Taco Salad, Without the meat and unhealthy stuff

I'm always looking for new ways to make healthy salads as a dinner entrée. Because I like things that are quick and easy, usually they don't involve meat. When I stumbled on this one on Pinterest, I almost overlooked it because the dressing involves using a blender and that is a tool I try to avoid. BUT I recently rediscovered my super tiny, easy to use and easy to clean MAGIC BULLET. And I'm so glad I did, because this dressing makes this salad awesome. I highly recommend getting one for things like this, you just throw everything in there, then stick it in the dishwasher. Bryce actually got me the Magic Bullet for our first ever Christmas together. I used to be obsessed with the infomercial. Now I remember why. Ok, Back to the food. This is a GREAT dinner salad. I had a little bit of some of the toppings (black beans, corn, and tortilla strips) left over and threw it on a salad for lunch at work the next day too! By the way, I love the blog I got this recipe from, she knows how to COOK and in a healthy way, I only tweaked to our tastes in this recipe.

 

 

  

 

Veggie Taco Salad

 

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• One pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup tortilla strips ( the bagged kind you find near the salad toppers)
• 3/4 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 small can sliced black olives, drained
• half of a small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup orange juice (no pulp, and get the good kind)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Divide the salad ingredients between two big bowls.
2. Throw all the dressing ingredients together in the blender (or magic bullet) and blend.
3. Top the salad with the dressing!

**Makes 2 servings
**On Bryce's dish scale it's a 2. Cutting board, then you make the meal in the bowls you serve it in, plus the magic bullet!