Chopped Salad With Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing Recipe (2024)

Please clarify the lime ingredient in this recipe: “1 lime, zested”: Does this mean: A)the juice of one lime, no Zest, B) the Zest of one lime, OR C) One lime, including the JUICE and Zest??

I made it with the zest and the juice--was delicious.

Try plain coconut yogurt and lemon juice for a lactose free alternative to buttermilk.

I'm liking this recipe but thinking about flipping it into a trifle dish

Mayo is essentially an emulsified vinaigrette- so you could instead whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar and/or lemon juice into the buttermilk or yogurt.

I really enjoyed this and so did my family. Next time I’ll start adding the peppers in bit by bit (I used my food processor). We like a lot of heat but the jalapeños I had must’ve been extra hot and it was almost too much. Added pinto beans and made it a full meal. Will make again!

It did not say “zest of one lime” which to me would have meant zest only, so I added the zest AND juice, and it was fantastic.

This is amazing! I added pinto beans to bulk the salad up for a whole meal, plus a bell pepper that was in my fridge. Will be making iterations of this salad again and again.

Made this tonight and served with grilled chicken and added fresh tomatoes. We loved it; next time I will add black beans to the salad as well.

Lisa J. : You're looking for a substitute for cilantro. It will change the flavor of the dressing - and I know what's what you're needing to do for the family member who doesn't / can't eat cilantro - but the color flecks of green will remain the same if you sub an equal amount of chopped flat leaf parsley. Or you could try a little roughly chopped fresh oregano but LESS than 1/3 C since it is pungent fresh herb. Or maybe even a little fresh thyme leaves.

I make a version of this that includes chopped black olives and grape tomatoes, along with a row of black beans (drained and rinsed). It is a stunning presentation, and I encourage guests to scoop up the toppings they like and ignore the ones that don’t agree with them. They serve their own dressing, as well. The crushed chips add a tang and crunch that should not be missed. Delicious served with skewers of grilled chicken and shrimp, although not needed.

Basil work well in most fresh recipes.

So delicious. Don’t skip any of the ingredients, it all goes together so nicely. Dressing is great. Will definitely make again!

Raw fresh corn is delicious. But it has to be really fresh!

This was a hit for Labor Day Weekend! Served with grilled chicken and shrimp and looking forward to leftovers for lunch. My romaine lettuce was huge so I only used two heads, and I will keep the seeds of two jalapeños in for the dressing next time, without them it was not spicy at all.

For the cheese I grated some queso fresco, and like others used a whole lime zested and juiced. I left off the chips but will try it with them next time! Wonderful side for a BBQ.

I truly can't understand some people's purported confusion about the lime in the recipe. "1 lime, zested" means you add the zest from a single lime. It's not a cryptic or uncommon way of saying so.You're welcome to add the juice if you want to (and I would personally), but the recipe would specify "1 lime, juiced and zested" if they were calling for juice as written.

Good summer salad - made in Aug 2023

I'm going to add garbanzo beans and maybe chopped cashews.

I’ve made this twice now: once basically as written but subbing kefir for buttermilk and some sour cream for some mayo, otherwise as written. Tonight I made it subbing Greek yogurt for the mayo and a tbsp or so of whipping cream water for the buttermilk, and the juice of two limes. Excellent both times. (Oh I also used the veggies and herbs I had on hand—zucchini, cucumber, carrots, corn, tomato, cilantro, dill, and romaine—and added hard boiled eggs.)

How long does this dressing stay fresh?

Delicious! I added pinto beans, grape tomatoes and subbed Monterey Jack - since that's all I had. Fabulous.

I have made this several times. Super tasty. I added chicken, and subed Greek yogurt for buttermilk. I also used baby gem lettuce and queso fresco as substitutions. Such a great summertime salad, bring on the avocados!

One time I made this and I added pico on top! Mark Bittman’s recipe. Now I never make it without it

This was a tasty salad! For regular home cooks I think the time estimate is a bit off, though - with the amount of ingredients to wash, chop/dice/measure/mix, this took closer to 45 minutes to prepare than 20 as listed!

This was delicious and worth all the prep. Since Cotija comes in 8 oz. packages I would add more or offer the extra on the side.

Used zest and juice. Added cucumber. Presentation is beautiful.

Grilled the corn and it changed my life.

This was a big hit. I used feta, I only had regular tortilla chips, but still got rave reviews. Let’s not kid ourselves. Just dump the ingredients in a big bowl and toss with the dressing. It’ll save a lot of mess and grief and is just as, if not more, delicious. Next time I’ll add halved cherry tomatoes.

So yummy! Used fresh corn, cherry tomatoes and lettuces from the Farmers Market.Added a seared chicken breast seasoned with chicken taco seasoning and added black beans, suggested by other cooks!Will add to my rotation!