Healthy Taco Salad

I LOVE Mexican food.

Heck, I love all food!

As a kid I loved build-your-own taco night. Tons of flavors combine to create a crunchy, chewy, hot, crisp, cool and savory meal that make your taste buds go crazy for more! I'm constantly trying to eat healthier and trying to avoid the overly processed food at the grocery store since you never know what the heck is (hidden) in it. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about... Taco Dinner in a box. I was determined to make it into something I felt good about serving to my family. Plus, it's VEGETARIAN! Or Vegan, if you skip the cheese and sour cream.

 

Doesn't that look delicious?!

 

I served this with some Spanish rice and it was a big hit. My kids and even meat and potato's husband wanted seconds.

Taco Bean Seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the following in a small bowl. Once mixed, you can add as much to the beans as you want according to how spicy you want it. I made mine a bit more flavorful than I usually would just because nothing else had added salt, so when I took a bite the lettuce and other ingredients helped mellow it out nicely. I actually saved the extra mix in a tiny glass container so next time I want a kick of spice I have it on hand.

 

Taco Beans:
I used dried pinto beans, it is more time consuming but it's much less expensive, and this way you can control the amount of sodium. You can use canned pinto beans if you are in a rush, or you can use black beans.

• 2 cups of pinto beans
• Taco Seasoning mix (recipe above)

Take your pinto beans and mash them up a bit, you can add a touch of the canned liquid or cooking liquid to make the consistency better. Slowly add the taco seasoning mix DON'T ADD ALL OF IT! If you do it will be WAY to strong. Just add a little, taste it, then add more if needed. Store the extra taco seasoning mix in a small jar for next time.
 
Taco Salad Bar:

•  Large bowl of crisp lettuce (I used romaine lettuce)
• Diced tomato
• Diced Avocado
• Grated Cheese (optional)
• Sour Cream (optional)
• Taco Beans (see recipe above)

Display all the taco salad bar ingredients in separate bowls, so each person can customize their salad how they like. When making my taco salad, I like to add my lettuce, then warm beans, then cheese on top (the heat from the beans seem to melt the cheese a bit) then the avocados, tomato's, and other toppings.

 

I hope you enjoy this healthier version of Tacos, and I hope your family does too:)