Recipe: Taco Salad with Chicken and White Beans
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup peeled and shredded carrots (or half a 10-ounce bag of pre-grated carrots)
- 3/4 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup scallions, diced
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup store-bought salsa
- 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
- 4 pickled jalapenos
- 3–4 servings baked tortilla chips
Preparation
Fast-food taco salads can have 850 calories, 52 grams of fat, and who knows what else layered into them. I’d rather do that kind of calorie damage with a slice of cake than with a meal I thought was supposed to be good for me. Monster-size portions of high-calorie foods can do you in, nutrition-wise. But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy your favorite flavors in a salad you control.
In large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and transfer chicken to a large bowl.
Add lettuce, mango, avocado, tomato, onion, carrots, beans, scallions, and lime zest and juice. Toss until mixed well. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, and tortilla chips and serve.
Tips
From Mom’s Lips
Ask the butcher to grind your chicken breast when you buy it to ensure you don’t get ground chicken meat that has added dark meat and fat. Alternatively, cube boneless, skinless chicken breast and grind it yourself in a food processor. It’s not the same, but it will do in a pinch.
Sidebar
I eat this without the tortilla chips most of the time, because I’m always scrimping and saving to spend my calories on dessert. If you’re a chip person, read the recommended portion size and nutrition facts on the package and then decide how many chips everyone gets. I didn’t give you an amount, because the only one who knows your calorie savings-account balance is you.
Serving Size
Serves 6