Meal-Prep Southwest Salad
Creamy, oil-free cashew dressing paired with a protein-rich black bean salad makes for an easy, go-to meal.
January 9, 2020
This crunchy, fresh, bright salad from VegNews food columnist Jackie Sobon’s new cookbook Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep is the ultimate nourishing meal to prep for easy weekday meals, and the cilantro-jalapeño-cashew dressing makes for the perfect creamy-tangy topping.
What you need:
For the dressing:
¾ cup raw cashews
¾ cup water
½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice plus
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 fresh jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the salad:
1½ pounds romaine lettuce, chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1¼ cups grape tomatoes
⅔ cup thinly sliced red onion
⅔ cup sliced radishes
⅔ cup sliced avocado
What you do:
- For the dressing, into a blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth, then let rest for 5 minutes. Blend again to further break up cashews and transfer to a jar with a lid. Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- For the salad, set out 5 roughly 30-ounce storage containers. Divide lettuce evenly among containers, then top with black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion. Top each serving with radishes and sliced avocado.
- Divide dressing into five small containers for drizzling. Store in refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Photo credit: Jackie Sobon
