Are Taco Salads still popular in the U.S.?
It’s been awhile since I’ve crossed the pond so I’m a bit out of touch with food trends.
To be honest, although I liked the salads I never really liked the ‘taco bowl’. It was cute but wasteful, in my opinion. It wasn’t a wonderful taco (being mass-produced) and I never saw anyone actually eat it. Plenty of dinners would nibble on it a bit, but rarely eat it all.
This Taco Salad is made ‘our way’. No taco bowl but I had quick-cooking brown rice to get the required carbs for mon mari’s dinner. We’re happy…. I make it several times every summer.
Click here to Pin Taco Salad
PrintTaco Salad
This is ‘healthier’ than the typical Taco Salad – but with all the anticipated flavors. Add more chili powder, more chilies or jalapeños, Tabasco, whatever, to make it as hot as you like.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
- 8oz (240gr) ground beef or turkey
- 1/3 cup (2.2oz, 65gr) quick-cooking brown rice
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) beef broth
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4oz (125gr) chopped green chiles
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbs fresh
- 3oz (90gr) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese – your choice
- Lettuce – enough for 2 main meal salads
Instructions
- Cook brown rice in broth according to package directions.
- When done, remove from heat, uncover and stir to cool a bit.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chili powder and sauté briefly (30 seconds).
- Add onion, pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, beef and continue cooking until meat is done.
- Drain chiles and stir into beef.
- Add tomato sauce, stir well to combine and remove from heat.
- Tear the lettuce and put into a large salad bowl.
- Sprinkle rice over the lettuce, then top with the meat mixture.
- Top with shredded cheese.
- Artfully arrange tomatoes and avocado around salad and serve.
Notes
Substitute Basmati rice or quinoa (or taco chips) for the brown rice. I use brown Basmati which cooks in about 16 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
- Calories: 697
- Sugar: 13.3 g
- Sodium: 751.7 mg
- Fat: 34.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.5 g
- Fiber: 18.2 g
- Protein: 43.7 g
- Cholesterol: 100.5 mg
Keywords: salad, main course salad, ,taco salad
Try a Grilled Chicken Taco Salad
More photos from La Félibrée:
At noon on Sunday there is a parade.
At least it’s called a parade.
In some villages it’s a very organized event that moves down the main street in proper parade fashion. Spectators stay on the sidelines and it’s closed to traffic.
This village doesn’t have a main street and most of the streets off the square are narrow.
Some are wide enough for one-way car traffic…. others are not.
My point being that the participants in the parade just meandered through the town, sort of following each other.
The were all in costume and I’m sure that the caps and collars have meaning, but I have not idea what.
Some carried parasols.
I have always coveted a parasol (no idea why….)
Others played musical instruments.
I don’t know what this is – but there were several and all were beautifully decorated.
OK – just googled the image…. It’s a Hurdy Gurdy.
I’ve seen the Hurdy Gurdy Man!
My day is complete.
My aunt was married to a very wealthy man. When I was a young child, my parents were very poor but my aunt was always very fashion forward and I was dressed accordingly. No food but great clothes. Go figure. Anyway, one Easter, I had the whole outfit including the little hat and an adorable parasol. I was too young at the time to appreciate the parasol, I swung it around, slapping it into things, forcing it open and closed, until I’d pretty much destroyed it. I wish I had it back now. Folly of youth.
I love these pictures!
I still make taco salad, not every week but a couple times a month. I have never used the ‘bowl’. I don’t know that I’ve even seen one in years. I think they became passé several years ago. I also don’t layer mine. It just all ends up tossed together and scooped from a big bowl. It gets made around noon on a weekend day and we graze all day. Life is easier that way. 😉
I have a cousin, 2 yrs older, who lived in the ‘city’ and had enough money to always be in fashion, unlike me, the country mouse. I got her hand-me-downs every year when she updated her wardrobe. So I was always ‘current’ – the first in my town to own a mini-skirt, etc.
I have never in my married life (ok, a few times) made lunch – except for picnic lunches when we are out on our bikes. And never, ever made breakfast for the 2 of us. He has, on rare occasions, but we usually eat at very different times during the day. My Brit friends are appalled that I don’t make him lunch. He’s an adult..,..
Love your taco salad…definitely better not in that bowl.Also loved finding out about the Hurdy Gurdy …I knew the name but thought if referred to an attraction/ride at a carnival ! So great to discover the real meaning .
I thought it was a carnival ride, too. I was so surprised when I googled the photo!