The Spirit of Giving: Nacho Salad

In the spirit of giving, I thought I would share a new lightened-up version of one of my favorite comfort food dishes, Nacho Salad. This recipe flips the standard nacho dish on its head. Instead of tortilla chips and cheese acting in starring roles, vegetables and beans get their moment in the spotlight. This recipe is colorful and nutrient dense. What makes the recipe even more attractive, is the amount of time it takes to create the dish from start to finish and the cost to prepare it. You can be ready to eat in no more than 10-minutes if you have all the ingredients on hand and the dish is extremely low-cost by utilizing store-brand and canned products. Follow the steps below and you will have a deliciously simple, quick, nutritious, cost-conscious, "go-to" recipe for lunch or dinner!

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Nacho Salad

The ingredients in this salad can be purchased at any grocery store. Though, I think it is always nice to provide you with the ingredients I used to make the recipe so you can easily find what you need at the grocery store. I bought all my ingredients at Trader Joe’s. 

Ingredients:​

• Trader Joe’s Veggie & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips - a good source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids
• Trader Joe’s Kale (in a bag) - an excellent source of Vitamins A & C and a good source of calcium & iron
• Trader Joe’s Sugar Plum Tomatoes (wash before use) - an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A
• Trader Joe’s Whole Kernel Corn (canned)
• Trader Joe’s Cuban Style Black Beans (canned) - a good source of iron
• Trader Joe’s Shredded Cheese Blend (Pepper Jack) - an excellent source of calcium
• Optional ingredients (ground turkey, avocado, enchilada sauce, cilantro...) can all be found at Trader Joe’s as well.​

Directions:

1. Place one layer of baked tortilla chips to cover a standard size dinner plate (15-20 chips).
2. Place one large handful of kale leaves (or more) atop chips; enough to completely cover the chips. Note: ​The kale will look overwhelming on the chips, but don’t worry, the kale leaves will wilt substantially once you microwave the dish.
3. Sprinkle ¼ cup canned corn kernels, ¼ cup canned black beans, and ¼ cup halved cherry tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes over the top.
4. Sprinkle one handful (~⅓ cup) pepper jack cheese over the veggies.
5. Microwave nachos for about one minute.
6. Optional: add cooked ground turkey for extra protein, add sliced avocado for added heart-healthy fat, add a drizzle of enchilada sauce for a flavor boost, or add fresh chopped cilantro for extra color and flavor.

Enjoy!

~Sara Mussa, RDN, CD