Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
User Reviews
4.7
Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Description
The salad combines seasoned browned meat with fresh, chopped lettuces and mix-ins like cheddar or other cheese cubes, corn kernels, black beans, chopped olives, diced tomatoes, and avocado pieces. The assortment creates a layered texture ranging from crisp to creamy. The homemade Catalina dressing blends ketchup, sugar, red wine vinegar, chopped onion, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil into a smooth, tangy condiment with mild spice.
After tossing the salad ingredients together, the dressing can be added when serving. Crushed tortilla chips sprinkled on top provide added crunch and a traditional taco salad finish. The dressing can be made several days ahead and kept refrigerated for convenience.
This salad balances protein, vegetables, and flavor, making it suited for a fresh lunch or light dinner. Adjusting ground meat seasoning is possible to taste, with options to add cumin, chili powder, or other spices if desired.
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1/2-1 /2-1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- ½ romaine lettuce chopped, head
- ½ iceberg lettuce chopped, head
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup cubed small cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.
- 1 cup corn kernel thawed if frozen, frozen or fresh
- 1 (6-ounce) (6-ounce) can olive chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped, or plum tomatoes
- 1-2 avocado chopped
- tortilla chip crushed
Dressing:
- ¼ cup ketchup see note
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large, nonstick skillet, brown the ground turkey or beef with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of each) until cooked through, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed. Scrape the meat onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool a bit.
- For the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up 3-4 days in advance.
- In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together (including the cooled meat) except the crushed tortilla tips.
- Serve the salad with the dressing and crushed tortilla tips.
Notes
- Use a preferred ketchup brand; natural ketchup without high fructose corn syrup is recommended for better flavor.
- Substitute smoked paprika for regular paprika in the dressing for enhanced depth.
- Season ground meat simply with salt and pepper or add spices like cumin or chili powder for extra flavor.
- The dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, making it suitable for advance preparation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Serving | |
| Calories | 571kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 37g | 12% |
| Protein | 30g | 60% |
| Fat | 36g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 61mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 704mg | 29% |
| Fiber | 10g | 40% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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