Crunchy Taco Kale Salad.
Hello and why don’t you do a salad bowl dive?
In what is perhaps the most shocking plot twist of this four-day old year so far is that I’m not just eating kale salad because the year is only four days old. For once, I’m not being a total cliché… well, at least not THAT much of a total cliché.
If you follow me on snapchat or instagram, then you know that we’ve been eating these huge kale salads at least once – and sometimes twice! – a week for a few months.
With my absolute favorite and the one that sealed the deal for Eddie, being this one. Greek yogurt Caesar kale salad. At this point I could probably make it with my eyes closed.
Two salads come to mind when I think of the salads that made me be okay with eating salads.
You know what I mean. Like actually eating salads and enjoying them and loving them and not wishing there could be some magic voodoo explosion that turns your lettuce and shredded carrot bag mix into a bacon cheeseburger or pizza slice come 12:30 on every Monday.
And Tuesday.
And maybe even Wednesday.
But definitely not Thursday. Or Friday. Because at that point, you’ve caved into a club sandwich or cheese quesadilla or even just extra cream, sugar and maybe even mocha in your coffee because Thursday technically MEANS it’s the weekend when nothing you ingest counts towards your caloric goals, unless it’s a green smoothie or egg white omelet.
But those salads. The first one is a BBQ salmon salad that I love to toss with butter lettuce and feta and crispy chickpeas and roasted red peppers. Any salmon in a salad is a win for me because if cooked properly, it flakes all over the place in a huge flavor bomb and is insanely delicious.
The second one is your run of the mill taco salad. I don’t mean the taco salad made with crushed doritos (aka, the only time in my life that I EVER like doritos), but the salad you may make at home with crushed tortilla chips on top and lots of grated cheese and salsa and chicken.
This is my 2016 version of that, the millennial high maintenance, new kid taco salad on the block. And I have so much to say about it – like way more than the large paragraphs of run-on sentences that I just subjected you to for the past minute.
First, the dressing! It’s a greek yogurt-chipotle-avocado hybrid thingy. If you don’t love avocado, you can sub in something with high fat, like sour cream or even mayo, just to take away a touch of the yogurt tang. It has a bit of heat too. And you’re going to douse your kale in it. It’s where all the flavor is going to live forever and ever, until it makes it into your mouth.
Next! The tortilla strips. I took yellow corn tortillas and simply sliced, seasoned and baked until crunchy and crispy. I know I’ve mentioned before, but if I don’t have homemade ones, I freak out over the la tortilla factory brand – especially the yellow corn. And now baking them until crunchy takes them up another LEVEL. To die for. I could have a meal of those.
Then all the regulars. Tomatoes, onion (red or sweet or scallions), more avocado, cheese because hi, have we met?, sliced hot peppers, black beans, salsa and cilantro. I skipped the meat because I just had no need for it. This bowl is so loaded.
Eddie on the other hand… we don’t need to go there. You know he’s making chicken for the side.
One of the things that I love about a kale salad is that it’s one that can actually hold up and last in the fridge until lunch the next day. And not get gross. You know?? It’s sturdy enough to not wilt and become a terrifying fridge animal twelve hours later. Which means lunch leftovers (or even breakfast, if you’re me) are super easy.
So that’s THAT.
Are you with me and declaring today the OFFICIAL start of the new year? Also kind of depressed that the holidays are over but at the same time, like, wow I have my house back from under the glow of glitter and lights and candles that smell like pine needles? Enjoying drinking WATER? But also sort of wanting a glass of champagne? But want to feel all green and good? Life is hard today, I’m with you.
Crunchy Taco Kale Salad
Ingredients
crunchy chili tortilla strips
- 4 (4-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
chipotle lime avocado dressing
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch of salt and pepper
salad
- 1 head curly green kale, leaves torn from stems
- 1 head red kale, leaves torn from stems
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup freshly grated white cheddar cheese
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tortillas into 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick strips. Place them on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
- While the tortillas are baking, make the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Taste and season additionally if needed. You may want more spice, more salt, more smokiness?
- Add all of the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle it with the olive oil and use your hands to massage the the oil into the kale – you want every leave moistened. Let it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take 1/3 cup of the dressing you made and do the same. Drizzle it over the kale and massage. Now build your salad! On go the black beans, tomatoes, diced onion, cheddar cheese, peppers, avocado and cilantro. If you want, you can totally add chicken or steak or tofu or anything else you’d like!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
This is the kale life.
118 Comments on “Crunchy Taco Kale Salad.”
HOLY BEAUTIFULNESS!!! This salad is packed with goodness! Like don’t mind me, I’m just over here drooling all over myself… YUM!
Yum! I’ve been making a “guacamole greens” copycat recipe (from Sweetgreen), but have been on the search for a new kale salad. I think this is it! Thank you!
g.
pretty sure i need guac greens in my life!
I am crushing on this salad SO hard right now! Everything from the kale base to that spicy sexy dressing! Also, I love the new site design! Looks great!
thanks katrina!
Oh my gosh yes! I wish I hadn’t already done my grocery shopping for the week so I could put this in my face!! PS, love the new site layout. So pretty!
thanks lauren!
Holy (almost) healthy eating! This is precisely my kind of jam (or salad, to be exact), and I’m ready to it this Monday through Friday, like nobody’s business. It looks deeeeelish!
So pretty! Taco salads have been making an appearance on our dinner menu at least twice a month lately. We usually just use Mateo’s salsa as our dressing, but I’m totally digging your chipotle lime avocado dressing!
I’m making taco salads tonight… wish I’d thought to use kale! We use sour cream and salsa as the dressing. So simple!
love that!
This taco salad looks amazing! I need to try it asap!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Oh my gosh this looks amazing! I love the pictures!
Dang! This looks so good lady. Kale in taco salad is right up my alley.
next up: kale tacos?!
This salad is exactly what I want to eat right now – something with a whole ton of veggies and protein that’s not boring (and that my husband will actually eat, of course). Also, I’m loving the site redesign!
thanks heather! and i agree, that combo is tough to find.
Loving how loaded this salad is! There is so much goodness packed in!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Wow, this looks amazing! Any idea what I could use to substitute for the greek yogurt in the dressing? I can’t do dairy :( and this salad is screaming out to me!
what about a soy yogurt or vegan mayo?? you may have to taste as you go and adjust the seasonings a bit.
Oh my god! This salad has my name on it! I love the color and the texture! And it’s so totally perfect for any eating healthy new year resolution!
Saw this salad on your instagram and was like oh my god! Looks soooo good! All the beautiful rainbow colors and love that it’s healthy for the new year :) Trying this ASAP
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
thanks julia!
This looks absolutely perfect (minus all that finely chopped cilantro….hard core cilantro-hater over here). ;) Your salads always, always, always make me me want a salad like right now! And the dressing?!?!?! Drooling!
i seriously love you for still commenting on a bowl full of cilantro.
Ya-ummm!!! Anytime I can smother my food in avocado something or ever…county me in! All of those pretty, crunchy add ons + healthy kale means that this is my kind of salad!
avocado wins at life.
Woahwoahwoah. Can we back up a sec and talk about the *HOMEMADE* corn tortillas you just mentioned? I am on here everyday and I’ve never seen you mention them before…
GAH i am obsessed. i just use masa flour but don’t always have time to do them. they are so much better homemade! maybe i will do a post???
YES please!!!! Teach us teach us
OMG! YES! A salad never sounded better than this one! What epic deliciousness!
This looks simply D.I.V.I.N.E. Also, love your new header logo!
thanks rachel!
I would gladly dive head first into that huge bowl of kale taco goodness!
What is the BEST way to store leftover tortilla strips for the next day? Thanks!
eeep that’s a tough one – because sometimes they can become chewy (not necessarily soggy) if you put them in a ziplock bag. this is what i do: place them in a bowl and lightly cover with aluminum foil. even if a teeeny bit of air gets in there, they should still be relatively crunchy the next day!
Love the style, simple and modern!
http://www.patagonia-jackets.com
Absolutely not a single look!
http://www.patagoniashoponline.com
Made this last night… awesome! Could I put that dressing on everything? THANKS!
My eyes! This salad is such a stunner, Jessica. Just gorgeous. So is your refreshed site! Happy New Year!
What a lovely plate of food , I love every single ingredient
http://www.patagoniastoreonline.com
I’m in love with your blog. Lovely post! Very well written. Keep in touch.
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THIS is the RIGHT way to do a kale salad! Five stars all the way. Going to dive right on into this one! :)
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I seriously just LOST IT at “terrifying fridge animal.” I cannot stop laughing. It’s so true. Making this tomorrow, can’t wait!
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I always try to find alternatives to eat more vegetables and better eating habits. Your pictures are colourful and makes everything worth drooling for.
Thank you for posting this recipe! Considered this a saved post!
http://www.bornandbraised.com
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This looks phenomenal! I can’t eat avocados, so I’ll have to make a little adjustment to the recipe, but that’s no problem. Adding this to the list for next week’s meals! Thank you!
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