Des

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Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

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Taco Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Taco salad with spicy avocado dressing is a filling, flavorful, healthy main course salad. This taco salad recipe combines lean ground turkey, your favorite taco toppings, and homemade avocado salad dressing.

Ryan and I do not eat a lot of big salads. Sure we eat simple salads as a starter, but very rarely is salad all that we have for dinner. However, this week has been really busy, both at work and at home, so I was looking for some quick fix meals. This taco salad with spicy avocado dressing fits the bill perfectly. It is loaded with all of my favorite taco fixins, like beans, tomatoes, cheese, tortilla strips and seasoned ground turkey.

But the star of this easy main course salad is the spicy avocado dressing the taco salad is tossed in.

When it comes to salad dressings, more often than not, I am a vinaigrette kind of girl. But I got the idea for an avocado dressing after going to lunch with my mother-in-law a couple of weeks ago. We went to a favorite Tex-Mex style restaurant while we were visiting family. My mother-in-law ordered a salad that came with ranch avocado dressing. While I like the idea of avocado ranch, I’ve had a lot of ranch lately.

So, I decided to take the avocado element and make a spicy dressing for my taco salad. The dressing is thick, creamy and dresses this salad nicely. And I must confess, maybe now I am a spicy avocado dressing kind of girl.

Taco Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

You can add whatever toppings you like to your taco salad, but don’t skip the spicy avocado dressing!

Come over and visit my Facebook page and let me know what toppings you add to your taco salad!

Taco salad in a white bowl.

Taco Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

This taco salad recipe combines lean ground turkey, your favorite taco toppings, and homemade avocado salad dressing. Get the easy dinner salad recipe here!
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients
  

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 large avocado pitted, skin removed
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 jalapeno chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt to taste

Salad Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound ground turkey
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt to taste
  • 2 corn tortillas cut into strips
  • oil for frying
  • 1 head green leaf lettuce washed and chopped
  • 2 to matoes seeded and diced
  • 1/2 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 green onions chopped

Instructions
 

  • Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • In a skillet brown ground turkey. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste.
  • Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a saucepan. Once hot, fry tortilla strips until golden brown. About 3-5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
  • Depending on how much dressing you like spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 of the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add lettuce, meat, tomatoes and kidney beans. Toss to coat. Top with tortilla strips, cheddar cheese and green onions. Serve.

Notes

If you don't want to make the tortilla strips, you can break up some tortilla chips over the top for a nice crunch. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @lifesambrosia or tag #lifesambrosia!
Keywords: avocado, avocado dressing, cheddar cheese, chili powder, cumin, dressing, Food, green onions, ground turkey, lime, Recipe, red onion, salad, shredded cheese, spicy dressing, taco, taco meat, taco salad, tomatoes, tortilla strips

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Recipe Rating




  • Reply
    LisaA
    March 2, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    Des, I just made this dressing tonight…it was delicious!! And much lighter, I’m sure, than the green goddess dressing that I usually use to dress my taco salad (which is also very good but has 3/4 cups of olive oil in it..yikes)

    Thank you for sharing your recipe..it’s definitely a keeper for me :-)

  • Reply
    Carol
    September 8, 2009 at 3:37 pm

    This salad looks hands down wonderful and I wish I was having some right now! My tummy’s rumblin’!
    I can’t wait to try this….the dressing sounds like one at our favorite Mexican restaurant-I loved the salad it was on and didn’t they go and take it off the menu? Now I’ll be able to make it at home….WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!! :) Yep-I’m happy……

  • Reply
    nfmgirl
    September 7, 2009 at 5:35 pm

    I’m eating this now. Yum! My boyfriend loves it, too. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Reply
      Deseree
      September 19, 2009 at 4:22 pm

      nfmgirl: You’re welcome! :)

  • Reply
    Southern Grace Gourmet
    September 6, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    Looks so delicious. I make my salad almost the same as yours, but I love your avocado dressing, I will definitely try!

  • Reply
    Harold (SMM)
    September 5, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    Well, I am the kind of guy who will make a meal out of a salad and this sounds really good. I am particularly keen on the spicy avocado dressing you give the recipe for us to try. I probably would be curious to kick it up some with an habanero.

  • Reply
    cassie
    September 4, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    Don’t you just love cumin? It makes all things yummy. Nice salad!

  • Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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