Taco Salad

So today I bring you this taco salad, it’s vegetarian, comes with a kicking dressing and some very tasty tortilla strips. It has been busier than usual for us lately as we welcomed a little puppy to our family! I know, it’s all very exciting! His name is Cooper, he is 11 weeks old and he is a brown and tan Cocker Spaniel. He is so gorgeous and we all love him so much already. So I took some time off the blog last week to adjust to life with Cooper and to do some training with him. Oh, the fun we have had, thankfully he is a very clever little chap, he is almost house trained and sleeps through the night, which I am very, very grateful for!

This is my first blog post with a puppy knocking around the house, and it is a little bit of an adjustment, however, I am managing as best as I can.

This taco salad is epic, definitely not your average salad, it’s good enough for dinner or a very satisfying lunch. With black beans, quinoa and feta cheese this salad is packed with protein. And enough veggies to help you on your way to your ten a day. I used celery, cherry tomatoes, courgette and pepper with cos lettuce, however, you could use whatever veggies you have in the fridge. The lime, coriander and jalapeño dressing really brings this salad to life, it’s fresh and zesty with a little kick of heat from the jalapeño. If you’d rather have more heat in the dressing then you could add more chopped jalapeño. Likewise, if you would prefer less heat then use less jalapeño. I kept it subtle so my girl could enjoy it too and she loved it, well it is very similar to her favourite tacos.

Now let me tell you about these tasty tortilla strips, they went down a treat with everyone. They are very tasty and are a great addition to this taco salad, however, I think they would be great with almost any salad as they add some lovely crunchiness. While I love my salads they can get a bit boring especially this time of the year, not this salad, this taco salad is the opposite of boring! And that is probably because of these tortilla strips. They are also great as a snack instead of crisps or nachos, and I can confirm that they are pretty good with guacamole and hummus too, so do try that. If you do have any leftover make sure you keep them in an airtight container for snacking.

5 from 1 vote

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Taco Salad

A vibrant, healthy taco salad with a jalapeño, lime and coriander dressing and crispy tortilla strips.

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword taco salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 408 kcal

Author Michelle Alston - The Last Food Blog

Ingredients

• 2 heads of cos lettuce chopped
• 150 g cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1 yellow bell pepper sliced, pith and seeds removed
• 4 spring onions (scallions) chopped
• 1 ripe avocado sliced
• 1 stalk of celery sliced thinly
• 1 medium courgette (zucchini) shaved into ribbons
• 50 g feta cheese
• 150 g cooked black beans rinsed
• 80 g quinoa (dry weight)

For the tortilla strips

• 2 whole wheat tortillas cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried coriander leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the dressing

• 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/5 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped green jalapeño pepper
• 1 heaped tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 fat clove of garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions

To make the crispy tortilla strips:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, 356F.

   In a large bowl add the oil, spices and dried coriander, mix until combined then add the tortilla strips. Toss gently making sure all the strips are covered in the oil mixture.

   Lay the strips on a baking tray then place in the oven and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, turning the strips halfway through cooking. Keep an eye on them as they will cook quickly.

To make the dressing:

1. Whisk the lime juice into the oil then add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

To make the salad

1. Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. Leave to cool then when ready to add to the salad fluff it up with a fork.

2. Add all other ingredients to a large salad bowl. Add the quinoa and black beans. If serving straight away pour the dressing over the salad then add the tortilla strips and crumble over the feta cheese. 

3. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream a few leaves of fresh coriander and pickled jalapeños.

Recipe Notes

• If you have tortilla strips leftover keep them in an airtight container for up to a week.
• The tortilla strips are great as a snack with guacamole or hummus.
• If you want more heat in the salad you could add some pickled jalapenos.
• Want to make it vegan just ditch the feta or add some nutritional yeast for saltiness.
• Want to add meat? Grilled chicken works really well with this.
• Don't like quinoa? Try brown rice or red rice.
• Calories listed are approximate and do not include the dressing.

More Satisfying Veggie Salads:

• Roast Cauliflower Salad with Kale
• Mexican Bean Salad
• Veggie Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Caprese Salad with Avocado and Courgette

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more delicious food.