Healthy Taco Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

*cue confetti, streamers, and buckets of margaritas*

Chances are you are

[A] reading this wasted from your hellophone while wearing a giant sombrero or

[B] at home trying to figure out what on earth you’re going to stuff in your face today.

I really hope that either way you’re wearing a sombrero.

Don’t let me down.

Anywho!  If you’re in the market for a speedy lunch or dinner today, may I suggest whipping up a taco salad?

Either way I’m bombarding you with them in 3…2…1…

It’s taco salad time!!!

There isn’t a single restaurant near me that makes a halfway decent one (seriously… how does that happen!?) so you can expect to see these beauties popping up in my kitchen, on my Instagram feed, and all over my “What I Ate Wednesday” posts all spring and summer long. Paul and I live for taco salads.  We eat them almost as frequently as pasta salad which, as you know, is a freaking LOT! What can I say?  The stomach wants what the stomach wants 😉

t-rex chefs

Same as above (because carnivores can eat veggies too!) or you can feel free add your favorite protein! I make a mean Buffalo Chicken Taco Salad when the craving strikes!

Utilize leftovers or whip something up fresh! Paul typically uses [this] chicken recipe, grills up shrimp or a steak, or makes his own ground taco meat.

Oodles of options, right?  I love variety an that I can make them differently each time with whatever ingredients I already have on hand.  I get particularly giddy when I have extra filling leftover from my Lentil Veggie Tacos.  Shameless plug, I know, but those babies are GOOD!

the veggies

• lettuce
• tomatoes
• bell peppers
• olives
• corn
• jalapenos
• avocado
• onion
• and anything lurking in your crisper drawer!

As for the dressing, I’m a fly by the seat of my pants type of girl.  Translation?  I’m positively horrible at planning ahead and either run out of or forget to buy crucial ingredients.  This particular time I was entirely out of dairy and nondairy milks/yogurts of any sort and had just killed off my latest bunch of cilantro.  The dressing I had my heart set on making was kiiiiiind of impossible!  No worries!  I simply stole my husband’s jar of ranch dressing and improvised!  Below is an easily customizable recipe for a zesty ranch dressing that’s big on flavor an easy to whip up with nearly anything you have on hand!

a pinch or two of cayenne pepper

whisk together or blend using pretty much any type of food processor ever invented. 

Clearly the possibilities are endless!  Next time you whip up a taco salad, play mad scientist in the kitchen and invent a new dressing combo!  Your taste buds will thank you.

Guacamole and Salsa also make a phenomenal dressing for taco salads!

make your bowl, and eat it too!

Hookay so [this] tortilla baking contraption is absolutely genius.  It’s hands-down one of the most fun foodie gifts I’ve received and you should totally gift these to all your kitchen-savvy friends.  Or just run out and buy one for yourself.  I love them!  In the meantime?  Make your own crunchy baked taco bowls using a small oven-safe bowl to shape the tortilla and you’re good. to. go!  For either option, bake at 350F for 6-10 minutes after rubbing/spritzing the tortilla with a teeny bit of healthy oil.  I also microwave my tortilla first for 5 seconds to make it extra pliable, it fits perfectly into the tortilla tray this way.  Ooh!  And while I’m rambling, Trader Joe’s “Habanero Lime” tortillas are easily the best tortillas of my life.  So flipping flavorful!  Yes my TJ’s is two hours away.  Yes they are worth it.  Next time I’m in the area I’m buying a bunch and freezing them!

To serve them up sans-gluten simply grab a corn tortilla for your bowl!  They get just as gloriously crunchy but have the bonus of being gluten-free! Easy peasy!