Chorizo Salad with Queso Fresco and Garlic Lime Dressing

Our Chorizo Salad was inspired by the Mexican dish queso fundido, a delicous melty-cheese appetizer served with warm tortillas. Of course, you can’t really transfer the experience of a gooey, cheesy appetizer to a salad, but we discovered that you can carry the flavors from one to the other.

We love the way the spiciness of the chorizo complements the barely-there sweetness of the greens, the mild queso fresco, and the acidity of the garlic lime dressing. The flavor combo is so tasty, we recommend you bring this salad to your next barbeque or cookout. Our recipe makes enough to serve 6 people for their main meal, a great amount for a potluck!

You can also easily pack this salad for lunch by placing the fried chorizo, crumbled queso fresco, and sliced veggies on top of your greens ahead of time, without anything getting soggy. Pack your dressing and a handful of tortilla chips in two small separate containers. When it’s mealtime, simply dress the salad, crumble chips on top, and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Chorizo Salad with Queso Fresco and Garlic Lime Dressing

This salad is a delicious combo of chorizo and creamy queso fresco with an acidic lime dressing.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Salad

Keyword: chorizo, garlic lime, queso fresco, spring salad mix

Servings: 6

Equipment

• skillet
• glass jar
• cutting board
• chef's knife

Ingredients

• 12 oz chorizo mild or hot, depending on preference
• 10 oz queso fresco crumbled
• 1 lb salad greens
• 12 salad radishes or small Hakurei turnips thinly sliced
• 1 bunch chives or scallions snipped into small pieces
• handful tortilla chips crumbled

Dressing

• 4 Tbsp lime juice
• 10 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 heaping Tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Fry chorizo over medium high heat until cooked through, breaking up any small pieces as you cook.
• Place greens in large bowl. Sprinkle chorizo, crumbled queso fresco, sliced radishes, and chives on top. Alternatively, portion out the salad greens into 6 individual bowls and divide toppings accordingly.
• For the dressing, toss all ingredients in pint jar and shake or stir well until sugar and salt dissolve, 1-2 minutes. Drizzle over salad. Top with crumbled tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Notes

To shake this salad up a little, try some additional toppings like salsa, black beans, sour cream or crushed tortilla chips!