In the past week, San Francisco's seen some of the hottest days of the year. Which is why when a friend came over for lunch, I suggested we make a big, chilled salad with a cooling dressing to top it off. I chose taco salad: not the traditional kind with a fried tostada bowl and ground beef, but a lighter, meatless version with a creamy cilantro, cucumber, and avocado dressing.
The salad turned out beautifully. It has vibrantly hued ingredients, each neatly chopped, in contrasting layers. I especially enjoyed the flavors and textures — like buttery avocado, smoky cumin, and crispy chips — without any of the grease. Leftover chopped ingredients make for a wonderful next meal, and you can vary the dish. Remove the cheese to turn it vegan, or add grilled skirt steak if you're a meat lover. Savor a different taco salad when you read more.
Adapted from the San Francisco Chronicle
Ingredients
Salad:
1 1/4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 to 1 1/2 ears)
1/2 avocado, diced
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes, orange and red if available
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup diced jicama
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled (optional)
20 tortilla chip strips, broken
Dressing:
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, stems and leaves
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
Directions
- Make the salad: Arrange the ingredients on a platter or in a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Toss the salad at the table with about 1/2 cup dressing, adding more to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Nutritional information per serving: 435 calories, 9 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat (3 g saturated), 0 g cholesterol, 612 mg sodium, 11 g fiber.
Print recipe with images | without images
Lom Bok
We eat taco salad once a week around here! and we crumble tortilla chips all over the top. Everybody loves it! Everyone else uses Italian dressing, but I stick to salsa.
1oh we also add taco meat
2This looks really, really good. Love the presentation, Yum!
3Yeah that is a nice looking presentation. But I would minus the beans before I eat that.
4I just sent my boyfriend the recipe so he can pick up the stuff on his way home. I'll make it tonight, and I'm going to add taco meat
I can hardly wait!
5That does look great, Yum! I like the addition of radishes for something different. When I was a child, Mom always served Western dressing with taco salad. When I want to feel like a kid again, that's the go-to taco salad dressing!
6looks awesome!!
7This looks great! But almost too pretty to eat.
8A restaurant in DC presents its seafood salad in a similar way. Beautiful rows of fresh seafood and chopped veggies. I like it because it lets you see how many different types of delicious things there are in the salad.
9Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.