Ensalada Vallarta Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine lettuce or mixed greens. Chop or tear into bite-size pieces until you have about 6 cups. Place in a large salad bowl.

Prep tomatoes and cucumber

Dice the tomatoes into roughly 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups) and add to the bowl. Peel the cucumber if desired, slice in half lengthwise and scoop seeds if watery; slice or half-moon into 1/4-inch slices and add to the bowl.

Slice onion and avocado

Thinly slice the red onion and add about 1/2 cup to the bowl (reserve a few rings for garnish if you like). Halve, pit, peel and slice the avocado; arrange the slices on top of the salad just before serving to prevent excessive browning.

Add queso fresco and season

Crumble 3/4 cup queso fresco over the salad. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper, keeping in mind the dressing will add salt as well. Add chopped cilantro if using.

Combine base ingredients

In a blender or food processor, add 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt), 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice), half a small avocado, 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, 1 tbsp chopped chives or green onion, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, the minced garlic clove, and 1/4 tsp dried dill (if using).

Blend to smooth

Blend until smooth and creamy, about 20–30 seconds. If the dressing is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon cold water or an additional tablespoon of buttermilk to reach a pourable drizzling consistency.

Season dressing

Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust acidity with a little more lime juice if desired.

Dress the salad

Just before serving, lightly drizzle the avocado ranch dressing over the assembled salad (about 3–4 tablespoons per serving or roughly 1/3–1/2 cup total) so the avocado slices remain intact. Toss gently if you prefer the dressing distributed through the greens, or leave drizzled on top for presentation.