Layered Southwest Salad

Trey and I just got home from a fun evening in High Springs, where we joined family members to celebrate my Aunt Joy's birthday (just a smidge belated seeing as her birthday is Sept. 15).  Aunt Joy's sister-in-law Mary made chicken enchiladas, so I took a yummy, southwestern salad to go with the meal.  It's such a great and easy recipe, so I thought I'd share with you all.

Layered Southwest Salad

15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup salsa

lettuce, chopped

1-2 chopped tomatoes
15 1/4 oz can of whole kernel corn, drained

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits

1 avocado, sliced

ranch dressing
tortilla chips

Anything this colorful has got to taste good!

Combine black beans and salsa in a small bowl.  Layer bean mix, lettuce and next 4 ingredients in a large serving bowl.  Place the avocado slices in a circle on top, then sprinkle cheese and bacon bits on top.  Serve with ranch dressing and tortilla chips, if desired.

Almost finished! Just needs cheese and bacon bits to be complete!

Love it! Such an impressive presentation, and oh, so yummy!

Not only is this a tasty, fresh dish, but it sure is pretty to look at, especially when served in a glass bowl or trifle dish.  It is simply beautiful once it's all put together and is a really nice spin on a traditional salad.  Enjoy!