Fiesta Taco Salad

This Fiesta Taco Salad makes pasta night a whole lot more fun! Start with high protein Chickapea Pasta, made from chickpeas and lentils, and pile on the Mexican inspired toppings. Kid approved!

Fiesta Taco Bowl | Chickapea Pasta

I’m  excited about this post because it’s in celebration of so many wonderful things – family, national pride, birthdays and the first anniversary of the start of Chickapea Pasta!  I became part of the Chickapea team shortly after they opened for business and I’ve loved watching them grow from a small business in a little town close to me to an international company that is growing by leaps and bounds.  Watching them expand into the US and finding their way into peoples’ kitchens is very rewarding!

Healthy Ingredients for a Fiesta Taco Bowl from Chickapea Pasta

This was a fun collaboration that started with a taco bowl for lunch at a restaurant and ended up with me and the folks from Chickapea and Vitamin Sunshine creating a recipe that included our favorite pasta. The layers of flavor in this dish are going to blow your mind!

Chickapea Fiesta Taco Bowl

We used my recipe for Roasted Tomato Salsa and combined it with the black beans and pasta – fabulous right?

Fiesta Taco Bowl with Healthy Chickapea Pasta

Topping this deliciousness with baby greens, tomatoes, avocado, corn, red onion and cheese takes this bowl to the next level in taste bud heaven! Squeezing some fresh lime juice over will make you deliriously happy with every bite!

Chickapea Fiesta Taco Bowl

You know I love having an insider’s view of your kitchen so snap a shot of what’s going on and share it with me on Instagram by hashtagging #simplyfreshdinners.  Show off your mad culinary skills!  Cheers 🙂

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian readers and Happy 4th of July to our American readers! Play safe!

Fiesta Taco Salad

Mix up pasta night with this high protein vegetarian dish. Chickapea pasta adds a fun dimension to typical taco salad ingredients.

  • 4-6 brown rice or corn tortillas, large
  • 1 box Chickapea Pasta spirals
  • 1 15-ounce/450-mL can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups/350 mL Roasted Tomato Salsa (or a jar of your favorite) (https://simplyfreshdinners.com/2015/09/roasted-tomato-salsa.html)
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon/1-2 mL sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon/1 mL cumin
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 handfuls baby greens
  • 4 mini sweet peppers (or spicy ones if you prefer)
  • 2 ounces/60 grams cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 large avocado, sliced
  • 1 ear of corn, roasted and cut off cob
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional garnish)

  1. If making the amazing Roasted Tomato Salsa from Simply Fresh Dinners (I recommend you do!), preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In addition to roasting the veggies for this salsa, add the mini peppers to the baking sheet.

  2. If using a different salsa to save time, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Add the mini peppers to a small baking tray, and roast for 20 minutes.

  3. To make taco bowls. use an oven-safe glass bowl, and mold tortillas into the bottom of the bowl. Brush lightly with olive oil. Add to the oven with roasted peppers or salsa veggies for just the last 12-14 minutes. Repeat until you have enough bowls.

  4. Once salsa is prepared, prepare the toppings, including cutting tomatoes, onions, avocado and corn, and shredding the cheese.

  5. Boil pasta per package directions. This pasta cooks faster than a typical pasta, and will feel undercooked while stirring when the pasta is actually ready, so after 5 or 6 minutes, taste the pasta. When cooked al dente, this pasta has a very similar texture to regular wheat pasta.

    Drain and rinse pasta, then combine pasta, black beans, and salsa in a bowl, and mix to combine. Taste, and season with sea salt and cumin (my black beans were unsalted, so I found it needed a little more salt).

  6. Layer the pasta and black bean mixture into the tortilla bowls. If not using the tortilla bowls (they are fun, but not necessary for a delicious dish!), add mixture directly onto a plate.

    Top with tomatoes, baby greens, optional corn and onions, avocado, cheese, and roasted mini peppers. Squeeze a lime to boost the flavors.

Other Healthy Recipes with Chickapea Pasta:

Don’t forget to Pin It!

An easy, delicious, kid-friendly dish for every day or entertaining from Chickapea Pasta.

*This post is sponsored however my opinions of this awesome pasta are strictly my own.

_______________________________________________

To celebrate our one year anniversary, we have a Giveaway with loads of fabulous prizes.

 The giveaway includes:

 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

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17 Comments

  • Reply
    Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
    June 30, 2017 at 7:03 am

    I love to eat my tacos as salads, so I’m loving this one! Looks perfect and the flavours must be great with the pasta 🙂
    Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers recently posted…Warm Shortcake Topped Fruit SkilletsMy Profile

  • Reply
    jenn peas and crayons
    June 30, 2017 at 9:21 am

    So fresh and delicious! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHICKAPEA!

  • Reply
    eat good 4 life
    June 30, 2017 at 10:30 am

    This is a great recipe contender for the upcoming holiday. So fresh and healthy. Love the fact that this is vegetarian.

  • Reply
    nocrumbsleft
    June 30, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Happy Anniversary Chickapea Pasta!! It’s been so fun to watch everything unravel and I can’t wait to see what happens next. In the meantime, I’m going to try this Fiesta Taco Salad!

    • Reply
      Robyn
      July 1, 2017 at 7:07 am

      So glad you’re part of the Chickapea Team, Teri. I love this product and creating delicious recipes with it is an absolute joy 🙂
      Robyn recently posted…Fiesta Taco Salad and a Giveaway!!My Profile

  • Reply
    Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen
    June 30, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    You are so winning the game with this gorgeous taco salad!!

  • Reply
    Modish Taste | Fiesta Taco Salad Plus a Giveaway!
    July 1, 2017 at 11:05 am

    […] Fiesta Taco Salad and a Giveaway!! […]

  • Reply
    Natasha @ Salt & Lavender
    July 1, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    I love all the flavors and colors here!! Looks so good.

    • Reply
      Robyn
      July 2, 2017 at 5:51 am

      LOL, we really got carried away with all the ingredients, Natasha, but it works! Something for everyone 🙂

  • Reply
    Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
    July 3, 2017 at 6:05 am

    I could eat this everyday Robyn! What a gorgeous salad with so many wonderful colors and flavors. Hope you enjoyed a great holiday weekend!
    Tricia @ Saving room for dessert recently posted…Pink Lemonade RecipeMy Profile

  • Reply
    Robyn
    July 3, 2017 at 9:07 pm

    Thanks, Tricia. Combining the roasted tomato salsa with the black beans and Chickapea pasta was such a yummy combo! After that it was a free for all with ingredients, lol. Hope your 4th of July is special. Love your photos of the kids!!
    Robyn recently posted…Fiesta Taco Salad and a Giveaway!!My Profile

  • Reply
    Agness of Run Agness Run
    July 24, 2017 at 5:34 am

    Yum! As a Mexican cuisine lover, this salad is a win for me! Can I use some other kind of pasta or the spiral one is the only option?

    • Reply
      Robyn
      July 25, 2017 at 12:24 am

      Hi Agnes, so glad to hear you like it. Sure, Chickapea has shells and penne as well. All are equally delicious. I think you’ll love this with it’s layers of outstanding flavours!

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