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Salad Recipe

Name: Hugo's Mexican Kitchens Salad Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 cups Romaine lettuce (or mixed salad greens), washed and chopped; 4 pieces Radishes, thinly sliced; 1 small Red onion, thinly sliced; 0.5 cups Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped; 1 cup Tortilla strips (store-bought or homemade); 1 pound Chicken breast or firm white fish or firm tofu (your choice), trimmed; 1 tbs Olive oil (for cooking); 0.5 tsp Ground cumin; 0.5 tsp Smoked paprika or regular paprika; 0.75 tsp Kosher salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground; 2 pieces Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced; 0.25 cup White or yellow onion, finely diced; 0.5 pieces Jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional); 2 tbs Fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 1 tbs Fresh lime juice; 0.25 tsp Kosher salt; 3 pieces Dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed; 1 pieces Garlic clove; 2 tbs Cider vinegar; 3 tbs Olive oil; 1 tsp Honey or agave syrup; 0.25 tsp Ground cumin; 3 tbs Warm water (for blending; adjust as needed); 0.5 tsp Kosher salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 0.5 cup Mexican crema or sour cream; 0.5 cup Queso fresco, cotija, or grated queso anejo; 2 pieces Fresh lime wedges (to serve)

Inspired by Hugo's Mexican Kitchen

Time40m

Serves4

A lettuce bed, any protein, pico de gallo, radishes, onions, cilantro, tortilla strips, crema, queso, and a guajillo dressing.

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Ingredients

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Salad base

6 cups Romaine lettuce (or mixed salad greens), washed and chopped

4 pieces Radishes, thinly sliced

1 small Red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cups Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup Tortilla strips (store-bought or homemade)

Protein

1 pound Chicken breast or firm white fish or firm tofu (your choice), trimmed

1 tbs Olive oil (for cooking)

1/2 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Smoked paprika or regular paprika

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

Pico de gallo

2 pieces Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup White or yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 pieces Jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

2 tbs Fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbs Fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Guajillo dressing

3 pieces Dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed

1 pieces Garlic clove

2 tbs Cider vinegar

3 tbs olive oil

1 tsp Honey or agave syrup

1/4 tsp Ground cumin

3 tbs Warm water (for blending; adjust as needed)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Toppings / finishes

1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

1/2 cup Queso fresco, cotija, or grated queso anejo

2 pieces Fresh lime wedges (to serve)

Method

Salad base

Wash and dry the romaine or mixed greens thoroughly. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.

Thinly slice the radishes and red onion. Add radishes, onion, and roughly chopped cilantro to the bowl but hold off on tossing until dressing is ready; keep tortilla strips separate so they stay crisp.

Protein

Season protein

Pat the chicken/fish/tofu dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix 0.75 tsp kosher salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper, 0.5 tsp ground cumin and 0.5 tsp paprika. Rub the spice mix evenly over both sides of the protein.

Cook protein

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. For chicken: cook about 5–7 minutes per side (internal temp 165°F / 74°C) depending on thickness. For fish: cook 3–4 minutes per side until opaque and flakes easily. For firm tofu: sear 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Remove from pan and let rest 3–5 minutes, then slice or crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Pico de gallo

Combine the diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1/2 jalapeño (or to taste), 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Taste and adjust lime or salt. Let rest 10–15 minutes so flavors meld.

Guajillo dressing

Toast the dried guajillo chilies briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat — 20–30 seconds per side — just until fragrant but not burned.

Place toasted chilies in a bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water. Let rehydrate 10 minutes, then drain, reserving a tablespoon of soaking liquid.

In a blender or food processor, combine rehydrated guajillos, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 2–3 tablespoons warm water or reserved soaking liquid. Blend until completely smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust salt, acid or sweetness as needed.

Toppings / finishes

Assemble the salad: toss the chopped lettuce, radishes, onions and cilantro lightly with about half of the guajillo dressing to coat (add more dressing to taste).

Arrange the cooked protein over the dressed greens. Spoon pico de gallo over or beside the protein.

Drizzle crema over the salad in a thin stream or dollop on top. Sprinkle the grated queso evenly over the salad.

Scatter the tortilla strips over the salad for crunch. Serve with lime wedges on the side and additional dressing on the table.