The Best Salad to Serve with Chili: Southwest Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Looking for the perfect side dish to complement your hearty chili? Look no further! This vibrant Southwest Salad with Chili Lime Dressing is the ideal fresh and flavorful counterpart to your favorite chili recipe. Packed with crisp vegetables, creamy feta cheese, and a zesty chili lime vinaigrette, this salad is not just a side – it’s a flavor explosion that will elevate your chili night.

A vibrant Southwest Salad with Chili Lime Dressing, the perfect fresh side dish for chili.

A common misconception is that salads served with chili should be heavy or overly creamy. This Southwest Salad breaks that mold. It’s designed to be light, refreshing, and bright, offering a delightful contrast to the richness of chili while being incredibly satisfying in its own right.

Why This Southwest Salad is the Best Choice with Chili

When pairing a salad with chili, you want something that complements, not competes with, the chili’s flavors. This Southwest Salad is specifically designed to be the perfect partner for your chili, and here’s why:

Flavor Contrast: The smoky and savory notes of chili are beautifully balanced by the tangy and zesty chili lime dressing in this salad. The lime juice cuts through the richness of the chili, providing a refreshing counterpoint.
Textural Harmony: Chili is often soft and hearty. This salad offers a delightful crunch from the fresh vegetables, creating a wonderful textural contrast that enhances the overall dining experience.
Customizable to Your Chili: Whether you’re making a spicy beef chili, a vegetarian bean chili, or a white chicken chili, this salad is versatile enough to pair with them all. You can even adjust the salad’s ingredients to further complement your specific chili recipe.
Light and Refreshing: After a bowl of warm, hearty chili, your palate will appreciate the lightness and freshness of this salad. It cleanses the palate and prevents the meal from feeling too heavy.
Quick and Easy to Prepare: Just like a good chili recipe shouldn’t be overly complicated, this salad is quick and easy to throw together, making it a perfect weeknight meal companion.

Fresh ingredients for a vibrant Southwest Salad, ideal for serving alongside chili.

Key Ingredients for the Perfect Chili Side Salad

This Southwest Salad features a harmonious blend of ingredients that work together to create the ideal chili accompaniment:

Butter Lettuce: Its soft, delicate texture provides a lovely base that doesn’t overpower the other flavors.
Red and Orange Bell Peppers: These colorful peppers offer sweetness and a satisfying crunch, adding both visual appeal and flavor depth.
English Cucumber: Cucumber provides coolness and crispness, contributing to the refreshing nature of the salad.
Sautéed Corn: Sautéing the corn brings out its sweetness and adds a touch of warmth that ties in beautifully with the chili. Warm corn also slightly softens the lettuce, creating a pleasant texture contrast. Fresh, frozen, or grilled corn can be used.
Grape Tomatoes: These little bursts of tartness add a juicy element and balance the other flavors.
Feta Cheese: Creamy and salty feta adds a delicious richness that complements both the salad and the chili.
Scallions: Scallions provide a mild onion flavor and a fresh, summery touch.
Red Onion: Red onion adds a bit of bite and enhances the Southwest flavor profile.
Jalapeño (Optional): For those who like a little heat, a touch of jalapeño can add a pleasant kick that echoes the spice in chili.

The Zesty Chili Lime Dressing

The dressing is the star of this salad, especially when serving it with chili. It’s a simple vinaigrette made with just a few key ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Forms the base of the dressing, binding all the flavors together.
Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is crucial for that signature zesty, Southwestern citrus flavor that complements chili so well.
Sherry Wine Vinegar: Adds a unique tangy and slightly nutty depth to the vinaigrette, enhancing its complexity.
Chili Powder: The namesake ingredient, chili powder, infuses the dressing with warm, smoky, and subtly spicy Southwestern notes.

Fresh and flavorful ingredients for a homemade Chili Lime Dressing, perfect for a salad with chili.

Variations to Complement Your Chili

This salad is delicious as is, but you can easily customize it to further enhance your chili pairing:

Corn Salsa or Grilled Corn: Instead of sautéed corn, try adding Corn Salsa or Grilled Corn for a different texture and flavor dimension that can complement smoky or grilled chili.
Cheese Swap: If feta isn’t your preference, shredded jack cheese offers a milder, melty alternative that still pairs well with chili.
Add Protein: For a heartier salad that can stand alone or complement a lighter chili, add grilled chicken, shrimp, black beans, or chickpeas.
Tortilla Strips or Chips: For added crunch and a Tex-Mex flair, sprinkle tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips over the salad, especially nice with a chili con carne.
Avocado: Creamy avocado adds richness and healthy fats, a great addition if your chili is leaner.

Simple Steps to Make Your Chili Side Salad

For detailed instructions, see the recipe card below.

Prepare the Vegetables: Chop all the vegetables and combine them with feta cheese in a large salad bowl. This colorful mix is the foundation of your chili-ready salad.

Combining fresh vegetables and feta cheese for a vibrant salad to serve with chili.
Whisk the Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sherry wine vinegar, chili powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper. This zesty dressing is what makes this salad sing alongside chili.
Sauté the Corn: Sauté the corn kernels in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Warm corn adds a unique touch to this salad, especially when paired with warm chili.

Sautéing corn to enhance the flavor and texture of the salad, perfect for a chili accompaniment.
Assemble and Toss: Add the warm sautéed corn to the salad bowl, pour the chili lime dressing over everything, and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately alongside your favorite chili.

Tossing the salad with the flavorful Chili Lime Dressing, creating the perfect side for chili.

Frequently Asked Questions about Serving Salad with Chili

What are good side dishes to serve with chili besides salad? While this Southwest Salad is an excellent choice, other great sides for chili include cornbread, baked potatoes, cinnamon rolls, or a simple side of rice. However, for a fresh and healthy contrast, this salad is hard to beat!

Is this Southwest Salad healthy? Absolutely! This salad is packed with fresh vegetables and lean feta cheese. You can make it even healthier by using non-fat feta or reducing the amount of cheese. It’s a guilt-free way to add freshness to your chili meal.

Can I prepare this salad in advance? Yes, you can prep all the components ahead of time. Chop the vegetables, make the dressing, and even sauté the corn. Store them separately in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply combine everything and toss. For the best texture, dress the salad just before serving, especially when pairing with chili.

How should I store leftover salad? Leftover dressed salad is best enjoyed immediately. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that dressed salad will become softer over time. For best results, only dress the portion you plan to eat immediately when serving with chili.

More Refreshing Salad Recipes

If you love fresh and flavorful salads like this Southwest Salad, you might also enjoy these recipes:

Recipe Index
Easy Weeknight Dinners

Enjoy this vibrant Southwest Salad with your next bowl of chili! It’s the perfect way to create a balanced and delicious meal.

5 from 11 votes

Southwest Salad with Chili Lime Dressing Recipe

By Grace Vallo

This Southwest Salad, with its vibrant Chili Lime Dressing, is the ultimate fresh side dish to serve with chili. Packed with colorful vegetables and creamy feta, it’s a flavor and texture sensation!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

10 ounces butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
1 English cucumber, diced
4 ears of corn, about 2 cups (fresh, frozen, or grilled)
10 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) grape tomatoes, halved
1 ¼ cups feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
½ jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)

Chili Lime Dressing Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for sautéing corn
1 juicy lime, juiced
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, red pepper, orange pepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, scallions, red onion, and jalapeño (if using).
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sherry wine vinegar, chili powder, ½ cup olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add corn and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until tender and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add warm corn to the salad bowl. Pour the chili lime dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
Serve immediately alongside your favorite chili and enjoy!

Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

For a spicier dressing, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the vinaigrette.
For a vegan option, omit the feta cheese and consider adding avocado for creaminess.
Feel free to add other vegetables you enjoy, such as black beans, avocado, or jicama.

Nutrition Information

Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Additional Information

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southwest, Tex Mex
Calories: 481
Keyword: Salad To Serve With Chili, southwest salad, chili lime dressing, side dish for chili, best salad with chili, chili salad pairing, easy salad recipe, weeknight salad, summer salad, fall salad

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