Sweet & Crunchy Corn Chip Salad

 

I have a hard time comprehending why some people say they don't like salad.  I could live off of salads and eat nothing else.  I have never met a salad that I did not like, for the most part.

I have seen some very poorly put together salads and some really minging ones.  I have been served quite a few of those in restaurants in my life time, and left thinking to myself how could they get something so simple so terribly wrong.

 

I suppose a person who says they don't like salad quite possibly hasn't had the opportunity to eat a really good one.  I do admit when I first moved over to the UK, I was appalled at the quality of salads that was offered in many restaurants.

A lettuce leave with a slice of tomato and a slice of cucumber.  Just like it was thrown on the plate at the last minute without any thought towards how it should really be at all.  To me that does not constitute a salad.   

 

I have even, most appallingly, had a salad served to me with a slice of tomato on it that had fuzzy mold growing on it. Who does that???

If you are going to go to the trouble of mentioning salad on the side on your restaurant menu, at least take the trouble to make sure that what you are serving is edible.  😕😕😕

 

This sweet & Crunchy Corn Chips Salad recipe I am sharing with you today is adapted from one I found on Taste of Home, and attributed to Nora Friesen of Aberdeen, Wisconsin.

Called Yummy Corn Chips Salad, the original recipe made 12 servings.  I have taken the liberty of downsizing it to make only 2 servings.  

 

I wanted to make it because it seemed to be quite different than a lot of the corn chip salads I had seen out there. There is no ground beef, or corn, or beans.

  

Instead it is the perfect combination of salty, smoky, sweet, and crunchy with a lovely creamy sweet and tangy poppyseed dressing.    I love poppyseed dressings.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SWEET & CRUNCHY CORN CHIP SALAD

Some very simple ingredients. Tasty and delicious.  I loved the simplicity of everything involved.

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup (60ml) light olive oil
• 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 TBS minced onion
• 1/4 tsp poppy seeds

For the salad:

• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• a small handful of corn chips
• 2 strips of streaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/4 cup (30g) grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (40g) dried cranberries

 

The original recipe called for canola oil. I tend to use light olive oil most of the time when I need an oil for things like this, or for frying.   Its a healthier option.

It also called for yellow mustard. I used Dijon mustard as it doesn't have as harsh a flavor, but does have a bit of zip. I also find the bright yellow color of ordinary mustard a bit too much.

I had some cooked streaky bacon in the fridge leftover from the weekend. That is what I used.  Worked fine. It is not all that hard to cook a couple of strips of streaky bacon in the microwave if you need to do so, or to use packaged real bacon bits.

You can find a really good article on how to cook bacon in the microwave here.  This is how I do it.  Its really easy.

The original recipe also called for leaf lettuce. I know leaf lettuce is really pretty, but I had romaine lettuce in my refrigerator crisper and that is what I used. I thought it went really well with the other ingredients as well. It has a slightly bitter tone which I quite enjoy and which goes so very well with bacon.

The corn chips I used are an organic brand that I get at the Super Store. Neal Brother's Corn Chips. They come in three flavors. Mexican Street Corn, which are a bit spicy. Nacho which are cheesy and original plain, which is the ones I used.  

I really like them. They are the perfect mix of salty crunchy without going over the top with the salt. 

I used  Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries.  There is a Cranberry bog not too far from where I live. I have always wondered if they sell their products  to local folk, or if they only sell to retailers. I need to find out!

I used bagged grated mozzarella cheese.  I had gotten some in for the weekend for my grandsons to pop onto their pizzas.  They made their own pizzas for supper on Thursday night using Naan Breads. 

Oh what fun we had making up the pizzas.  I dreamt of being able to do this with my grandchildren for over 20 years and it is a real blast being able to enjoy their company in person now!  Happy times!

 

HOW TO MAKE SWEET & CRUNCHY CORN CHIP SALAD

Nothing could be easier to make.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Make the dressing by popping all of the ingredients into a jar or a mini blender. Blitz or shake together to combine. Set aside.

Place all of the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss together to combine. Divide between two bowls.

Drizzle half of the dressing over each bowl of salad and serve immediately.

 

This would be really easy to make vegan. Simply leave out the bacon and cheese and substitute them with vegan friendly options.

I think you could also make this into a tasty main dish salad by adding some additional protein such as cubed cooked chicken.  The dressing would go wonderfully with chicken!

I actually enjoyed this on its own as a nice light lunch. It was the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, salty, tangy and smoky!  I hope you will be inspired to want to try it as well!

Some other tasty lunch type or side salads that you might enjoy are:

CHOPPED SALAD FOR TWO -  A mix of chopped lettuce, radish, peas, zucchini, red onion, boiled egg, layered in a dish with a rich and creamy Italian type of dressing and a smattering of cheese and bacon sprinkled on top.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH A TANGY LEMON VINAIGRETTE -   This delicious salad is a lovely mix of chopped lettuce and vegetables.  Corn, baby gems, three kinds of peppers, two kinds of cherry tomatoes, spring onions,  and two type of cheese, tossed together with a beautifully flavored dressing.  I love vinaigrette dressings. This one is the perfect mix of tangy, light and spicy!

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Sweet & Crunchy Corn Chip Salad

Cook time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

This tasty side salad is the perfect mix of sweet, salty and crunchy. It goes with just about anything.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup (60ml) light olive oil
• 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 TBS minced onion
• 1/4 tsp poppy seeds

For the salad:

• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• a small handful of corn chips
• 2 strips of streaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/4 cup (30g) grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (40g) dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Make the dressing by popping all of the ingredients into a jar or a mini blender. Blitz or shake together to combine. Set aside.
2. Place all of the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss together to combine. Divide between two bowls.
3. Drizzle half of the dressing over each bowl of salad and serve immediately.

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