Vegan Taco Salad Bowl with Tempeh

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This Vegan Taco Salad is inspired by the Southwestern Tex-Mex flavors in the Santa Fe Salad. Crispy romaine lettuce, black beans, cherry tomatoes, corn, crushed tortilla chips, and tempeh taco meat all drizzled with the best creamy, vegan taco salad dressing. Try this recipe for easy vegan meal prep or quick weeknight dinners!

Taco salad bowl garnished with salsa and lime wedges in white bowl.

I will admit I’m not a big salad lover. I usually prefer heartier, more comforting meals, like my absolute favorite Vegan Potato Corn Chowder or Oven Fried Vegan Potato Tacos.

But if I am going to eat a salad, it’s got to meet a few strict requirements of mine:

Be packed with protein. Protein helps keep me full and satiated.
Have a crunch.
Have an AMAZING salad dressing (we really eat salads for the dressings, right?).
Include something sweet to balance the savory.

This vegan and vegetarian taco salad bowl checks all the boxes!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This salad gets a bulk of it’s protein from the black beans and tempeh taco meat. 21 grams of protein per serving, to be exact!
Crushed tortilla chips or even Fritos is the perfect salty, delicious crunch on any taco salad.
Cashews are the secret to making this salad dressing so creamy and flavorful, yet completely dairy free!
Sweet corn gives this salad the best subtle sweetness to balance the savory!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Black beans, romaine lettuce, tortilla chips, dressing, taco meat, corn and tomatoes on white backdrop.

Taco meat – Traditional taco salads typically include shredded or grilled chicken. I like using my vegan taco meat in this recipe. It’s neutral enough not to overpower the salad, but still hearty and chicken-like. I also love using my BBQ marinated tempeh for a BBQ flare. You could also use a store-bought vegan taco meat for extra convenience!
Romaine – I like using romaine in my taco salads, but you can also use the more classic iceberg lettuce.
Corn – White sweet corn or yellow corn will work here. I always use frozen corn that I’ve thawed under cool water, but you can also use corn cut off the cob or even my homemade Roasted Chili Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat!).
Cherry Tomatoes – My favorite tomatoes for salads! So sweet and easy to prep! You can also substitute diced tomatoes or even pico de gallo.
Black beans – Add extra protein and make this salad hearty. Chickpeas would also be great here!
Tortilla chips – I use store-bought tortilla chips or even crushed Fritos corn chips! (Yes, Fritos are vegan!).
Vegan taco salad dressing – For this salad you can use any dressing! Try my taco salad dressing made with cashews, lime juice, dijon mustard and spices, a store-bought vegan ranch, or my chipotle honey mustard dressing (pictured)!

Step by Step Instructions

Prepare the vegetarian taco meat

Follow the full step by step instructions to prepare my taco meat on this separate post.
You can add this taco meat to your salad warm or cold!

Closeup of vegan taco meat with gold spoon dug in.

Prepare the vegan taco salad dressing

Add the cashews, lime juice, water, and spices to a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. If your blender is not a high speed blender, it may have trouble blending this dressing smooth. To assist, I’d recommend soaking the cashews in hot, boiling water for at least 30 minutes.

Note! If your blender is not a high speed blender, it may have trouble blending this dressing smooth. To assist, I’d recommend soaking the cashews in hot, boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Do not try blending this dressing in the Ninja Professional 1000W Blender. It is not capable of blending sauces smooth because the stems go up the blade and merely chop instead of pulling the ingredients to the bottom and pulverizing.
Taste the dressing and adjust the spices to your satisfaction.
Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining salad ingredients. If you have the time, I recommend refrigerating at least a couple of hours ahead of time. It will cool the dressing down and thicken it up nicely.

Build the salad

You can make this salad in one large bowl for serving at parties or gatherings, or in 4 individual sized bowls.
First add a layer of romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, and taco meat.

Step by step process of how to make the salad.

Then finish by adding the cherry tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, and tossing together with the dressing!

Step by step process of how to finish making the salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I add to my salad to make it even heartier?

To bulk up this salad even more for a great main dish, I recommend adding cilantro lime rice or vegan Spanish rice!

I am making this salad for meal prep. Will the salad get soggy?

To keep this salad fresh for as long as possible, I recommend storing the salad separately from the tortilla chips and dressing. Add the tortilla chips and dressing just before enjoying for best results!

I have some leftover cashew sour cream. Can I use that as a dressing instead?

Yes, my cashew sour cream recipe would work great as a dressing on this taco salad!

Expert Tips

Prep this salad on Sunday night for a super easy vegan lunch option!
Customize this taco salad to use up what you’ve got! Try adding fajita veggies, red onion, cilantro, vegan cheese shreds, guacamole, or roasted cauliflower!
Like spice? Try adding a couple of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the salad dressing to give it a spicy kick!

Closeup of taco bowl with tortilla chips and salsa.

More Vegan Lunch Ideas

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This recipe was originally published June 29, 2020 and was updated on September 23, 2021 to include a new and improved recipe, new photos, step by step instructions, and tips for success.