The Best Vegan Taco Salad

Vegan Taco Salad is a weeknight dinner recipe that is full of flavors and textures! Lentil "meat" beefs up this salad turning it into a meal.

This post is sponsored by Dandy®. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Darn Good Veggies!

Taco salad was a family staple when I was growing up. Anytime my family got together, we defaulted to the taco salad bar.

It is easy to make, loved by every member of my picky family, and can be customized to suit everyone's tastes. Don't like olives? Just keep on walking down the line. Love tomatoes? Spoon 'em on heavy. Don't like salad at all? Just throw all the toppings on tortilla chips and call it a day.

Reasons to love this recipe!

• It's endlessly customizable! Everyone gets the salad they want.
• It may be a salad, but you walk away from this meal full and satisfied.
• It's vegan, dairy free, and gluten free!

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Romaine - Dandy brand romaine is perfectly crisp, subtly sweet, and always bright and fresh! It's my green of choice for taco salad.
• Lentil Taco Meat - more on this below. It is a mixture of lentils, and taco seasoning which gives this salad a hearty "meaty" flavor.
• Kidney beans - they are always my go-to for taco salad! You can also use pinto beans or black beans - any bean you'd like, really. Or omit them and just use the lentil taco meat.
• Tomatoes - cherry, roma, grape, etc.
• Green onions - or diced red onion or sweet onion.
• Tortilla chips - or strips.
• Vegan Thousand Island Dressing - for me, thousand island is a must with taco salad. It's both creamy and bright. You could also use southwest dressing, salsa, guac, sour cream, etc.

How to make taco salad:

Whip up the dressing: Find the directions on this post here. You'll blend the cashews, ketchup, water and vinegar until smooth, then stir in the sweet relish and diced onion. You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance.

Make the lentil taco meat: Heat the oil in a skillet. Add in the cooked lentils and spices. Cook, stirring, until lentils are warmed through and the spices smell fragrant.

Prep the veggies: Chop the romaine, tomatoes, and green onions. Drain and rinse the beans and set out a bowl of tortilla chips.

Assemble: We used to make an assembly line on the kitchen counter starting with romaine, then taco meat, beans, toppings, chips and dressing. Everyone adds what they want to their bowl.

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Lentil Taco Meat 101

This lentil taco meat is SO tasty! It is rich and meaty with tons of taco flavor.

To make it, you'll combine cooked (but not mushy!) lentils with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt, cooking until warmed through and the lentils are infused with taco flavor.

You can make this with store-bought or home-cooked lentils. Just be sure they are not mushy, but intact.

If you have leftover taco meat, it is great in tacos (of course!), scrambles, nachos, cheese fries, quesadillas, taquitos, and more!

Storage?

Store leftovers separately in the fridge for 3-5 days. Stir the dressing, reheat the lentils on the stove or in the microwave, and assemble your salad.

What dressing to serve with taco salad?

For me, it's Thousand Island and only Thousand Island. I love it's creamy sweet tang interacting with the big taco flavors. In lieu of store-bought (which also works!) I make this Vegan Thousand Island with cashews.

Other classic options for dressing are:

• Salsa - your favorite red, green, fruity, etc.
• Guacamole - homemade or store bought.
• Chipotle Sauce - this is my go-to recipe. So quick and easy!
• Southwest Dressing
• Chipotle Lime Dressing

Topping Ideas

I have a hunch that one of the reasons everyone loves taco salad so much is all the toppings! Here are some more ideas to expand the topping bar:

• Corn - fresh, thawed frozen, or canned.
• Sliced radishes
• Avocado
• Sour cream
• Black olives
• Cheese - vegan or regular.
• Thinly sliced cabbage - purple or green.
• Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
• The more toppings the merrier!

More Vegan Mexican Recipes to love!

• Vegan Elote - aka Mexican Street Corn
• Watermelon Jicama Salad
• Potato Tacos
• How to Make Tortillas - easier than you think!
• Avocado Tostadas with Cucumber Pico

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