Crunchy Taco Salad with Creamy Two-Ingredient Salsa Dressing
Chock-full of veggies and fun flavor, this taco salad is my go-to for summer barbecues or any time you want a big tossed salad!
These days, I’m constantly seeing recipes for new and interesting salads. Now, I am all for making new salads and experimenting with funky ingredients (this summery baby spinach and strawberry salad isn’t even considered funky; it’s become pretty standard to put fruit in salads, though it took me a long time to get used to it!), but when it comes to summer get-togethers and barbecues, this taco salad is pretty much the only salad I’ll make! Sure, sometimes I’ll play around with the ingredients, as that’s the beauty of a salad, but this is my go-to!
Years ago, I used to hang out with a friend who has (sadly) since moved away and she introduced me to this wonderful salad. We would make a huge bowl and share it on Shabbos afternoon while the kids played and enjoyed Shabbos party. It was the biggest treat for me, because I feel like the more vegetables in a salad the better, and she felt the same way!
When I make a salad for my family, on the other hand, it’s a whole different story: This one doesn’t like tomatoes, that one hates onions, this one can’t stand peppers, and before you know it… I’m left with just lettuce! Many friends have suggested I make a salad bar to accommodate everyone’s tastes, but I don’t like salad bars. I like to serve a big tossed salad. (If you do want to make a salad bar, you must make my five-ingredient easy everyday salad dressing! Now that’s a fan favorite!!)
Finally, my sister-in-law who often joins us for Sunday barbecues said, “Faigy, just make the taco salad! It will get eaten. Some people will eat around the vegetables they hate and some will choose to skip it altogether, and that will be their loss, but if you like making this salad so much, then do it!” I realized she was right — and so I have been happily making this salad every week since!
I list the vegetables here that I use, but as mentioned, you can use any of your favorite vegetables or whatever you find in your fridge. I like to use my vegetable chopper to cut the vegetables for this taco salad. It makes the prep go so much faster!
You can prep and cut your veggies in advance, but only toss them with the dressing and chips right before serving — to me, there is nothing more disappointing than a soggy taco salad! The dressing can be made a few days in advance.
Crunchy Taco Salad with Two-Ingredient Salsa Dressing
Ingredients
- Lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Orange pepper
- Red onion
- Purple cabbage
- Avocado
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup salsa
- Water, to taste (if your salsa is very thick)
- Tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables and place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl or container, mix the mayonnaise and salsa.
- Toss salad with dressing. Top with crushed chips. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe by Faigy Murray | https://mykitchenmystudio.com/crunchy-taco-salad-with-creamy-two-ingredient-salsa-dressing/
