hey –

not sure if this even qualifies as a recipe, but i always love a little salad inspo – so here is exactly that. i took a childhood favorite of mine – trust me, all my friends can attest to Julie Freie’s famous ‘taco salad’ – & turned it healthy! also the ingredients are so easy to pick up & keep in your pantry for when you are craving it – which you most def will. also perfect to meal prep to have for dinner & lunch throughout the week. this recipe is actually completely vegan but, as always, option to customize to your diet! keep reading for one of my go-tos.

here’s what you’ll need.

ingredients.

• Beyond Beef Crumbles
• taco seasoning 
• taco sauce
• kale
• black beans or garbanzo beans 
• corn
• cherry tomatoes
• avocado
• Siete grain-free tortilla chips or if you want to cheat a lil’ but have the best salad of your life: Doritos. 
• cilantro
• other optional topping ideas:
  
  • brown rice – did someone say Chipotle
  • dairy-free or regular cheese 
  • Siete dairy-free cashew queso
  • jalapeños
  • dairy-free sour cream
  • hot sauce 

here’s what you’ll do.

directions.

1. add protein of choice (Beyond Beef Crumbles OR grass-fed beef, pulled chicken, ground turkey, tofu, possibilities are truly endless) to a sauce pan with a tsp of coconut oil. add seasoning, my fav is Ortega taco seasoning, but unfortunately it has sugar in it *crying emoji* – but this stuff is the tits. also their taco sauce, which sadly has corn syrup in it *balling emoji* – but i could eat that stuff straight from the bottle, just sayin’. ~looking for healthier options next time i make this recipe, but until then, Ortega it is~
2. prepare veggies e.i. wash greens, slice tomatoes, strain & wash both beans & corn from the can, & pull some cilantro. 
3.  if you add tortilla chips, which i highly recommend, but is not pictured, crumble a handful or two over the salad.
4. drizzle, or dump the whole bottle, of taco sauce on as dressing – ps. super low cal in terms of salad dressing, added plus!
5. ***MOST IMPORTANT PART – chop your salad like there is no tomorrow. i am infamous for ‘mincing’ my salads, a trick my mom always did growing up. it is an absolutely game changer & not at all optional. i am pretty handy with a fork & knife, but don’t get discouraged – this takes practice.