The Ultimate Healthy Taco Salad Recipe with Homemade Baked Tortilla Strips
Craving a satisfying, flavorful, and incredibly wholesome meal that won’t derail your health goals? Look no further than this homemade healthy taco salad! Bursting with fresh ingredients, vibrant colors, and an irresistible crunch, it’s a meal that truly satisfies on all fronts. What makes this recipe truly stand out are the crispy, perfectly spiced baked tortilla strips, offering all the delightful texture of traditional chips without the unnecessary oil and calories. For an extra layer of savory depth and plant-based protein, consider adding some vegan ground beef to elevate your taco salad experience to new heights of umami satisfaction. This recipe proves that healthy eating can be both easy and incredibly delicious, making it a perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation.
Does anyone else feel like summer is flying by at an alarming speed? Just last week, while browsing through several bustling farmer’s markets, I was pleasantly surprised to find an abundance of fresh, local corn on the cob – in July! And the best part? It was incredibly sweet and absolutely delicious. While I’m certainly not complaining, as corn season is something we eagerly anticipate each year, its early appearance often signals that Labor Day isn’t far off. So, summer, could you perhaps linger a little longer, please? There are still so many seasonal delights to enjoy! Farmer’s markets are a treasure trove of inspiration, offering the freshest produce that truly makes a difference in the flavor of your meals. Incorporating these peak-season ingredients is key to making a healthy salad truly sing.
In addition to whipping up this fantastic healthy taco salad, I’m also eager to prepare some Israeli Corn Salad, a comforting Vegan Corn Chowder, and of course, plenty of grilled corn to savor the fleeting days of summer. These recipes showcase the versatility of corn, from refreshing salads to hearty soups, reminding us to embrace the bounty of the season before it’s gone. Each dish offers a unique way to enjoy the sweetness and crunch of fresh corn, making the most of every last sunny day.
Taco Salad: A Solid Choice for Any Meal
With so many delicious summer recipes to explore and so little time, don’t you agree? This healthy taco salad recipe is an absolute gem for the warmer months. It perfectly balances a light and refreshing feel with a deeply satisfying flavor profile, making it an ideal choice for either lunch or dinner. What truly makes it a staple is its extreme customizability, allowing you to tailor it precisely to your preferences and dietary needs. Whether you’re feeding a family or preparing a quick solo meal, this salad adapts effortlessly. It’s perfect for meal prep, picnics, or a vibrant weeknight dinner that comes together in a flash. I’ve meticulously crafted this salad to be incredibly healthy without making any sacrifices on flavor, crunch, or overall enjoyment. You might be wondering, “How can a taco salad be healthy and still so delicious?” Let me show you how to achieve that perfect combination of wholesome ingredients and irresistible taste!
Is Taco Salad Truly Healthy? Understanding the Differences
The question “Is taco salad healthy?” often gets a complicated answer, especially when dining out. Many restaurant taco salads, while tempting in description, frequently feature mountains of crushed tortilla chips that are typically deep-fried in heavily processed, unhealthy oils and loaded with excessive salt. To be perfectly honest, salty and crunchy textures are a major weakness of mine. This is precisely why I rarely order a taco salad when I’m out – it feels like navigating a minefield of unhealthy ingredients disguised as a fresh meal. Commercial versions often include creamy dressings brimming with refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, and an overwhelming amount of sodium, transforming a potentially nutritious dish into a calorie and fat bomb.
My experience trying to order a healthy version in a restaurant often resembles a scene from “When Harry Met Sally,” with one substitution request after another, resulting in a bland, uninspired, and utterly unenjoyable meal. The joy of a taco salad lies in its vibrant flavors and satisfying textures, not in feeling deprived. But my love for a truly good taco salad remains! This simply means I reserve this delightful meal for when I’m dining at home, where I have full control over every ingredient. By carefully selecting fresh produce, baking our tortilla strips, and crafting a wholesome dressing, we can ensure it’s both delicious and perfectly aligned with our health and wellness goals. Making it yourself transforms a potentially unhealthy indulgence into a nutritious powerhouse, rich in fiber, vitamins, and lean protein.
Homemade Tortilla Strips: Easy, Crunchy, and Wholesome
Instead of relying on store-bought tortilla chips that are often fried in questionable, processed oils, this recipe champions the simple art of making your own baked tortilla strips. We start with wholesome sprouted tortillas, cut them into strips, and then generously coat them with a robust blend of healthy oil and flavorful spices before baking them to crispy perfection. The result? Every bit of that irresistible salty and crunchy satisfaction you crave, but without compromising your health objectives. These spiced tortilla strips are remarkably simple and quick to prepare, requiring minimal effort for maximum flavor and texture. It’s a game-changer for your taco salad, adding an authentic touch and a satisfying bite that store-bought chips simply can’t match.
Trust me, you will absolutely adore these homemade strips! The aroma alone as they bake will have your mouth watering. Here’s a little tip I learned the hard way: always make more tortilla strips than you think you’ll need. This way, there will still be plenty left for your salad even if you find yourself “snack-testing” them while assembling the rest of your meal. They’re that good and that addictive, in the best possible way! They also store well in an airtight container at room temperature once completely cooled, meaning you can prep them ahead of time to make salad assembly even quicker.
A Simple Cilantro Dressing, Loaded with Fresh Flavor
Another area where restaurant taco salads often go awry, especially if you’re mindful of your health and wellness, is the dressing. Many commercial dressings are loaded with extra salt, refined sugars, and often hydrogenated oils, all used to achieve a creamy texture and appealing taste. These additions can quickly turn a seemingly healthy meal into a source of inflammatory ingredients and unnecessary calories. While a good dressing is absolutely essential to prevent a dry salad and to add layers of flavor and creaminess, it shouldn’t come at the expense of your health. After all, food should be enjoyable to eat, but it should also nourish your body!
The wonderful news is that it’s entirely possible to create a fantastic-tasting taco salad dressing without abandoning your nutritional principles. This particular cilantro dressing is incredibly quick to whip up, calls for only simple and readily available ingredients like fresh cilantro, lime, and healthy oil, and is guaranteed to delight your taste buds. It’s vibrant, zesty, and provides that perfect creamy element without any hidden nasties. It’s a win-win situation – wholesome ingredients delivering incredible flavor that you can feel good about. If you’re looking for another equally delicious and healthy option, this green goddess avocado dressing would also be a superb complement to this vibrant and healthy taco salad, offering a different but equally rich and creamy profile.
After the incredible homemade dressing and perfectly spiced tortilla strips, the rest of this taco salad is wonderfully straightforward and endlessly customizable to suit your personal tastes and dietary needs. The beauty of building your own salad is the freedom to choose ingredients that you love and that support your health goals. I’ve carefully selected a colorful array of vegetables that I particularly enjoy in a taco salad – chosen for their vibrant hues, satisfying crunch, diverse textures, and, of course, their exceptional nutritional value. Think crisp bell peppers, sweet corn kernels, tender black beans, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado, all contributing to a balanced and flavorful profile.
However, feel empowered to make this salad truly your own! Incorporate any vegetables you prefer or have on hand, like shredded carrots, chopped cucumbers, or even roasted sweet potatoes for an extra layer of flavor and nutrition. For example, if you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, you can easily omit or limit the amount of corn, or swap it for more non-starchy vegetables. To boost the protein content while managing carbs, consider halving the amount of beans and adding some healthy chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans, or a sprinkle of seeds. The flexibility means this salad can cater to various dietary preferences, from vegan to gluten-free to carb-conscious.
If your diet includes animal products, incorporating some lean grilled chicken, seasoned shrimp, or even ground turkey can be a delicious addition for extra protein, though the plant-based components remain the star of the show. With the hearty addition of fiber-rich beans and the wholesome sprouted whole-grain tortillas, this healthy taco salad provides abundant nutrition and sustained energy, whether you choose to keep it fully vegan or add a bit of animal protein. And for those who enjoy a creamy dollop of sour cream with their taco salad, you can find an excellent vegan sour cream recipe within this lentil taco recipe, offering a dairy-free option that doesn’t sacrifice on richness or tang. This salad is not just a meal; it’s a canvas for your culinary creativity and a testament to how delicious, satisfying, and easy healthy eating can be.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Taco Salad with Baked Tortilla Strips
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Equipment
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KitchenAid KHBV53BM Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender, Black Matte, 8 in
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Superior Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids – 8 Piece Mixing Bowl Set with BPA- Free lids, Space Saving Nesting Bowls – Easy Grip & Stable Design for Meal Prep & Food Storage -Glass bowl For Cooking, Baking
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TeamFar Baking Sheet, 20’’×14’’×1’’, Cookie Sheet Half Sheet Baking Pans Stainless Steel, Non Toxic & Healthy, Heavy Duty & Thick Gauge, Mirror Finish & Dishwasher Safe – 2 Piece
Ingredients
Spiced Tortilla Strips
- 4 8 ” tortillas *
- 2 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Cilantro Dressing:
- 1 large bunch cilantro—about 1 cup firmly packed leaves
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- ¼ cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 1 small jalapeno deseeded and chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground corriander
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 small purple onion cut into thin strips
- 3 ears corn cut off the cob (about 1 cup corn kernels)**
- 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1 head romaine lettuce stacked and thinly sliced
Instructions
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Make Tortilla Strips: Preheat oven to 400. Cut tortillas in half and then into ½” strips, then place in medium sized bowl. Mix spices together and then whisk in oil to form a paste. Pour spice paste over tortillas and mix well. It’s OK if some of the tortilla strips break while you’re trying to coat with spices, all shapes and sizes are welcome! Bake for 10 minutes. Toss and continue baking another 8-10 minutes, until crispy.
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Tortilla Strips can be made ahead to this point and stored room temp in tightly sealed container as long as they are completely cooled before storing.
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Make Dressing: Use immersion blender to puree all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Can also be made using regular blender or food processor. Dressing can be made ahead and stored in air tight glass jar in the fridge for up to one week. Bring to room temp and shake well before using.
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Make Salad: Prepare veggies for salad and toss together in a large bowl. You can make to this point ahead (all but the avocado which needs to be added last minute). When ready to serve, add in the tortilla strips and avocado and toss with enough dressing to coat, erring on the side of under-dressed. You can always pass around extra dressing for those who want more.
Notes
- TORTILLAS: Use grain-free almond flour, coconut flour or cassava flour tortillas or gluten-free corn tortillas, depending on dietary needs.
- CORN: substitute frozen organic corn or frozen fire roasted corn, but NOT canned corn….if fresh corn isn’t an option.
- CARB CONSCIOUS: Omit the corn and substitute ½ the beans for chopped nuts to up the protein while limiting the carbs.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.