If I was asked, “If you had to pick one cuisine to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?” my answer would be most likely be Mexican. A lot of people think this decision would consist of nothing but tacos, cheesy quesadillas, nachos and burritos (wouldn’t that be the life??!).  But, wait. There’s so much more to that. You totally forgot about taco salads!

When I was in high school, I developed an unhealthy obsession with Chevy’s and I cried the day I found out the nutritional content of my beloved Taco Salad. I mean…the fried flour tortilla shell holding the greasy ground beef covered in melted cheese with a healthy serving of Ranch dressing and extra sour cream should have fooled no one. There were some wilted lettuce shreds and some tomatoes thrown in to justify its salad label. I’d get the dressing on the side, but really… WHO WAS I KIDDING?

In my attempt to lighten up my favorite Taco Salad, I created this little ditty.  It’s absolutely perfect for summer (hello fresh corn, red pepper, tomatoes, avocados & radishes!).  The salad dressing isn’t a Mexican Ranch that’s loaded with mayo. Nope! It’s a base of creamy avocado mixed with lime and cilantro and it comes together in a breeze with a quick blitz in my Vitamix blender. You’ll find the dressing is the perfect way to marry crisp lettuce, protein packed black beans, juicy tomatoes, green onions, avocado chunks, sweet corn and crunchy tortilla chips.  This taco salad is so packed with flavor that I feel 100% confident in my decision to choose Mexican over every other cuisine. It also proves that you can do a dairy-free Mexican salad and not skimp on taste. My summer will be FILLED with these Taco Salads, thank you very much.