Elvira's Specialty Salads Recipe

Inspired by Elvira's Grill - Upland

Time20m

Serves1

All of our salads are made with fresh heart of romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, pepita seeds, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips and are tossed in our homemade cilantro dressing.

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Ingredients

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Base Salad (per serving)

3 cups heart of romaine lettuce (chopped)

1/2 cups tomatoes (diced, medium)

2 tbsp pepita seeds (hulled pumpkin seeds)

2 tbsp Cotija cheese (crumbled)

1/4 cups tortilla strips

Cilantro Dressing (yields ~1/2 cup, enough for 2 servings)

1 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp Mayonnaise

2 tbsp Fresh lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic (1 small clove, minced)

1/4 tsp Ground cumin

1 tsp Honey

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)

Optional Add-ins (per serving)

3 oz grilled chicken (sliced)

1/4 cups black beans (rinsed and drained)

1/4 cups avocado (diced)

Method

Cilantro Dressing

Combine cilantro, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, honey, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor.

Blend on medium-high until the mixture is smooth and bright green, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed (about 30–45 seconds).

If the dressing is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and blend until you reach a pourable, drizzling consistency (about 1–2 tablespoons). Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lime juice, or honey as desired.

Transfer the dressing to a jar and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Keeps up to 5 days refrigerated.

Assemble Salad

Wash and dry romaine hearts thoroughly. Chop into roughly 1–1.5 inch pieces to yield about 3 cups per serving.

Dice tomatoes into small, even pieces (about 1/4-inch) and measure 1/2 cup per serving.

In a large bowl, place the chopped romaine and diced tomatoes. Add pepita seeds, crumbled cotija cheese, and tortilla strips.

Add the cilantro dressing: for one serving use approximately 2 tablespoons of dressing (adjust to taste). Toss gently but thoroughly so all leaves are coated and tortilla strips remain slightly crunchy.

Taste and season with additional salt or freshly ground black pepper if needed.

If using optional add-ins, top the salad now with sliced grilled chicken, black beans, and/or diced avocado.

Serve immediately so tortilla strips stay crisp.