Truthfully, I've never met a taco I didn't like. Yet when it comes to taco salad– I am traumatized. As a kid, I was forced to eat more taco salad than I ever wanted (and it was covered in thousand island dressing... don't ask me why). I just remember gagging it down and vowing to never eat it again. So my healthy taco salad recipe is not a childhood recipe, but a new and improved dish bursting with flavor and excitement.
As I grew up, I learned that taco salad takes many forms— and some are quite tasty (while others are gag-worthy)! There's just something so satisfying about a crisp corn shell (or chips) piled high with shredded lettuce and all of the other veggie-lovin' fixings.
What's unique about my Healthy Taco Salad is that there's no meat. Instead of ground meat or poultry, I've substituted a heart healthy vegan taco meat. It's so good you'd almost never know it wasn't meat.
Healthy taco salad recipe
While there are a dozen reasons I love tacos and taco salads, here are my top three:
- easy to make
- versatile for everyone
- the flavor can change every time
For real though; I've got a family of 4 and we all have different taste preferences. This healthy taco salad recipe is an easy dinner win because everyone can customize it their own way. Here's what I set out for my version of a healthy salad:
- Vegan taco meat- no joke, everyone is shocked at how amazingly tasty this walnut 'meat' is. You've gotta try it!
- Tortilla chips- I like to get strips for this; try Siete's cassava chips for a grain-free version
- Romaine lettuce- It's all about those crispy greens in this healthy taco salad. Feel free to swap in spinach, kale, or the leafy green of your choice.
- Black beans- I splurge on the organic version, or make my own recipe from Simple Green Meals
- Avocado or guacamole- Healthy fat is needed for our bodies to break down nutrients, and what better way than with a colorful avocado?!
- Colorful veggies: cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, corn, black olives, green onions
Get creative with the veggie toppings. Red onion provides a pop of color, radishes are super crunchy, jalapeños really pop in flavor + spice... What are you fav veggies to add to a healthy taco salad?
Choosing the right toppings
Serve food that delights your tastebuds and nourishes your body at the same time. Choose a veggie or two from each of these 5 color groups and enjoy a variety of flavors as well as health benefits in your healthy taco salad.
Blue/purple foods provide vitamins A, C, and K. Green foods are rich in cancer fighting phyto-chemicals. Orange/yellow foods bring the beta-carotene and potassium. Red foods are good sources of iron. White/light green foods provide potassium, magnesium and vitamin E.
While this is just a glimpse into the incredible land of whole food, keep these tips in mind when choosing what colors join your plate for dinner.
Vegan meat
This simple protein option will flip the lid on any past vegan meat mishaps you may have experienced. I don't often try to 'mimic' meat with plants, yet this recipe is pure genius on a plate. All you do is place walnuts in a bowl with water and a little lemon juice. Let sit for 8 hours or overnight to soften.
When ready, drain and rinse the soaked walnuts. Then add to a food processor with tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and a few spices and grind it all up. You can turn up the spice on this 'meat' as much or as little as you want. If you have a fav taco seasoning, use that instead of my spice combo! This recipe made its debut in my our Seasonal Cleanse cleanse, and has been a fan fav ever since. Your healthy taco salad just won't be the same without it.
Adding 'real' meat to my taco salad recipe
Plant based living doesn't = vegan. If your family eats meat, then you can easily add it to this recipe! Yet I have 1 ask: make the walnut taco meat and try a half ground beef, half walnut meat taco salad. Your brain and body will thank you for providing it the rich benefits of walnuts, while you can also keep your meat-loving family members happy too.
More healthy taco inspired recipes
Tacos are probably my fav food... no joke. I look for taco places in new towns like some might look for a new coffee shop to try (though I look for those too!). So I've def got a good list of delicious taco recipes to share:
No boring recipes around here! Which one of these do you wanna try first?
Taco salad FAQs
No! They can be super healthy yet still delicious by using fresh ingredients, protein powered vegan meat or real meat and dressing that is made with whole ingredients.
Easy! Use walnut taco meat, chickpeas, black beans, jackfruit, or tofu for a delicious non-meat taco salad. Swap out cheese + sour cream for guacamole and cashew cream. You won't even miss the dairy or meat.
Taco salads are kind of a whole-meal-in-one dish. You've got your protein, starch, veggies, and fats altogether in one filling dish. Know that not all calories are the same, and if your healthy taco salad is full of fresh, whole foods, then you've got nothing to worry about except that next bite of flavor-filled goodness.
Healthy Taco Salad Recipe
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups Vegan Taco Meat
- 4 cups tortilla chips
- 4 cups romaine lettuce (shredded)
- 1 15-oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 avocado (diced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- ½ cup corn (thawed if frozen)
- ½ cup black olives (sliced)
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
- salsa (for serving)
- Cashew Cream (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegan Taco Meat according to recipe (best if walnuts are soaked overnight. Yet in a pinch, you can "flash soak").
- Arrange the tostadas or chips on four shallow serving bowls or plates.
- Top with lettuce, followed by the taco meat, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, corn, olives, and green onions.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with salad and cashew cream on the side.
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include toppings.
- For a grain-free version, substitute corn tostadas with large cabbage or lettuce leaves, or simply omit.
- To heat taco meat, place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and lightly coat the bottom with olive oil, about 1-2 teaspoons. Add taco meat mixture and lightly saute until warmed through and nuts are lightly toasted. Be careful not to let it burn. Use immediately.
- Flash soaking walnuts: boil 2 cups water and pour over walnuts along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Allow to soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour and continue making the recipe. Please note that flash soaking does destroy some of the nutrients in the walnuts.
Garnetta
Day 2 - Toco Salad was good -enjoyed soaking the Walnuts (my first) - I also used Poppy Seed Dressing
Pat Roberts
This was really good. Love mexican and I didnt even miss the meat
Beki Ward
This salad has so many wonderful flavors! My husband seemed skeptical & asked for a small portion. In the end, he truly enjoyed it; I was glad he didn’t want a lot because I have enough for lunch tomorrow!
Carol Farnsworth
We really liked the walnuts as a substitute for meat.
Marlyse
I enjoyed this taco salad but I wish I would have had some salsa or something in my fridge or Pantry to add to it. If I were to make it again, I would add more black beans. The salad had some really nice flavors.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yes, black beans would be yummy in this recipe.
Arlene Henza
Very good and very satisfying. I had my doubts about soaking the walnuts, but the overal consistency and the flavorings were delicious. This is a fun challenge.
Tammy Candella McAninch
I typically stay away from taco salad, corn chips are a trigger food for me. I did enjoy this salad but in all honesty I made
Ground Turkey vs the walnut meal. It was good. But after reading the reviews now I want to try the walnut meal. I’ve been happy with the salad so far and feel like I am getting more veggies into my diet.
Simple Green Smoothies
You gotta try it, it's so yummy!
Kristen
Love this taco salad! I added some shredded pork that I leftovers of- made a great dinner.
Annie H
Family favorite. My kids love this salad as much as I do. It’s filling and very tasty. My kids don’t really like nuts, but they really enjoy this taco “meat@ with the salad. We will be adding it in to our family recipe box so we can make it more regularly
Traci Ziebarth
I was super wary of the walnut meat but it was amazing! I am the biggest taco fan ever so I was so excited to try this new recipe. It did not disappoint! I added my favorite taco seasoning to the walnut meat before adding it and that was glorious.
Naomi Spinak
It was delicious! And my family could customize with cheese and hot sauce if they wanted.
Jo Anne
Loved the walnut taco "meat!" would have never thought of turning walnuts into meat and had never heard of anyone else doing it. We do a lot of meatless Mondays through Saturdays and this taco meat recipe will be repeated. Question - I had a little liquid with the soaked walnuts... I drained the walnuts and it worked, so I'm guessing that's what I should have done? Can you use the liquid?
Junko
It’s first time to make Taco, vegan meat, cashew cream. Really good My husband loved them. Especially, Cashew cream was impressed.
Cheryl I
I love this salad. Tasty and healthy and easy to make. I added cilantro and a little apple cider vinegar to the cashew cream and it was the perfect addition for this salad. I will definitely be making this one again!
Lilian Shepherd
Well, I would never Have eaten this salad but because I’m trying to be open minded and try new things I was committed. Never soaked walnuts before and wasn’t sure how this would pan out. Let me just say that it was a winner. Simple. Easy. Delicious. I didn’t use the cashew cream because I didn’t have it but I used fresh spicy salsa instead and it was delicious.
Joyce
I was pleasantly surprised by the taco "meat". I really enjoyed this salad. I have always loved Taco salad, but I was so happy that this one was so much better for me. I will make this again. I am very sensitive to spicy things, so I didn't put as much cumin and chili powder. It was perfect for me. I didn't make the Cashew cream, but I wish I would have. I will next time.
Simple Green Smoothies
You def need to try it with the cashew cream next time. Glad you enjoyed it!
Alex
Omg my new fave dinner recipe
Allison Schalck
Absolutely delicious and incredibly satisfying! My vegetarian daughter said, "you KNOW I'm going to ask you to make this again SOON!" We always have nuts in the house and this is likely a "faux meat" I will make quite often. We just LOVED it!
Simple Green Smoothies
She sounds like my daughter, it's so awesome she loved it as well!
Esther
Simple and delicious! I wanted this to have an actual dressing so I blended together with a 50/50 ratio of creamy cilantro dip and cilantro vinaigrette and skipped the cashew cream (because the dip is made partially of creamed cashews). It was outstanding!
Connie Green
I love taco salads and this healthier version is delicious as written! I like that the recipe is so versatile that the variations are limitless. Many new creations are yet to come from this recipe.
Karyn
Satisfying dinner.
Allison Schalck
Absolutely delicious! My vegetarian daughter said, "you know I'm going to ask you to make this again SOON!" We always have nuts in the house and this is likely a "faux meat" I will make this quite often because it is an incredibly satisfying salad.
Diane
Simply delish and very satisfying
Tanya
I loved this recipe! I usually make taco salad with the vegan crumbles and I enjoyed learning this new way. It was delicious, thank you!
Crissie Stokes
Loved the walnut taco meat. Super flavorful.
Susan V
This salad is sooo delicious and filling. It easily makes a full meal.
Jan
Delicious! I was astounded that the "meat" was so good!
Erin
I love anything taco related and this salad did not disappoint! Will be making again!
Eva McGuire
Great salad for a meal or side. Delicious as it is or you can add your own personal extras. I heated the taco “meat”, but it would be just as good eaten at room temperature. It is one the whole family will enjoy.
Jennifer Leinhos
This salad was soooo good. The walnuts tasted just like taco meat, but I knew it was much healthier for me. And the cashew cream on it was creamy goodness. Did I say creamy? I could eat this salad every day.
Raha
This is an easy "throw everything into a bowl" recipe, which is great. I'm allergic to nuts and avocado, so I used soy crumbles instead. If you make this, make sure you have a tasty taco seasoning to satisfy that taco craving. The seasoning for the walnut taco meat was a bit lackluster for me, but considering the issues with packaged seasoning mixes (wonky ingredients at times, high sodium, etc.), it's a decent substitute.
Natalie
I tried making walnut taco meat for the first time in my vitamin and it was so easy and tasty. I added all the other ingredients plus yummy home made salsa and it was delicious and filling. I have enough for the next day too. I will make this again!
Jeanmarie Funke
This is a keeper! The salad was really good and filling. I’m a bit of a Mexican food snob after having lived in NM for 19 yrs so next time I will definitely incorporate NM Hatch Valley green Chile in with the walnut crumbles! We both loved the cashew cream! What a great substitute for dressing/sour cream! Loved it!
Simple Green Smoothies
I love having leftovers, makes it easy to enjoy again.
Natalie
I tried making walnut taco meat for the first time and it was so easy and tasty. I added all the other ingredients plus yummy home made salsa and it was delicious and filling. I have enough for the next day too. I will make this again!
Monica
Well I had my doubts when setting into this taco salad, but after making the vegan taco meat thought - okay - this may work! Next up making the cashew cream - then thinking yes - yum! Then with the layers upon layers of flavors and textures topped with a gray portion of cashew cream - another winner! It was a giant salad for us both, but we devoured every morsel!
Tammy Uyeda
So many wonderful layers of flavour and texture in this salad! It is heartier than it looks but offers bright, fresh, zesty flavour bombs with each bite.
HIGHLY recommend using the recipe for the Adobe Cashew Cream from the SGS website to elevate this salad even more! Woo!
Simple Green Smoothies
Awesome idea!
Dani
My boyfriend and I made the chipotle cashew cream to add to this salad. He enjoyed it for dinner as I finished up my ten-day round of complete master cleansing. He said it was delicious. He added hot sauce since he prefers eating spicier food.
Sue
I love this salad & make it often. Today, I was out of walnuts, so I used mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews). I was pleasantly surprised that the mixed nuts did not change the flavor of the taco meat.
Kathleen
I really liked this recipe, but forgot to start the walnuts so I did tofu meat instead. I’m excited to try the walnut meat.
Supreet Jaiswal
The salad itself is a fantastic combo and everything pairs so well together. I however found the dressing to be lacking flavour 🙁 I eventually made an avocado cream from the remaining half of my avo and it turned out fantastic. I also made fresh corn tortilla chips which were sooo good. This recipe is a keeper for sure! Loved it!!
Patricia T.
What better way to enjoy taco Tuesday than with a plant based salad!
Julie
We did the 50/50 meat combo. My family loves there ground beef so I was happy to add some healthier "meat" and reduce the saturated fat. Taco for dinner always welcome. We doubled up on avocado and made guacamole. The cashew cream didn't turn out a win. Really glad to switch up dinner and eat healthier as a family.
AlaskaOrBust
Love tacos, but taco meat wasn’t as taco-y as we would have liked. Next time we will tweak spices a little. Cilantro and black olives really made it feel more authentic like a taco. We didn’t need dressing as we added chick peas and was very filling. I also had pecans and made both walnut and pecan taco meats. We couldn’t tell a huge different between the two, but the pecan taco meat was browner, like actual taco meat.
Meagan
This salad will have you craving it over and over. All my family loved it! Such a powerhouse of flavors
Teresa Hurley
Think I left review in wrong place (yesterdays spot). Did not expect to like the taco salad but both my hubby and I liked enough to want to do again. Did not use olives or corn to make hubby happy and did a bare sprinkle of cheese so he could see some! Even the cashew cream was great. You have taught an old dog!
Rosemary O
I am such a fan of taco salads and this one was amazing!!
Mary
Yum! Walnut taco meat was a revelation!
May Kuckro
Yum! Walnut taco meat was a revelation!
Nikki O
I made this and it was delicious, the walnut meat turned out great. Even my boys were eyeing my plate.
Kristina Mercado
This salad was so filling. I'm not a huge fan of bell peppers but when everything was put together it didn't even bother me. I used the dill ranch cashew cream recipe and blended the avocado to make a dressing .
Stephanie P
I LOVE this salad, we made something close in the Winter Cleanse last year and I’ve made variations of it several times since. I added a squeeze of lime juice over the top to brighten the flavors up.
Shannon
Delicious taco salad! I didn’t miss the meat at all and was completely satisfied. I’d definitely make this again but add some jalapeños for some zing.
Catherine Read
This salad was OK but I felt I had to add a lot of salsa to make up for the lack of dressing in order to tie it all together. Otherwise, it was just a bunch of veggies and "taco meat" on a pile of lettuce. I did like the "taco meat" and will probably do that again for other recipes.
Kelli
Lots of great flavors in this salad. I didn’t even need any dressing on it. Couldn’t get my cashew cream very creamy though. Used my Vitamix but may not have had enough volume to get it on high enough speed without displacing the cream away from the blades.
Simple Green Smoothies
I always like to make a double batch of the cashew cream which helps to give it enough volume to get over the blades.
Nikki O
This salad I loved!!! My boys were eyeing it and wanted tastes too. They really enjoyed it also. Walnut meat was super tasty.
Anitra Hutcherson
This healthy taco salad was great. It needed to be grain free because I was sharing it a friend that has celiac, so I used corn tortilla chips instead. I'm not a fan of the vegan meat so substituted tuna since I've been craving it for a month. Hope that ok. Otherwise everything else remained the same. This is a huge change for me so I guess that's why the call it a challenge. Anywho, the salad still turned out fantastic and was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making this again minus the vegan meat. I just can't do it... ! I really like this challenge and I'm glad I have the time to do it.
Simple Green Smoothies
I love that you are making it totally you!
Martha Silbaugh
This recipe was hearty and I didn’t miss real meat at all. The walnut meat was totally satisfying. I enjoyed the surprise of flavor with each layer. Great recipe!
Stephanie C
Sooo good!! Used extra servings of spices for the walnut “meat”. Someday I will perfect that cashew cream though lol. Mine was still a little chunky.
Lynne
I wasn't sure about the walnut taco meat, but it turned out to be really good. Allow time for an overnight soak. Also allow time to pan fry it a little. That really added to it's texture and flavor for the salad.
I also made the chipotle cashew cream. Do that the morning of. I did need to add a little more lime, salt and some tapatio to get it where we wanted it. Once there I wished I had done the whole recipe in that flavor.
Simple Green Smoothies
Great idea to cook the nuts a bit!
Heather Ford
The cashew cream is so good. I've used it with other meals. I'm not a huge cumin fan but I liked this salad better than expected. I'll give it another chance without the cumin. I feel bad giving it a lower rating. I'm confident others will love it. I will too with a couple mild tweaks. I personally feel the portion was more like 2 meals.
Kay Davis
I love this salad. I added some hamburger with the walnut mixture. Fantastic. Had this for supper. It was my whole meal and 3 hours later I’m still stuffed.
Kathryn
Walnut taco salad was good. The star of the show was the cashew sour cream. Added a ton of salsa on salad. Felt like the “beef” needed some more flavor. Still LOVED IT overall! Thank you! ♥️ I think the best part about this recipe is really the full satisfied feeling after you eat it and your tummy doesn’t feel gross from greasy ground beef. I’m very curious to see if you would make a lentil based taco meat recipe. Maybe you already have one on here
Marcella
I enjoyed the taco salad although I need to spice up the walnut meat a bit more next time
Jackie Reynolds
Day 2: The Taco Salad is delicious. I love the Cashew Crema. I added some cilantro to the crema. Easy to make and quite filling. I'm familiar with walnut "meat". It is also delicious. I add mushrooms to the walnuts for some additional protein. I'll definitely make this and when I'm not eating raw I'll add the beans, corn, olives, and chips!
Kathryn
Next time I’m adding lime and cilantro to the cream too! Great minds think alike
Patti Ryan
I skipped the chips for lunch today but when I eat the other half at home I’ll add some blue corn chips! Excellent recipe and the cashew cream was even better the second day!
Stefanie
This salad has so much flavor and is really easy to make. I love the clean ingredients and different textures that make it so good!
Kailey f
You can never go wrong with tacos! Loved everything about this one, I've tried the taco 'meat' before and can ever get enough!
Lourdes
I wasn’t able to find all the ingredients but it was still delicious. My husband was pleasantly surprised how good the walnut “meat” tasted. I will definitely make it again. Thanks
Karen
I agree with others that this salad was different.
Stephanie
This taco salad was delicious:)
Eunice
I don't like walnuts but it didn't detract from the rest of the salad. I think I would amp up the flavors and add salsa like I was tempted to. Overall I enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe!
Pam
Pretty good but more than I could eat!
Stephanie
This taco salad recipe was delicious 🙂
Brenda
Really good - but again the servings are too large for us. I’m going to divide them into 3 or 4 servings from now on. I also added lime juice make it even tastier to us. It’s a lovely salad!
Barbara Wagner
This salad was a little different for us. In order to get my husband to eat it with me
I served it with fat free Western dressing and tortilla chips instead of the strips. It went down pretty good for something that was different than what we were used to. The little changes made it more "familiar" feeling. We did good!
Simple Green Smoothies
I love the small steps to a healthier meal!
Dennison T
Really great alternative to what we typically have as a taco salad. Definitely healthier and still tastes great!
Grace
Really like almost anything taco! The walnut “meat” has authentic flavour and texture. Didn’t have Romaine so used mixed greens and spinach. Skipped corn and olives per personal preference. Used yellow instead of red pepper to have more colour variety. Crumbled lime and jalapeño flavoured tortilla chips around the edges. Salsa would have been a good addition if I had thought of it in time. Hubby enjoyed his portion smothered in hot sauce.
Simple Green Smoothies
I love adding more color to a meal!
Kari Thom
Delicious meal salad and the walnut "meat" is amazing! It is very filling. I will make this again!
Martha
We made brown lentil taco meat and it was delicious. My whole family gobbled down more veggies in this salad than the previous days meals combined!
Maggie Kuckie
Tried this salad for day 2 of salad challenge. I was really excited to try it as I LOVE tacos!
I am feeling like I didn't prep and do right by this one, didn't turn out as good as I was hoping. I also had to substitute cayenne for chili powder and cumin. I also could not find tamari in last minute shopping trip. The black beans I had from a can and just rinsed and added (not a thing I'd do again).
But I'm determined to give this salad another go with some tweaks because I love how much is included in the ingredients list.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hopefully the cayenne didn't make it too spicy!
Amy
I love that I have a new meat replacement “go to” that is so easy to prepare! Can’t wait to make enchiladas and empanadas with the walnut mince. Of course all the other veggies make a colorful and tasty salad. Hubby wanted pickled jalapeños to kick up the heat. I chose hatch chili salsa. We both agree this is another winner!
Alyssa
Wow! I made this for dinner with a few variations and I didn't even miss the meat. I used chipotle powder in place of the chili powder and soy sauce instead of tamari for the walnut meat, and dressed the salad with a local grocer's house green sauce (a magical mix of mayo, sour cream, jalapeno, and cilantro)!
Lynne L
loved it. left off the beans because i can't stand beans.
Simple Green Smoothies
I can totally understand.
Jody
Very good. I often make taco salads, but the walnut taco shmeat was amazingly good. Amazing texture and would do it again.
Tammie
Loved Loved this Taco Salad, Soaking the Walnuts in Lemon juice really made a difference, delicious salad tastes just like a True Taco Salad, You will enjoy this Salad.
Tammie
5++ stars
Tracee
This Healthy Taco Salad is so delicious and filling. I made mine with lentil taco meat and topped it with some fresh salsa. I will definitely be making this salad often.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yummy, great job substituting in the lentils!
Ingrid
I've always loved taco salad, and this one was delicious!
Bonnie Ashcroft
I didn’t want to turn my family off plant base meals, so I gave the option of the vegan taco meat or regular. They just had to taste a small spoon after roasting the walnuts to decide. I seasoned the walnuts with my regular dried herb taco seasoning mix. EVERYONE chose the vegan taco meat. This recipe is now a family staple. Thank you for sharing your recipes and knowledge.
Simple Green Smoothies
OMG that warms my heart! I love when the whole family loves the plant based meals!
Tracy M
Everybody loves a good taco salad and this one combines both taste and healthfulness! Due to my son’s specific diet, we used grassfed/finished ground beef. I also used Vidalia onion, because I had it. I did adjust the spices with what I typically use: chili, garlic, and onion powders with smoked paprika, and sea salt.
Stacey
Pretty hearty, nice flavour. I used spinach instead of romaine. Next time I will make it with other vegan "meat".
Ronda
It is amazing how you can take vegan ingredients and modify a normally meat filled meal. I love this salad. It is just as wonderful and comforting as a regular taco salad. The cashew cream is a nice touch. Delicious!
Cory Conner
Was leery of this recipe as walnut taco meat sounded iffy, but was delicious, would definitely do it again
June
Always love taco salad! Really good recipe. I added low fat sour cream and some crazy hot sauce. Very good!
Rose
We had never tried the walnut taco meat before. It was an interesting twist to our traditional taco salad.
Cheryl Brueggeman
What a tasty salad. I like that you can customize it with the toppings of your choice. The walnut "meat" had a great taco flavor and looked like hamburger. Will keep this in my salad rotation.
Jessica Cicero
Loved this recipe. We made a few adjustments based on personal preferences, but added some homemade tortilla chips and homemade salsa and it was delicious. Even my one year old liked parts of it.
Simple Green Smoothies
Yum! Everything is better when it's homemade!
Denise Kretzschmar
I absolutely loved the Walnut Taco Meat! I added a dash of chipotle pepper to the seasoning. I used pinenuts instead of cashews to make the cream, it is so good. I added some jalapenos to the salad and mixed arugula, romaine, and kale.
Chelsea
So good! I was skeptical of the walnut taco meat but it was seriously delicious. My husband wanted more and more ands he’s definitely not a picky eater. Such an easy and delicious recipe!
Courtney
I forgot the tortilla chips, but I really enjoyed this salad anyway! I've been looking for a vegan alternative to taco meat and the walnuts in this recipe were so easy to make - and tasty!
Tina
Loved this! Even my husband, who is a meat-eater, approved!
Allison Clarke
This salad! So impressed with the result. Absolutely delicious. What I love about the 10 Day Spring Salad Challenge most is the introduction of new and unique (especially vegan) foods and food combinations. The Healthy Taco Salad gave us Cashew Cream and Walnut Taco meat. Big hits in our house! And the beautiful colors, tastes and textures of the ingredients made for a meal for the eyes and the palette. Well done!
Simple Green Smoothies
It makes me so happy to hear that you're finding so many fun benefits within this challenge! You RAWK!
Sandra Kunze
This taco salad rawks! So many flavors and textures coming together for one delicious bite after another! Not only that, I feel like I am getting total nourishment and that makes me happy! I subbed red lentils and roasted garbanzo beans for the walnut meat and made a tangy citrus balsamic dressing without allergens for me. Again I'd make and eat this again and again!
Simple Green Smoothies
Yummy!
Julie
Very filling salad. I had to add a lot more spices to the walnut taco meat to get enough flavor. Other than that I really liked it. It is time consuming to prep this one and I didn’t have time to do the cashew cream…maybe next time.
TrqcyM
Modified the recipe due to nut allergies. However this was one delicious salad. Super easy, filling, taco-y, and interesting addition of olives!
I used real beef so added some calories there but very protein-full with the beans. 10 out of 10!!
Sylvia
Taco salad is best. Can't go wrong with this one.
Raychel
Five/five tacos for this winner. I added salsa. The best thing about this salad is that it's simple. Not too many spices for the taco meat. Not too many ingredients in the salad. Could you add green onions, lime juice, salsa, etc. to the salad? Definitely. Could the taco meat be more complicated with more spices and ingredients? Yes. But I needed to get this in the bowl fast. I also likely would have all of these ingredients in my kitchen even if I hadn't shopped for the challenge, key for a busy morning when I decide what to do for dinner later. I'll definitely make this one again. Super satisfying, simple ingredients, very versatile.
Raychel
edited to add: when I made this I only looked at the left column of ingredients, haha. I was really in a hurry. Similar ideas still apply.
Rachelle Mendoza
Savoury medley of ingredients that are accessible even to the mobility challenged. Mexican cuisine with a wholesome and toothsome twist
Ashley Liberty
OMG. So good. And so filling. Will definitely be making this again.
Jessica Cicero
Loved this recipe. We made a few adjustments based on personal preferences, but added some homemade tortilla chips and homemade salsa and it was delicious. Even my one year old liked parts of it.
Kristen Thompson
My walnut taco meat wasn’t as taco-y as my tastebuds expected. I’ll adjust the spices next time.
Dennison T
Really great alternative to what we typically have as a taco salad. Definitely healthier and still tastes great!
Kathy
I used a different recipe for the taco meat. Here is the link. https://www.acouplecooks.com/walnut-vegan-taco-meat/
I had two people give a taste test. One wanted more spices in the meat. Both said they liked the salad.
I used a small Bullet to blend the taco ingredients. Some of the walnuts were not breaking down. I ended up using a knife to chop it to the consistency needed.
I would not have tried this if not in this challenge. Thanks! Good to try new recipes.