Quick! Think “Taco Salad.” What do you see? Is it a colorful vitamin-packed plate of deliciousness that makes you salivate or a soggy pile of lettuce, chips and greasy ground beef slathered with dollops of sour cream that makes vegetarians cover their eyes? You can make a nutritious vegan taco salad recipe in a matter of minutes that will have your muscles doing the mambo by adhering to a couple of simple concepts and basic ingredients.
Think fresh, colorful, crunchy and creative- a foodie fiesta. It’s open season on a variety of vegetables for the salad bowl topped with a killer creamy avocado-garlic-lime dressing. With this recipe, you’ll get the crunch, heartiness, and pizazz of a traditional taco bowl, without the grease or meat.
The Tastiest Vegan Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Head of Lettuce- Romaine or Iceberg
1 Cup Pinto Beans
1 Cup Black Beans
1 Cup Sweet Corn
1 Onion- thinly sliced
2 Tomatoes- thinly sliced
½ Cup Black Olives- sliced
2 Tablespoons Cilantro- chopped
Juice of 1/2 of a Lime
Dressing Ingredients:
1 Ripe Avocado
Juice of ½ of a Lime
2 Cloves Garlic- crushed
¼ Cup Cilantro- chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable or other vegan oil
¼ teaspoon Cumin
Dash of Cayenne (to taste)
½-1 teaspoon Salt (to taste)
Approximately ¼-Cup Water or more to make the dressing creamy
Optional Vegan Shredded Cheese- Cheddar flavor works well
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Directions:
1) Wash and tear lettuce into pieces. Shake dry and spread on serving plate.
2) Mix Pinto Beans, Black Beans and Sweet Corn in a bowl. Set aside.
3) Mix sliced onion, tomatoes, black olives and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime half over the mixture. Toss and set aside.
To Make Dressing:
Put avocado, garlic, cilantro, oil, cumin, juice of one lime half and water in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add salt and cayenne to taste.
To Assemble:
1) Pour dressing over the bean/corn mixture. Mix well. Then spoon the mixture onto the bed of lettuce.
2) Next, spoon the tomato/onion/olive mixture over the beans/corn.
3) Add a sprinkle of vegan cheese substitute if you’d like. Cheddar or pepper jack will give it an extra zing.
Buenisimo! You’ve not only created a colorful high fiber vegan taco salad recipe your meat-loving friends will snarf down by the forkful. You’ve put together a spectacular combination of nutrients your body will love. The avocado in this dressing is packed with essential monounsaturated fat. You’ll get a good hit of Vitamins A and C from the tomatoes, avocado, onion, lime and cilantro. Protein and iron from the beans and avocado will make your muscles- and more- happy. The corn not only gives a crisp crunch to your salad without the added calories of tortilla chips, it also provides protein, carbohydrates, Magnesium, B6 and iron. Plus, you’ll reap immune system boosting benefits and anti-inflammatory effects from the garlic, onion, cumin and cayenne.
This powerhouse meal is easy, fast and fun, giving you no reason to skip this food fiesta!
Buen Provecho!
Nutritional Data retrieved from Self Nutrition Data.
