The vegan Southwest Salad with Cilantro Jalapeno Cashew Dressing is the perfect recipe to prepare ahead of time. It's crispy, fresh, and hearty enough for dinner. Top it off with a creamy cashew-based dressing that has just a hint of spice!
After the holidays, I looked forward to getting back on track with planning and eating healthy meals. I was thrilled to receive a free copy of Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep for review. I will be sharing the recipe for Southwest Salad with Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing.
Disclosure: I received the cookbook Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep for review from Fair Winds Press. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are my personal view.
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About Plant-Based Meal Prep
If you have been wondering how to incorporate nutritious and delicious vegan meals into your life, Jackie Sobon's third cookbook, Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep, is for you! This cookbook is an excellent start for those who want to begin meal prepping or for those who wish to start eating plant-based.
I wish I had a cookbook like this as a resource when I first attempted going vegan. I have been vegan for nearly four years. However, sometimes it can be a struggle to meal plan and put together a weekly menu. The cookbook is well thought out and helps make meal planning a breeze. Jackie's new cookbook has quickly become a favorite!
About plant-based meal prep
The idea behind meal prepping is that you prepare the food you are going to eat during the week in a block of time, usually during the weekend. The time you set aside during the weekend will be worth it since you will have meals prepared during the week and save time. It helps to set aside a Saturday or Sunday morning or afternoon to do this.
The Plant-Based Meal Prep Cookbook by Jackie Sobon makes it simple for you by guiding you with easy to follow, make-ahead recipes. She includes nutrition information, menus, helpful tips, well-planned grocery lists, and equipment advice. In this cookbook, you will see that most of the recipes have an accompanying photograph. I love to see how the final dish is supposed to look.
Easy to adapt to your needs
If you are on the go or have long workdays, this cookbook can help. This cookbook helps you to decide what to make at home so that you can take it with you on the road. Jackie gives suggestions to customize the plan according to your preferences or nutritional needs.
In Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep, Jackie Sobon has put together 14 weekly meal plans and over 100 recipes. You can start the meal plans any day of the week you wish. With each menu, you'll get three main courses, as well as two snacks, which will provide enough food during the week.
You will find great ideas for breakfast on the go, work lunches, and dinner. There is something for everyone, whether you need:
- meal plans for one person
- meal plans for families
- multipurpose meals
- higher protein meals
- kid-friendly meals
Other recipes in the cookbook
As I reviewed the book, I found lots of recipes I wanted to try like the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Bars, which are perfect for snacks or on the go. I made these bars right away since I had all of the ingredients. They were no-bake, easy to make, and they were delicious. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, this recipe is for you!
I just put together the Blueberry Smoothie Jars, which will make breakfast a breeze. I am looking forward to also making these other recipes:
- Springtime Sheet Pan Polenta Pizza
- Jackfruit Tacos with Black Beans
- Chipotle Tempeh Kale Bowls
- Hashbrown-Crusted Frittata
- Mushroom Omelet
- Penne Bolognese
- Shakshuka
- Blood Orange Freezer Waffles with Berry Compote
About this Southwest Salad
I love having a vibrant salad ready to go, so I decided to make the Southwest Salad on page 31 with the Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing on page 161.
This delicious and vibrant colorful salad is satisfying with its crunchy texture, and the creamy dressing is spicy and tangy! The beautiful green dressing is easy to make in a blender.
This salad is:
- ready in less than 30 minutes
- gluten-free
- nut-free
- oil-free
- no sugar added
🍽 Equipment
Here's what you will need to make this recipe:
- five 30-oz storage containers to make this recipe.
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- blender
🥘 Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make this salad:
- romaine lettuce
- black beans
- yellow and orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, red onion, radishes
- avocado
- cashews
- cilantro
- lime
- jalapeño
- onion powder, cayenne pepper
- salt
These are the ingredients you need to make the dressing:
- raw cashews
- water
- fresh cilantro
- lime juice plus zest
- fresh jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
- onion powder
- salt
- cayenne pepper
How to make this salad
- Set out five 30-ounce glass storage containers
- Divide the lettuce evenly among the containers. Top with black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion.
- Then top with radishes and sliced avocado.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top of each salad (or divide into five small containers or jars).
How to make the dressing
- Mix the cashews, water, cilantro, lime juice and zest, jalapeño, salt, and seasonings in a blender until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Let it rest in the pitcher for five minutes.
- Blend again to further break up the cashews.
- Season to taste.
- Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator.
Storage
Store the salad in the refrigerator for up to six days. The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Related recipes
The recipe is reprinted with permission from Jackie Sobon and Fair Winds Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. © 2020. You can get a copy of the cookbook here.
If you make this Southwest Salad with Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
📖 Recipe
Southwest Salad with Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
Southwest Salad
- 1.5 pounds (680 g) romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 15-oz (425 g) cans low-sodium black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 yellow bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 orange bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 ¼ cups (188 g) grape tomatoes
- ⅔ cup (110 g) thinly sliced red onion
- ⅔ cup (95 g) sliced radishes
- ⅔ cup (60 g) sliced avocado
- 1 batch Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
- ¾ cup (103 g) raw cashews
- ¾ cup (175 ml) water
- ½ cup (8 g) firmly packed fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice plus 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 fresh jalapeño stemmed and seeded
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Southwest Salad
- Set out five roughly 30-ounce (850 g) storage containers
- Divide the lettuce evenly among the containers, then top with black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion.
- Top each serving with radishes and sliced avocado.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top of each salad (or divide into five smallcontainers or jars). Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
- Puree cashews, water, cilantro, lime juice and zest, jalapeño, onion powder, salt, and cayenne in a blender until the mixture is as smooth as possible, then let it rest in the pitcher for 5 minutes.
- Blend again to further break up the cashews.
- Season with additional salt to taste.
- Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Jackie of VYA says
Love the bowls and beautiful photos, Emily!
Emily says
Thank you so much, Jackie!
NATALIA says
Cashews and jalapeño… now that’s an interesting combo. I’m definitely going to have to try it 🙂
Emily says
Hi Natalia, thanks for the review! I'm so glad you're going to give this recipe a try and that it sounds like an interesting combination. Cashews are such a versatile ingredient and we love using them in different ways. I hope you enjoy it!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! I love this Southwest Salad! I think it has amazing crunch and bite to it and it is so delicious! I could eat this every day for lunch!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Kayla. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it and found it satisfying!
Holly says
This made a really tasty lunch! Great recipe and I'm in love with the cashew jalapeno dressing. It was great on the salad but I like it as a dip with chips, too! 🙂
Emily says
Thanks so much for your review Holly! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe . The cashew jalapeno dressing is one of my favorites too - it's really versatile, perfect on salads or as a dip for chips!
Marinela says
This refreshing southwest salad is amazing! It perfectly pairs with this simple cilantro jalapeno cashew dressing. It's light, nourishing, full of plant-based energy. I'm adding it to my clean-eating menu right away. Mmm, so delicious, love it!
Emily says
Marinela, thank you for your wonderful review! I'm so glad to hear that the recipe is a hit with you!
Anaiah says
Wow, that cilantro jalapeño cashew dressing sounds delicious! Such a beautiful salad. Super excited to try out this recipe and check out Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep book. I need to get in the habit of prepping meals ahead of time again!
Emily says
Thank you for your comment, Anaiah. The cookbook is such a great collection of recipes!