Vegan Taco Salad

This refreshing vegan taco salad is packed to the brim with veggies, crunchy and super easy to make. Can be made with no oil and gluten-free. 

Why Choose This Recipe

• Super easy to customise
• Can be made oil-free
• Use gluten-free wraps to make it gluten-free
• Very light dressing
• Perfect on-the-go
• No fancy ingredients or equipment needed

The Ingredients

I’ve used the ingredients from the photo below to make this vegan taco salad.

Remember that this recipe is meant to be customised according to your taste so don’t worry at all if you don’t have or don’t like a certain ingredient.

Vegan yoghurt: it’s super important that you use unsweetened yoghurt or else this dressing won’t work. My favourite is Alpro unsweetened soy yoghurt. Can be substituted with a different dressing (ideas below).

Red onion: can be substituted for white or spring onion (scallion in the US)

Avocado: Can be left out entirely.

Kidney beans: can be substituted for black beans

Spices: I used taco spice mix. Can be substituted for fajita, BBQ or other similar spice mixes. They are usually found in the Mexican section of the supermarket next to ingredients like fajitas, tacos, tortillas, etc. 

Vegan cheese: No worries if you don’t have it. This can be left out altogether.

Lentils and beans: I bought these in a can which means they were already cooked. 

Step-by-step Photos

The photos below will serve you as a handy visual guide when making this lovely salad.

Find the full recipe with exact measurements and detailed steps in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

1. Chop and gently fry your onion.
2. Add cooked lentils and spices. Fry for 15 more minutes, then add more spices to taste.
3. In the meantime, chop your tomatoes and avocado. Heat up tortilla wraps on a non-stick pan until hot and crispy.
4. Assemble all your ingredients to start creating your salad. 
5. Grab a large bowl and serve your salad with some easy yoghurt dressing. 
6. Mix and enjoy. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Expert Tips

1. The Dressing

As mentioned above, definitely use unsweetened vegan yoghurt. I like to go a step further and add a good pinch of salt to it. This creates a dressing similar to sour cream. 

Another tip of mine is to chop up some fresh chives or very thinly chopped parsley. Stir it through your yoghurt and enjoy a refreshing dressing made in just about 30 seconds.

2. Customise

I can’t stress this enough. As is the case with any taco salad, this one is meant to be customised according to taste.

Not a fan of corn? Use less of it or leave it out altogether. Want to add some hot chillis for an extra spicy punch? Go ahead and spice it up! 

Not a fan of yoghurt dressings? Use sriracha mayo or make your own creamy avocado dressing. 

3. Be Generous

I’m a firm believer that ‘be generous’ is a piece of fantastic life advice. However, it’s also particularly relevant to this salad!

What I have in mind is being generous with spices. Mexican cuisine is known all over the world for its spicey dishes full of rich flavour. 

This doesn't mean you need to add tons of red chillies or spicy cayenne pepper if you don't want to.

However, you’ll want to be generous when adding mild spices (described thoroughly in the recipe card below), adding just enough salt to your veggies and adding a good kick of flavour with your salad dressing. 

F.A.Q.

If you liked this vegan taco recipe, check out some more healthy vegan dishes such as my vegan orzo salad, homemade green pesto or my broccoli potato soup.

Or perhaps you'd like to check out my entire mains section here.

Last but not least, if you liked this recipe please consider leaving a comment or review which helps me run this blog. Thank you!

🍴Recipe