Healthy Recipes: Vegetarian Taco Salad

Yield: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

To Make Ahead: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat slightly before serving.

Recipe Description:

Nobody will miss the meat in this colorful, zesty vegetarian taco salad. The rice and bean mixture can be made ahead and the salad quickly assembled at mealtime. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 large onion, chopped
3. 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (see Tip) or frozen, thawed
4. 4 large tomatoes
5. 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
6. 1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
7. 1 tablespoon chili powder
8. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
9. 1/4 teaspoon salt
10. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
11. 1/3 cup prepared salsa
12. 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
13. 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
14. 2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
15. Lime wedges for garnish

Recipe Steps:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.
3. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.

Recipe Tips & Notes:

1. Kitchen Tips: To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on its stem end and slice the kernels off with a sharp, knife.
2. To cook rice, bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at the lowest bubble until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 395 calories; 17 g fat (5 g sat, 5 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 14 g protein; 9 g fiber; 459 mg sodium; 774 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A & Vitamin C (38% daily value), Calcium & Folate (23% dv), Potassium (22% dv), Magnesium (21% dv), Calcium (23% dv), Iron (15% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 fat