Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Southwestern Dressing

Healthy, satisfying Vegan Taco Salad made with black beans, fresh veggies, and taco-seasoned chickpea-walnut crumbles! Then tossed in an easy & flavorful southwestern style dressing. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This fresh and hearty Vegan Taco Salad is packed with protein (about 23 grams per serving) and also a variety of plant-based nutrients.

It combines black beans, fresh vegetables, and easy taco-seasoned chickpea-walnut crumbles which are my favorite vegan "beef" crumbles.

And then it is tossed with a simple but flavorful creamy southwestern-style dressing.

Ingredients for Taco Salad

For the salad portion you will toss together in a large bowl:

• Romaine lettuce
• Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles
• Black beans
• Sweet corn: Either cooked fresh, canned, fire-roasted, etc.
• Grape tomatoes: Or cherry, roma, etc.
• Red onion
• Any desired toppings: Such as tortilla chips, guacamole or avocado, fresh cilantro, etc.

Ingredients for Dressing

For the creamy southwestern-style dressing you will need:

• Vegan yogurt: Be sure to use plain and unsweetened. I use Forager cashew milk yogurt.
• Lime juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Chili powder: I use mild.
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Pure maple syrup
• Salt

You can also add fresh cilantro and/or chipotle for some smoky spiciness.

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan main dish recipes.

Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Southwestern Dressing

Healthy, satisfying taco salad made with black beans, fresh veggies, and taco-seasoned chickpea-walnut crumbles. Then tossed in an easy & flavorful southwestern style dressing.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 1 large head romaine (4-5 cups finely chopped)
• 1 batch chickpea-walnut taco crumbles
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 cup sweet corn, cooked
• 5 oz. cherry/grape tomatoes (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup red onion (or 2-3 green onions)
• Optional for serving: tortilla strips, avocado/guacamole, cilantro

For the Creamy Southwestern Dressing:

• 1 cup vegan yogurt, plain & unsweetened* (about 10 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)
• Optional: fresh cilantro, chipotle

Instructions

• Make the chickpea-walnut taco crumbles.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk/stir to combine. Adjust flavors if desired. Set aside.
• Finely chop romaine. Halve/quarter grape tomatoes and finely dice red onion.
• Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl (including taco crumbles when finished baking). Toss to combine.
• Place portioned salad in serving bowls and top with desired amount of dressing. Add toppings if desired. (I enjoy crumbled tortilla chips for crunch.)
• If saving for later, store salad and dressing separately in sealed containers in the fridge to preserve freshness.

Notes

*Yogurt: I use Forager Cashew Milk Yogurt. Just be sure your yogurt is plain and unsweetened.

Yield: Recipe makes about 9 cups salad. (Or about 4 large 2.25-cup servings.)

Dressing: The dressing amount is a good match for a heavily-dressed salad, but only use as much as desired if you prefer less.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Southwestern Dressing

Amount per Serving

Calories

517

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

19

g

29

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Potassium

 

988

mg

28

%

Carbohydrates

 

69

g

23

%

Fiber

 

19

g

79

%

Sugar

 

13

g

14

%

Protein

 

23

g

46

%

Vitamin A

 

1344

IU

27

%

Vitamin C

 

23

mg

28

%

Calcium

 

205

mg

21

%

Iron

 

6

mg

33

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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If you are enjoying this healthy Vegan Taco Salad with Southwest Dressing, also check out:

• Portobello Fajitas
• Restaurant Style Blender Salsa
• Cucumber Salad

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