Cafe Rio Salad

Make Cafe Rio salad at home, complete with a drizzle of the famous creamy tomatillo dressing, just like from the restaurant! This easy recipe is also vegan.

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings salads

Calories 850kcal

Author Louisa

Equipment

Ingredients

4 large tortillas
2 cups cilantro lime quinoa
2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup guacamole
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crumbled
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Copycat Cafe Rio Dressing:

1 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 scallion, chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped
3 to tomatillos, diced
6 tbsp raw cashews

Instructions

Divide the salad ingredients into 4 bowls and assemble them in the order listed so the tortillas are at the bottom and the other ingredients are on top. Set the salads aside.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth and well combined.
Drizzle the vegan creamy cilantro dressing on the salads generously, and you're done!

Notes

Use a salad spinner on your lettuce to remove any excess moisture that can make the salad soggy. And, of course, only add the dressing right before serving the salad.
Make your homemade Cafe Rio salad extra special by toasting the tortillas with shredded non dairy Mexican-style cheese!
Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat and saute some garlic and cumin in it for 1 minute. Add your beans, tomato juice, plus any other seasonings you like, and simmer until some of the liquid has evaporated.

Nutrition