Taco Salad

From EatingWell: June/July 2006, EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

A super-quick blend of reduced-fat sour cream and salsa serves double duty as salad dressing and seasoning for the meat in our updated version of Tex-Mex taco salad. Depending on the type of salsa you use, the salad will vary in heat. We keep this version light with lean turkey, but lean ground beef (about 95%-lean) would also keep the nutrition marks reasonable. Just hold the deep-fried tortilla bowl and instead serve this salad with baked tortilla chips and wedges of fresh lime.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was pretty simple to put together. Liked the salad. My daughter did too and she tends to be very picky with her food. Definitely a keeper. Nelida Baker, Harker Heights, TX "

4 servings (1 cup filling & 2 cups salad each)

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
1 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation

Combine salsa and sour cream in a large bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add turkey and cook, stirring often and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, cumin and chili powder; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup of the salsa mixture.
Add lettuce to the remaining salsa mixture in the bowl; toss to coat. To serve, divide the lettuce among 4 plates, top with the turkey mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition

Per serving: 361 calories; 16 g fat (6 g sat, 1 g mono); 86 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 10 g fiber; 583 mg sodium; 718 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (53% dv), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (22% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat