Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Ingredients
Salad:
- ½ to 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ½ head romaine lettuce, chopped
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cubed cheese, like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.
- 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can olives, sliced or chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 to 2 avocados, chopped
- Crushed tortilla chips
Dressing:
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the meat, in a large, nonstick skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey with salt and pepper, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- For the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until very smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up 3 to 4 days in advance.
- For the salad, in a large bowl, add the lettuce and all the toppings you are using (including the meat, but not the chips). Toss.
- Alternately, the salad can be served with ingredients in separate bowls as a build-your-own style meal for everyone to customize.
- Serve with the dressing and crushed tortilla tips.
Notes
Meat: I prefer the ground turkey or beef simply seasoned with salt and pepper but if you want more kick, try adding cumin, chili powder or a variety of other flavors to the meat while cooking.