My friend (and co-worker) was going on and on about taco salad one day last week, and by Sunday I was properly hypnotized and decided to make taco salad for dinner. It's pretty simple to make, and while I've put ground "meat" substitute in the recipe, it's entirely optional. This dish would be just as delicious with only beans, so if you can't find ground "meat" at your local store, or don't particularly like using meat impostors, just leave it out.
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Half a package (about 7 oz.) Gimme Lean ground “beef” or other ground “beef” substitute
2 zucchinis, chopped into 1-inch chunks, then quartered
1 pinch each of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 handful cilantro, cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
4 cups romaine lettuce, cut into thin ribbons
3 handfuls broken tortilla chips
Guacamole, grape tomatoes, salsa and non-dairy sour cream to serve
Method
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté shallots until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one more minute. Add chili powder, cumin, tomato paste and vinegar.
Stir to incorporate. Add ground “beef” and zuchinni and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add pinch of salt, pepper and black beans and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add corn and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
If at any point the pan gets too hot/dry, add a few tablespoons water or vegetable broth to keep everything from burning.
Turn off heat and add cilantro and lime, and adjust for saltiness. If it’s not spicy enough, feel free to add a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.
In a large bowl, layer in lettuce, then “meat” mixture, then sprinkle on tortilla chips. Top with dollops of guacamole, salsa and non-dairy sour cream. Lastly arrange a handful of sliced grape tomatoes. Serve immediately (before the lettuce begins to wilt from the heat).