Taco Salad

From EatingWell: June/July 2006, EatingWell Serves Two

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:

"I like this recipe, but with a few variations...first of all it needs salt so I added a healthy pinch of sea salt. Also, I used lean ground beef instead of turkey and black beans instead of kidney beans, which combined with the pinch of...

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

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

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: 447 calories; 19 g fat ( 8 g sat , 5 g mono ); 108 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 42 g protein; 10 g fiber; 629 mg sodium; 1126 mg potassium.

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

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat

More From EatingWell

Healthy Summer Dessert Recipes for the 4th of July

If you’re looking for a new recipe to make for your 4th of...

Healthy Cherry Dessert Recipes

Whether you have fresh cherries or sour cherries on hand or...

Healthy Indian Eggplant Recipes

Indian spices flavor the eggplant in our healthy Indian...

Healthy Baked Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant is a versatile vegetable that takes the place of...
Healthy Grilled Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant slices are sturdy enough to stand up to the fire of...

Healthy Mediterranean Pasta Recipes

Fresh pasta tossed with hearty vegetables, herbs and olive...

Easy Summer Salad Recipes

When the weather gets warmer, make a healthy summer salad...

Protein-Packed Snack Recipes

Eating healthy snacks is a good way to stave off hunger pangs...
Protein-Packed Dinner Recipes

Recharge after a long day or intense workout with one of our...

Healthy Memorial Day Recipes

This Memorial Day, throw a barbecue or picnic with these...

Thai Chicken Recipes

Try making Thai at home with these easy Thai chicken recipes...

Thai Vegetarian Recipes

The flavors of Thai food, including red curry, peanut butter...
Thanksgiving Drink Recipes

If you need new ideas for drinks to serve at Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Casseroles That Won’t Pack on the Pounds

Casseroles, such as sweet potato casserole and green bean...

Healthy Ricotta Recipes

Ricotta isn’t just for lasagna and cannoli. With these...

Healthy Fish Taco Recipes

Take a break from classic taco fillings and try making a...