My Taco Salad is a little different than most, there is no big, greasy, deep-fried shell. Instead, I use tortilla chips as a garnish. This was one of the first recipes I concocted after we committed healthy eating about 10 years ago. It’s very filling and has tons of veggies.

There are all kinds of changes and modifications that can be made to accommodate any dietary concerns.

Not Your Average Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground meat of your choice (Beef, chicken, turkey, or pork, or a mixture)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed (or you can use 1.5 cups of frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup water (or however much the packet tells you to use)
• 2 cups Tortilla chips (I like these flax seed Tortilla chips)
• 2 cups (per person) Salad greens of your choice

With the following ingredients, use as much as you’d like, I prep 1/2 cup-1 cup per person:

• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped bell peppers (I usually use one red, one yellow, and one orange pepper for color/variety)
• Shredded carrots
• Cucumber slices
• Avocado slices or guacamole, whichever you prefer
• Shredded or crumbled cheese
• Black Olive Slices
• Jalapeno peppers Slices
• Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Salsa of your choice

Directions:

1. Brown meat, set aside.
2. Using any residual fat in the pan, and adding olive oil, cook onions until clear and soft.
3. Add meat back to pan, mix in taco seasoning and water. Cook as directed on the taco seasoning packet.
4. Add in both cans of beans and corn, cook until heated throughout.
5. To plate, on a dinner plate or a big bowl- arrange 2 cups greens, top with 1/4-1/2 cup meat/bean mixture, top with other veggies and 1/2 cup chips and cheese and a dollop of sour cream/sour cream.
6. If you NEED dressing, mix a little sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt with salsa or hot sauce and top your salad.

For a vegetarian taco salad- use soy/veggie crumbles instead of meat.