When summer hits and the last thing you want is a hot oven or having to make another trip to the grocery store. Taco salads are the ultimate weeknight win. They're quick, customizable, and you probably have all of the ingredients already. Want to know a real game-changer to take it to the next level? A homemade Catalina dressing that you can whip up in minutes, free from seed oils and artificial ingredients.
Why Make Your Own Catalina Dressing?
Most store-bought dressings are filled with seed oils, dyes, artificial flavors, and hidden sugars. This homemade Catalina dressing is:
- Soy-free and seed oil-free
- Naturally sweetened with honey
- Fridge-stable for weeks (thanks to no dairy or eggs)
- Made with pantry staples you probably already have
You can even swap the ketchup for tomato sauce—especially if you're like me and make your own ketchup when tomatoes are in season. The full recipe is at the bottom of this blog.
Tips for Taco Salads Made Easy!
I always batch cook my taco meat and store it in meal sized portions in the freezer. This allows me to cook once and have enough for several meals at a time. You can learn more about how I do that in this blog post.
Lettuce is something that we also always have on hand. With my methods for washing and storing lettuce, it stays fresh for up to a month. I prefer to buy romaine lettuce and then it can be chopped for salads or used for lettuce wraps. If you want to learn more about how to keep your lettuce fresh for weeks, check out this blog.
If you'd like to learn more about how to keep other fruits and vegetables fresh for weeks, check out my Zero Waste Produce Guide. This hardcover book has information for washing and storing 75 produce items, as well as 45 recipes and other helpful information. It is for sale in The Cross Legacy Shop.
Utilizing A Salad Basket
Now that you have the two most importnat parts of the salad, the lettuce and the meat, it's time for toppings! One thing we do in our home to ensure that there are always fresh vegetables available for snacks is to have a salad basket.
First, it helps with keeping the fridge organized. Second, it means that the veggies are all washed so they are ready to eat. Third, when we want to make a salad we can easily take it all of out the fridge at one time and put whatever we would like onto it. If you don't already use this method, I highly recommend it to make your life easier!
Printable Recipe Cards
Here’s printable-style recipe cards for the Homemade Catalina Dressing and Taco Meat for you to save and refer back to when you're ready to make it.
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Catalina Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup avocado oil
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 T honey
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a glass jar or bowl
- Mix with your blender until emulsified
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