Recipes
Skinny Taco Salad
This Healthy Taco Salad is the universal delight of taco night, transformed into a wholesome package you can feel great devouring for nutritious lunches and dinners. From the juicy meat, to the Southwest spices, to the best taco fixin’s, this Mexican-inspired recipe has it all, even the tortilla crunch!
Ingredients
- For the taco salad:
- 2 fajita-size flour tortillas swap corn tortillas to make gluten free
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounces)
- 1 can Mexican-style corn, drained (11 ounces)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- For the salsa yogurt dressing:
- 1/4 cup prepared salsa
- 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Stack the tortillas and cut them in half, then slice each half into 1/2-inch strips. Scatter the strips in the middle of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat, then spread them into a single layer. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium high. Add the turkey, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Break up the meat and stir with a spoon until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the salsa and Greek yogurt to make the dressing.
- Place the romaine in a large serving bowl. Top with 1/4 cup of the salsa-yogurt mixture, the turkey, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, cheese, and green onions. Toss lightly to combine, then sprinkle the tortilla strips over the top. Serve immediately with remaining salsa-yogurt dressing as desired.
Notes
- To make the recipe gluten free, swap corn tortillas in place of the flour tortillas. Check the baking time a few minutes early, as the corn tortillas may crisp more quickly.
- Make it ahead: Store the cooked ground turkey in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, the corn and black beans in a separate container for up to 4 days, the dressing in a container for up to 4 days, and the chopped tomatoes in a container for up to 3 days. Washed, chopped lettuce can also be stored in the crisper drawer for 2 to 3 days. Assemble the salad just before serving.