Taco salad is a modern variation of Mexican tex-mex dish, which was invented in 1960s.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_salad Several key ingredients to a taco salad are lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla. The salad is sometimes served in a flour tortilla shell or sprinkled with tortilla chips. Original taco salad also includes browned ground beef, but there are many vegetarians and diet recipes that substitute it with red or black beans or omit the meat altogether.

If you want to make healthier taco salad with the meat, choose the lean ground beef instead of regular ground beef. You can also substitute the beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or shredded chicken.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00585

This salad is quite filling, so you can eat it for lunch or light dinner. If you omit some of the filling ingredients such as the meat and beans, you can serve this as an appetizer or a snack.

You can find 2 taco salad recipes in this page, the original taco salad and a meatless taco salad that will be loved by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. If you are a vegan, use soy cheese and omit the sour cream in the meatless taco salad recipe. The recipe also includes the guide of how to make salsa, but you can use store bought salsa.

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 packet of Tex-mex or Taco seasoning mix
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheesehttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/taco-salad-recipe/index.html
• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/4 cup black oliveshttp://southernfood.about.com/od/maindishsalads/r/bl30116g.htm
• 1/2 can of black beans
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for browning
• 1 package of tortilla chips

‘’’For salsa:’’’

• 1 tomato
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 jalapeno or pimiento chili
• Juice from 1 lime
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional).

1. Make the salsa:
   1. Chop the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeno.
   2. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.
   3. Add the chili, tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes.
   4. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on the salsa. Set aside.
2. Wash and shred the lettuce.
3. Wash and cut the onion, tomato, and bell pepper into small cubes.
4. Drain the black beans.
5. Brown the ground beef with a tbsp of olive oil. Season with the tex-mex seasoning. Drain from excess oil and fat. Set aside.
6. Put the lettuce to cover the salad plate.
7. Add the ground beef on top of the lettuce bed.
8. Mix the chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, black beans, and black olives. Add on top of the beef.
9. Shred the cheddar cheese on top of the salad and add the salsa.
10. Drizzle with the sour cream.
11. Top with the tortilla chips.

‘’’Ingredients:’’’

• 1 can of red kidney beans or black beans
• 1 pack of shredded cheddar cheese or soy cheese
• 1 head of lettuce of your choice
• 1 onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• a pinch of cumin
• 1 pack of tortilla chips

‘’’Directions:’’’

1. Wash and shred the lettuce.
2. Wash and cut the tomatoes and onions into small cubes.
3. Drain the beans.
4. Arrange the shredded lettuce, tomatoes and onions on a plate. Put the beans on top.
5. Add the salsa on the side. Mix the cumin with the sour cream and drizzle on the salad.
6. Top with the tortilla chips.