Colorful Salad with Avocado Cilantro Dressing

Fresh is in order even in the Winter months.  It provides a much needed burst of sunshine.    Making a salad dressing at home takes only minutes can elevate a boring salad to something spectacular.  I used frozen avocado for my creamy dressing.  It works great when this fruit is out of season.

This salad features a wealth of textures, providing  a little something for everyone: crunchy peppers, nutty pepitas, perfumy cilantro, sweet carrots, smoky roasted corn and refreshing romaine leaves.  The final touch is the creamy lime-cilantro dressing.

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Colorful Salad with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing (serves 6) Can be prepared ahead of time.  Refrigerate the salad components separately from the dressing and mix together just before serving. 2 cups of thinly shredded carrots 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup cilantro leaves 1 cup roasted corn kernels, thawed 2 cups red bell pepper, diced 2 romaine heart salad, torn into bite size pieces 1/4 cup pepitas Dressing: 1 avocado 1/4 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/4 cup cilantro 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp water Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl In a blender or food processor, blend all the salad dressing ingredients until smooth. Mix the dressing in with the salad just before serving. Printable Recipe