Description
A flavorful and healthy Turkey Black Bean Taco Salad featuring lean ground turkey, black beans, crunchy tortilla chips, fresh vegetables, and a zesty salsa crema dressing, perfect for a quick and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Black Bean Filling:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder (or another 1 Tbsp regular chili powder)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salad:
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 5 oz tortilla chips, slightly crushed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (or a Mexican blend, low fat works well)
- 1 (10.5 oz) package grape tomatoes, halved or 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- Optional - 1 avocado, diced
- Optional - 1/3 cup chopped red onion
Salsa Crema:
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 6 Tbsp bottled salsa, such as Pace Medium Chunky
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare turkey and black bean mixture: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sauté aromatics and cook turkey: Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then add minced garlic and ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper, cook while breaking up turkey occasionally until fully cooked through.
- Add spices and liquids: Stir in chicken broth, tomato paste, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Mix thoroughly until tomato paste is fully incorporated and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Incorporate black beans and simmer: Add drained black beans, reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 Tbsp more chicken broth if mixture seems dry.
- Keep warm: Cover skillet and keep the turkey mixture warm until ready to serve.
- Prepare the salad: On individual plates, layer chopped romaine lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, warm turkey and black bean mixture, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and optional avocado and red onion.
- Make salsa crema dressing: In a small bowl, combine light sour cream, bottled salsa, and fresh lime juice. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble and serve: Spoon salsa crema over the assembled salads and serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- You can make a cilantro lime crema instead of salsa crema if preferred; just use one or the other.
- If the turkey mixture becomes too thick while simmering, add additional chicken broth a tablespoon at a time to loosen.
- Using low-fat cheese and sour cream helps keep this dish lighter.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute turkey with a plant-based protein and use vegetable broth.
- Serving immediately ensures tortilla chips remain crunchy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
