Not only is today the first day of May we’re also just five days away from Cinco De Mayo. (And who says you can’t celebrate all week long with delicious Mexican fare and margaritas?!)

I enjoy Mexicali cuisine so much I sometimes wonder if my Italian/Irish blood doesn’t have just a bit of Mexican in it…

Anyway, if you’re looking for an easy, healthy Cinco de Mayo recipe then this is for you. Yes it’s essentially a salad but the colorful, festive ingredients keep your taste buds interested without loading on a lot of fat via cheese and sour cream- like some typical Americanized Mexican dishes. (Though you’ll get a dose of good-for-you fat from the avocado.)  The addition of tortilla chips adds a nice crunch and  makes the “salad” feel a little more fun.

Note: I admittedly went for the speedy route and used premade salsa from Whole Foods. But you could always make your own.

Healthy Cinco De Mayo Salad 

Serves 2 meal size portions or 4 sides

1 organic yellow pepper

1 organic red pepper

2 avocados

2 organic roma tomatoes or about 8-10 organic cherry tomatoes

1 package sliced white button mushrooms

4 cups romaine (optional)

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (optional – skip it to make the salad vegetarian friendly)

1 garlic clove

2-3 tbsps fresh cilantro

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6-8 tbsps salsa

Blue corn tortilla chips (I used garden of eatin sprouted blues)

 Directions

• Wash and chop peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. Chop garlic into fine pieces. 
• Preheat a large pan on stovetop and pour in 1 tbsp of olive oil with chopped garlic. Let simmer on low about 1 minute.
• Add mushrooms and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Sautee on medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
• Turn heat to high and add shrimp with remaining olive oil – sautee for 1 minute. (Don’t overcook shrimp or it’ll get rubbery.)
• Slice avocado into cubes, and season with a little salt and pepper.
• Assemble salad plate with romaine, add vegetables and shrimp. Pour salsa on top and garnish with cilantro. Add chips and serve!

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Beth is a Health and Wellness expert who believes sustainability goes hand-in-hand with self care. She’s the girl whipping up kombucha cocktails at parties, and extolling the benefits of canning vegetables to anyone who will listen. View all posts by Beth Funari