Hack a Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad, and Turn It Into the Easiest, Yummiest Taco Salad Ever

Introducing the new Karen Especial Taco Ensalada! — now with more homemade!

Ish. Homemade-ish. 😉

Who doesn’t like the taste of a good homemade dish? I love homemade, but I don’t necessarily always love to make it.

Sorry! It’s true though… I got a kid, I’m 42, and I’m tired.

Well, even before I had the kid I was tired, but one thing I do like to do and always have is take something pre-made, especially something from Trader Joe’s, and put my own homemade, fine-tuning spin on it. I like making pre-made meals taste the way I want them to, and it’s kinda fun to make something your own.

I got the idea for this DELISH salad from an Instagram post by vlogger Stephanie Nicole. She posted a taco salad, and the picture made me weak in the knees. I wanted that salad immediately, but I didn’t wanna do a bunch of chopping…

So it was time to hack that ish!

It all starts with a Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad. Then I make my own dressing (I also got the recipe from Stephanie Nicole), add some extra flair, mix it all up, and devour.

I’ve had it for lunch twice this week. I would say that it serves two…but, you know, I can happily eat all of it by myself. 🙂

If this sounds intriguingly delicious to you, here’s what you do!

First, open the Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad. There’s a whole bunch of tasty treats in it, like diced peppers, cheese and whatnot… I usually toss the sliced onion, though, because I’m not a fan of raw onions in my salad.

I usually also ditch the dressing that comes with it, because it’s not my fave, and I like to make my own.

Then, plop the salad into a big bowl.

Next, drain and rinse some organic kidney beans, and add as many as you want.

Chop some cherry tomatoes, and throw ’em in.

Now add some chopped avocado, and I usually use a half, then give the other half to Connor because she’s always down for some avocado.

Then, add some corn and sliced black olives…

Next, add a big handful of Trader Joe’s Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, or whatever other kind of shredded cheese you want (or have on hand).

This is a good time to stop and take a pic for the ‘gram, ’cause it’s soooo pretty.

Now, for this next part, it helps to keep an open mind. If you like the dressing that comes with the pre-made salad, go ahead and add it to your bowl, but if you wanna try something new, mix equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup…

Stay with me here. I know that can sound gross if you haven’t had a ketchup-mayo dressing before, but it’s actually really good. It’s tangy and sweet like Thousand Island.

Next, take that dressing, pour it into your salad, and mix it up. Now crumble some tortilla chips, and place them on top.

Now, serve!!!

It’s quick and pretty darned delicious. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen