Mexican Caesar Salad

5 from 7 votes

This recreation of the Mexican Caesar Salad from El Torito Restaurant has crispy romaine lettuce tossed with a tangy cilantro-pepita dressing, and is topped with toasted pepitas and crispy tortilla strips, for a bright and refreshing salad with lots of texture and flavor.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Cynthia Christensen

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

Cilantro-pepita dressing

1 jalapeno
3 tablespoons pepitas plus extra for garnish
¼ cup olive oil or other neutral vegetable oil
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup milk
2 cloves garlic
Juice of one lime
¼ cup grated cotija cheese plus extra for garnish
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ bunch cilantro leaves and stems

Salad

2 heads romaine torn bite size
2 cups kale ½ bunch kale with stems stripped and leaves chopped
Cotija cheese
Toasted pepitas
Crispy tortilla strips

Instructions

Pepitas

Start by toasting your pepitas by placing them on a small sheet pan and placing in a 350°F oven for 6 to 7 minutes, or until they smell nutty. Pour onto a small dish so they don't over-toast. You can also toast the pepitas in a dry pan on the stove over medium heat.

Jalapeño

Next roast the jalapeño pepper by putting it on the same small sheet pan and placing it under a broiler, turning often, until nicely browned. You can also roast in a very hot pan until browned on all sides. Remove the stem and some or all of the seeds inside, depending on how much spice you want.

Make dressing

Add olive oil, mayonnaise, milk, and garlic cloves to the bowl of your food processor.
Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Turn on processor and blend until smooth.
Add toasted pepitas, cotija cheese, salt, pepper, and cotija cheese.
Add cilantro, stems and all. and your jalapeño.
Blend until the dressing is smooth with visible flecks of cilantro. Makes about 1 ½ cups of dressing. Place in a lidded jar, or airtight container, and place in the refrigerator at least one hour, or up to 1 week.

Assemble salad

Assemble your salad by tearing your romaine and kale into bite sized pieces. Toss with your preferred amount of dressing. Portion into individual servings. Top with more toasted pepitas and crumbled cotija cheese. Add crispy tortilla strips, if desired.

Notes

Makes enough dressing for 8 to 10 salads.

Store dressing in a lidded jar, or airtight container, for up to a week.

Creamy avocado option:For an nondairy creamy option, add a ripe avocado to the dressing. Just blend it in the food processor with everything else. If adding an avocado, the dressing will only last 2 days in the refrigerator.

Make ahead instructions: You can make the dressing and tortilla strips ahead, but store the components separately until you are ready to eat. Just mix the salad greens with dressing and toss half of the garnishes with it. Then sprinkle the rest of the garnishes on top and let guests serve themselves.

Nutrition