Taco Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

52 weeks of cooking – Hot and Cold
Summer is a time for salad and not just small side salads, big, hearty, filling, dinner salads. To me a dinner salad is your whole meal, lots of veggies, composed flavors and a spectacular dressing. This taco salad is all about the dressing, a creamy, smoky ranch with Mexican flavors. I love salad dressing and most of the ones I make I’d be happy to eat off a spoon, this one included, it can only be improved upon by topping off a big platter of taco salad.
The base of the salad could be anything you like but the important parts are crushed tortilla chips, a hot ground beef mixture spiced with taco seasoning and of coarse lettuce. All the other additions just keep making it better, shredded jicama or cabbage in the greens, a chunk pico de gallo, cheddar cheese, black olives, beans and charred corn. Assemble the salad however you like with whatever ingredients you like or have on hand, just don’t skimp on the dressing.