Speedy Southwest Salad

Labor Day cookout. Twenty-eight people. The backyard in full production — three grills, the smoker, the outdoor kitchen running like a restaurant line. Roberto at his portable grill (he will not change; the man has been grilling carne asada on the same portable since 2013 and will be buried with it). Me at the smoker with a pork shoulder that went on at midnight. Sofia at the corn station (she is adding grilled zucchini this year, expanding her domain without asking permission, because Sofia does not ask for permission, she announces her decisions). Diego running between all stations tasting everything, which is his role and his calling.

The menu: smoked pork shoulder, Roberto's carne asada, Sofia's corn and zucchini, burgers for the kids, cowboy beans, my garden salsa (the last of the summer peppers), coleslaw, and a tres leches cheesecake that Elena made. The spread covered twelve feet of table. The table was not big enough. It is never big enough. We used TV trays and step stools and the tailgate of my Silverado. The food does not fit on one table because the love does not fit in one house.

A moment: Roberto was standing at his portable grill and Diego walked up to him and said, "Abuelo, can I help?" Roberto looked at his grandson — four years old, covered in something sticky, holding a plastic dinosaur in one hand and a real kitchen tong in the other — and said, "Come here, mijo." He lifted Diego up (Roberto should not be lifting a four-year-old with his back, but you do not tell Roberto what he should not do) and held him so Diego could see the grill. "See the fire?" Roberto said. "See the meat?" Diego nodded. "This is carne asada. Your great-grandfather Alejandro taught me. Your daddy learned from me. Now you will learn." He let Diego hold the tongs — Roberto's hands over Diego's hands, guiding the flip — and Diego turned a piece of carne asada for the first time.

Four generations. Alejandro to Roberto to Marcus to Diego. The fire passes. The tongs pass. The food passes. At a grill in a backyard in Phoenix, on Labor Day, a four-year-old boy turned a piece of meat under his grandfather's hands and the line did not break.

I was at the smoker. I saw it happen from twenty feet away. I did not walk over. I did not interrupt. Some moments belong to the grandfather and the grandson. Some fire is passed directly, without the middle generation in the room. I watched from the smoker and I let the smoke sting my eyes and I did not wipe them.

That Labor Day spread covered twelve feet of table and still spilled onto TV trays and a truck tailgate, and the one dish I keep coming back to as the glue of the whole meal is a Speedy Southwest Salad—bright, fast, built for exactly the kind of heat and chaos a backyard like ours throws at you. While Roberto was passing fire to Diego at that portable grill, I needed something I could pull together between smoke checks that would hold its own next to carne asada and a midnight pork shoulder. This salad asks nothing of you and gives everything back: the colors of the Southwest, the cool contrast to all that smoke and char, and enough volume to feed a small army without a second batch.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups fresh grilled corn cut from the cob)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 avocado, diced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese
Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, for topping

Instructions

Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine the base. In a large mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn, drained diced tomatoes with green chiles, red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño. Toss gently to mix.
Add the greens. Add the chopped romaine to the bowl and toss everything together with the dressing until evenly coated.
Fold in the delicate ingredients. Add the diced avocado and cilantro and fold in carefully so the avocado doesn’t break down. These go in last to keep their texture and color.
Top and serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Scatter shredded cheese and tortilla strips over the top. Serve immediately, or refrigerate the dressed salad (without avocado and tortilla strips) for up to 4 hours and add those just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Speedy Southwest Salad — The Side Dish That Holds the Whole Spread Together