I love hard tacos but I hate the mess created when eating them. I am a messy eater as it is, and having my food fall apart on me halfway through my meal doesn’t help matters.

That’s why taco salad is great. It’s basically a sloppy, broken-up hard taco that you eat with a spoon. My vegetarian version uses beans in place of the meat (meat eaters can substitute chicken or beef), and some extra greens. Because you can never eat too many greens!

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans
1 onion, diced
2 cups kale or spinach, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup salsa
3 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 bag whole grain tortilla chips
Taco sauce

Taco seasoning:
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:
1. Rinse the beans and boil them in a pot of water until soft. Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the rest. Mash the beans with a potato masher and mix in the taco seasoning as well as reserved water.
Note: if you prefer a spicier taste, you can add red pepper flakes to the seasoning as well.

2. Sauté the onion in a little oil for about 5 mins until tender. Add the kale (or spinach) and cook until soft. Add the tomato and cook a few mins more.

3. Add the mashed beans and salsa to the cooked vegetables, and stir until combined.

4. Scoop about a cup of the bean mixture into a bowl and add a handful of shredded lettuce, grated cheese and drizzle a little taco sauce on top. Add the chips and crush them into the mixture.