Taos Caesar Salad

We had a salad similar to this at the Grand Canyon several years ago, and it's become a staple in our house. We've changed it quite a bit along the way, making it even healthier and more delicious, so now I call it a Taos Caesar, because it's very much at home here.

Taos Caesar Salad
This will feed 4-6 people as a dinner.

lettuce, chopped - any kind you like - fill a large bowl
1 can black olives, sliced or left whole
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cups fresh corn (or frozen, rinsed to thaw)
Daiya pepperjack - optional
guacamole, salsa, and tortillas chips

Toss everything but the guacamole, salsa, and chips together, or make each plate individually, layering the ingredients. Serve with Chipotle Caesar Dressing (recipe below), and a dollop of guacamole and salsa. The tortilla chips look pretty when you leave them whole, but make great "croutons" if you crumble them on top of your salad.

Chipotle Caesar Salad Dressing
This makes more than you'll need for a large salad, but keeps well in the fridge for a week or more.

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes or more, then drained and rinsed
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
juice of one lemon
1 cup water

Blend everything in the blender until it's smooth and creamy.