High Protein Vegan Taco Salad

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This nutritious, flavourful, vegan taco salad has 32 grams of protein per serving! It’s made with black beans, vegan beef crumbles, and tossed in creamy almond yogurt dressing.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this satisfying, high volume, meatless taco salad:

Romaine lettuce — you can also use iceberg lettuce, or even cabbage if you prefer!
Plant-based ground beef —I used Gusta Mexican ground, but you can use whichever brand is your favourite. Or substitute for tofu crumbles, TVP, lentils, or more beans!
Black beans — feel free to use chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, or another type of bean if you prefer.
Corn — for the sweetness.
Bell pepper — you could also opt for cherry tomatoes.
Red onion — adds bite to the salad and brings out the flavours more.
Vegan cheese shreds — optional, but recommended to give more taco-esque!
Dairy-free yogurt — makes for a light and creamy dressing! I used plain unsweetened Silk almond-based yogurt.
Pickle brine — or lime juice or lemon juice.
Chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper — adjust the amounts of these seasonings as needed to suit your taste preferences.
Maple syrup — for sweetness in the dressing.

How to Make

Make the Dressing

Add all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, jar, or measuring glass. Taste and add more salt if needed. Feel free to add more maple syrup for sweetness, more chili powder for spice, or more pickle brine for acid.

Mix Everything Together

Start by mashing your plant-based beef substitute into crumbles. I recommend using this masher for convenience, but feel free to use a fork or your hands instead.

Then, combine all salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over the mixed salad and toss until the salad is evenly coated in dressing. Optionally, you can serve with cilantro to make this dish look extra aesthetic!

Customizations

You can make any substitutions necessary to suit your preferences, or work with ingredients you already have on hand! Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, avocado, or tortilla strips would all be great ingredients to add in or swap with other ingredients. Just note that the macronutrient and calorie content will vary with substitutions.

For the dressing, if you don’t like vegan yogurt, you can also use blended raw cashews or vegan mayo as the base. You could also add in cayenne pepper, chili flakes, or more chili powder if you want it to be spicier.

Storage

This salad is the freshest when eaten the same day you make it. However, it will still taste great for up to three days in the fridge, as long as you store the dressing separately to prevent sogginess.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll also want to try this High Protein Vegan Chili recipe here!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

Absolutely! Just make sure your plant-based beef alternative is gluten-friendly!

Can I make this salad without any beans?

Yes, for sure. Just remove the black beans, or swap in another ingredient you like such as cherry tomatoes, more bell pepper, cucumber, green peas, or whatever you like!

Can I modify this recipe to be lower in carbohydrates?

Definitely! Consider choosing a vegan beef product that is more protein and fat based instead of protein and carb. You can also omit or reduce the amount of black beans or corn!

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