A fully-loaded vegan taco salad packed with veggies, black beans, and corn topped with flavorful chimichurri sauce is a total crowd-pleaser!
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I love the versatility of a vegan taco salad. You can really have fun with this recipe! Use the toppings exactly as written, or mix and match to use what you have on hand.
This taco salad is very loosely based on the one that I get a restaurant here in Atlanta, where they offer chimichurri sauce as a salad dressing option. I have to tell you: bright, zesty chimichurri makes an amazing taco salad dressing!
Ingredients and substitutions
I'm going to list the vegan taco salad ingredients by category, so you can get a feel for how to do substitutions and still end up with results you like.
- chimichurri ingredients - I wouldn't do any substitutions here. If you don't want to make chimichuri, feel free to use other salad dressings that you like! Tahini ranch is a great option, as is citrus vinaigrette.
- greens - Use whatever greens you like as the base for this vegan taco salad recipe! I like to use spring mix, but you can use baby spinach, chopped romaine lettuce, etc.
- black beans - This is your protein. Feel free to use other plant-based proteins here. Pinto beans are a great substitute, as is vegan chorizo, if you want a taco meat-like experience.
- corn, tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper - I just love a colorful salad! Feel free to use all of these or swap in similar amounts of your favorite raw or cooked veggies. You can also increase the amount of one veggie, if you want to use more of it in place of another.
- onion - A little onion adds crunch and umami to this vegan taco salad. Sweet onion or green onion are great substitutes.
- tortilla chips - Speaking of CRUNCH! Tortilla chips round out this salad and give it that hard shell taco vibe. You can omit them, if you want, but I love how they add texture to this recipe.
How to make vegan taco salad
Making this vegan taco bowl is so EASY!
I like to start by making my chimichurri. Add all of the dressing ingredients to your blender or food processor, and run until you have a somewhat-smooth mixture.
To make the salad, start by laying down a bed of greens. Then, arrange the black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, and onion on top.
Next, drizzle on the chimichurri. You'll probably use around half the sauce to serve this salad. Serve the rest on the side, so people can add more dressing, if they want.
Garnish each bowl with a small handful of tortilla chips, and dinner is served!
There are truly 15 minutes standing between you and vegan taco bowl goodness.
Storage directions
Store leftover salad separate from the dressing. Keep the salad in a covered container and the dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Leftover salad will keep for one to two days, depending on what greens and veggies you used. If you have dressing left over, it will keep for about a week.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. If you are going to make this as a meal prep, pack the dressing in a separate container. I'd also recommend packing the avocado separately and adding a squeeze of lime juice, so they don't brown overnight.
Yes! As long as you chose gluten-free tortilla chips, you're good to go.
Chimichurri is a spicy Argentinian sauce with a rich history. It's traditionally served alongside meat dishes, but it brings a zesty, bright flavor to vegetable dishes, as well.
More green salad recipes
Vegan Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chimichurri
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves - Some stems are OK, but get rid of any large, woody stems.
- ½ cup fresh cilantro - Some stems are OK, but get rid of any large, woody stems.
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano - or 2 tablespoons fresh
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium shallot - quartered
- 1 Fresno, serrano, or jalapeno pepper - see note
- salt and pepper - to taste
For the Taco Salad
- 8 cups spring mix - or baby spinach
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn - thawed
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes - or chopped tomato
- 1 Haas avocado - chopped
- 1 orange pepper - diced
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 4 ounces tortilla chips
Instructions
For the Chimichurri
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in your blender, except the salt and pepper, and puree until you have a somewhat-smooth mixture. A little bit of texture is totally ok! Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Taco Salad
- Divide the spring mix between 4 large salad bowls. Top with the beans, veggies, and tortilla chips and drizzle on the chimichurri. Serve with extra chimichurri on the side.
Tried this recipe? Have a question? Leave a reply!