Healthier Taco Salad with Salsa Dressing
Taco salads can be so enticing and tempting when going out to eat. That crispy taco shell bowl that most of them come in is fried and obviously delicious, but it really isn’t a healthy salad choice. As much as I would love to eat them as soon as I think about the amount of calories and fat in one I just can’t/won’t do it.
My version will fulfill your need for that crunchy bite you want when eating a taco salad. I’ve seen a ton of different recipes out there, some using Doritos chips even. When Beanfields Bean & Rice Chip company sent me some of their healthy chips to review I just knew they would be the tastiest choice for this recipe makeover! Read about my Review and Giveaway here!
You could certainly have this salad without the chips on top and it will be delicious, but then…….. it wouldn’t be called a taco salad anymore…… would it? 🙂
Super easy and quick to make the salsa dressing! Just some sour cream, salsa and some cilantro! Even my kids loved it and they usually HATE salsa so that is saying A LOT!
Although this salad is higher in fat, calories and points that what I would normally give you in a recipe , it is considerably better than a typical take out taco salad.
Typical Taco Salad
“A taco salad’s nutrition varies, depending on how it’s prepared. In general, expect a taco salad to contain anywhere from 490 calories to over 900 calories per serving. Taco salads tend to be high in fat, with 40 to 60 percent of their total calories coming from fat. A taco salad may contain anywhere from 50 mg to 150 mg of cholesterol, 30 to 50 g of protein and a small amount of dietary fiber per serving. Taco salads frequently contain more than 1,000 mg of sodium.”
Read more: https://www.livestrong.com/article/282644-taco-salad-nutrition-information/#ixzz1y4A4yMo0
Recipe adapted from Eatingwell.com
- 1 cup chopped sweet vidalia onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 ounces ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 cup black beans, cooked or canned, drained
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 scallion chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 8 cups lettuce of choice, chopped ( I used Boston)
- 1/2 cup shredded, light Mexican style cheese ( blend of Monterey Jack, Cheddar)
- 1 cup cracked Tortilla Chips: { I used Beanfields Pico De Gallo}
- optional toppings: black olives, avocado
- Salsa Dressing
- 1/2 cup chunky salsa ( I used Tostitos chunky, medium spicy)
- 1/4 cup sour cream, light
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan on medium heat, add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent and softened.
- Add the ground turkey and cook until browned.
- Mix in the cumin, chili powder and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cilantro, tomatoes and scallion. Set aside.
- In a large bowl place the lettuce. In a small bowl mix the dressing together and pour into the bowl of lettuce. Top with the turkey mixture.
- Add the cheese and cracked chips and mix it all together.
- Separate onto serving plates.
- Serve with extra dressing and optional toppings.
Weight Watchers Points+: 8*
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Love the dressing idea! I am sure using Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream would work – that stuff works great on burritos and you don’t know the difference!
Homemade and commercial taco salads can vary widely in ingredients resulting in a wide range of nutritional facts. A taco salad’s nutrition varies, depending on how it’s prepared. In general, expect a taco salad to contain anywhere from 490 calories to over 1000 calories per serving!
Yummy and right up our alley. We started as New Englanders but live in the Southwest now. We’re “converts” and we live for mexican and tex mex. thanks for making it leaner!
This sounds a lot better than the taco salad my Mom used to make when I was a kid! It is beautiful!
Thanks so much for a healthier alternative to my favorite taco salad although I’ve used the same recipe for salsa dressing. Thanks, too, for the chance to enter a giveaway.
I’m beginning to put some healthier recipes on my blog. Do check it out: http://todaysbaker.com/