. pour over the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sprinkle with the taco or cajun seasoning then toss everything until well combined.
Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
ADD ALL INGREDIENTS TO BOWL MIX WELL TO COMBINE 
ARRANGE IN A SALAD BOWL & SERVE
Make Ahead Tips
- The dressing can be made a week in advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge.
- Rinse the beans and corn and chop everything the day before (apart from the lettuce and avocado as they will turn brown) and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. On the day chop your lettuce and avocado and toss everything with the dressing.
- Make the salad without the dressing up to 2 hours in advance keep it covered in the fridge then toss with the dressing when you are ready to serve.
How to Meal Prep for Packed Lunches
- Make the salad without the dressing and avocado and portion it into containers.
- Either leave out the avocado or dice it the day before and squeeze lots of lemon juice over it to prevent browning then add to your salad container.
- Keep the dressing in a separate container to stir through your dressing just before eating.
More Bean Salad Recipes
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 180 grams curly lettuce (approximately ½ head of lettuce- 6.35oz)
- 200 grams mini Roma tomatoes (approximately 1 punnet – 7 oz)
- 450 grams four bean mix (1 can – 16oz)
- 2 cups corn kernels (approx. 4 cobs of corn that weigh 650g/23oz)
- 1 large avocado (approximately 200g/7oz)
- ½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ Cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsps Taco seasoning
Instructions
- We have used a curly leaf lettuce that we grew in our garden which required more rinsing.
- Remove the core from your lettuce and wash thoroughly in a colander under cold running water.
- Dry thoroughly and shred using a sharp knife.
- You can either prepare fresh corn by boiling and then cutting off the kernels or keep it super simple by using a can of corn and rinsing the corn kernels in a colander under cold water.
- Rinse the beans in a colander under cold water.
- Wash your tomatoes, pat dry and slice in half.
- Wash, peel and remove the pit from your avocado then dice.
- Wash the parsley leaves, pat dry and roughly chop.
- Place everything in a large mixing bowl, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper. pour over the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sprinkle with the taco or cajun seasoning then toss everything until well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking arrange in s a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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