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The Best Vegan Taco Salad (with plant based meat!)


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  • Author: Liz Moody

Ingredients

Scale

For the plant based taco meat:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil ⁣
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen cauliflower rice (12 ounce bag)⁣
  • 2 cups pecans, chopped or pulsed a few times in a food processor⁣
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder⁣
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin⁣
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste⁣
  • 3/4 cup filtered water⁣
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder⁣
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder ⁣
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt ⁣
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)⁣

For the zesty jalapeño dressing:

  • 1/4 cup shallot, roughly chopped (about 1 small shallot)⁣
  • 1 jalapeño, veins and seeds removed ⁣
  • 2 garlic cloves⁣
  • Juice of 2 limes⁣
  • 1/2 cup packed of fresh cilantro or parsley⁣
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup⁣
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt ⁣
  • 1/4 cup+ olive oil

For the taco salad base:

  • 1 large head romaine, chopped⁣
  • 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips⁣
  • 1 chopped red onion⁣
  • 1 cup frozen corn, sautéed with olive oil and salt until warmed through⁣
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained⁣

Instructions

  1. Make the taco “meat.” Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the cauliflower rice and sauté until brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped pecan, chili powder, and cumin and toast until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Then, stir in tomato paste, water, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt until well-combined and warmed through. Stir in nutritional yeast and add salt to taste. Set aside
  2. Make the dressing. In a blender or food processor, add all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Start with 1/4 cup of the olive oil to blend, then add 1 tablespoon at a time and blend until you reach desired texture). Add salt to taste.
  3. Assemble the taco salad. Combine all salad base ingredients together in a bowl and top it with the taco meat and zesty dressing. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4