I can remember the exact moment I had my first bite of taco salad. I was 16 years old and was working part-time at Target. It was employee appreciation day and there was a potluck going on. I put a scoop of salad on my plate along with some other goodies and sat down to eat. I tried one bite of that salad and lost interest in all the other things I had gotten. I went back for seconds and I’m pretty sure I had thirds. That began my love affair with taco salad and it’s been burning strong ever since.
I have many different varieties of taco salad that I like to make but this one is my current favorite. The taco mixture has such great flavor and I love the way it crisps up in the skillet. I topped my salad with the taco mixture but my husband and kids preferred to use it like taco meat and create traditional tacos. Either way is delicious and makes a yummy lunch or dinner.
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used a brown basmati)
- 1 can (14 ounces) no salt added navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbsp Garlic Gold Oil or olive oil
- 8 cups mixed greens of your choice
- 1 avocado, cubed
- your favorite salsa
- your favorite tortilla chips
Preparation:
- Place the rice, beans, seeds and taco seasoning in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are broken up. Do not over process!
- Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium high heat. Transfer the taco mixture to the frying pan and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes or until heated through. There should be a nice crispy coating on the bottom of the mixture.
- Remove from heat and serve with mixed greens, avocado and chips. Top with your favorite salsa and enjoy!
Nutritional Info:
Makes 4 large entree sized servings.
Serving size 1 large salad.
Nutritional info will vary greatly depending on the type of rice, salsa and chips used.
Notes:
Leftover taco mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This taco mixture is great when used in traditional tacos, as a meat replacement in quesadillas or sprinkled on top of tortilla chips for the ultimate nachos.
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