This vegan taco salad has everything you love about taco salad – it’s quick, easy, fresh, crunchy, and actually filling! To make it vegan, it’s made with marinated chickpeas and creamy avocado, so it’s a bit lighter but still filling enough for a meal, easy to customize, and still hits the spot when you’re craving tacos.
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My Friend’s Secret to a Great Salad
I admit, I am not a natural salad-lover but a learned one. A friend once told me that for a salad to actually taste great, you have to think of it like layered nachos – it needs crunch, some protein, something creamy and to be well seasoned – it’s all about flavor and texture! So now whenever I develop salad recipes I aim for a fresh base, then top it with something crunchy, something creamy and something chewy like in my Roasted Cauliflower & Crunchy Chickpea Salad with bouncy pearl cous cous… or my dense ancient grain Freekeh Salad with juicy pomegranate on a hummus base.
I came up with this salad when I was craving a little variety from our weekly meal plan. Tuesday is taco night at our house, and we normally alternate between Baked Black Bean Tacos, Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos or Lentil Tacos with Sweet Potato. After a few weeks, this routine gets pretty predictable ha so I decided to mix it up with this taco salad recipe and it was a hit! It’s a bit lighter than tacos but still hits the spot, just fresher with way more veggies and can be customized to whatever toppings you love.
Must-Use Ingredients
Like regular taco toppings, you can customize this salad as you’d like with your favorite toppings but there are a few ingredients you should stick to. Here’s my two cents on the key ingredients and what to buy:
- Chickpeas – I use canned chickpeas for convenience, but if you prefer to cook your own from dry that’s also fine. If you use canned like me, make sure to drain and rinse them well and pat dry. They need to be dry enough to absorb the marinade properly – watery chickpeas will dilute the dressing and taste flat.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is important here. Bottled lime juice tends to taste one-note, and just doesn’t have the same kick.
- Dijon mustard – This helps emulsify the dressing and adds subtle depth. Yellow mustard won’t give the same result and will make the dressing taste more overtly mustardy.
- Smoked paprika – essential as it adds that subtle taco-style smokiness that replaces what meat usually brings. Regular paprika is not quite right here – too mild, sweet and won’t have any smoky flavor.
- Tortilla chips / corn chips – Use plain, unflavored chips that are thick and sturdy. Fragile chips will go soggy quickly. If you’re curious – read more about tortilla vs corn chips on America’s Test Kitchen.
- Avocados – Ripe but firm is key. Overripe avocados will mash when tossed and turn the salad heavy instead of creamy.
How to Make Vegan Taco Salad
I am committed to never overcomplicating a recipe and this one comes down to three key steps (pictured in detail below): marinate, prep the toppings, layer and serve. That’s it! See how easy it is to make this salad for yourself in the pictures below or jump to the recipe card for the detailed instructions.
Step One: For the dressing, mince the garlic and jalapeno. Finely chop the green onion.
Step Two: Combine those with all the remaining dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.
Step Three: Add the drained chickpeas, cover, and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Step Four: Wash and dry the lettuce and chop into 1/2”/12mm thick strips.
Step Five: Chop the bell pepper into 1/2”-3/4”/12-18mm cubes. Cut the cucumber into 1/2”/12mm cubes.
Step Six: Dice the tomatoes. Cut the avocado into 1/2”/12mm cubes and scoop out.
Step Seven: Layer all the vegetables in a large bowl. Add on the tortilla chips and pour over the marinated chickpeas and dressing. Toss and serve immediately.
Storage
This salad, like most, is best served immediately. It won’t keep well as the chips will go soggy and it will get limp and watery.
If you’re trying to get ahead on dinner, you can prep the marinated chickpeas up to one day in advance. Just allow them to come to room temperature before adding to the salad (as oils can solidify slightly).
You can also chop the romaine lettuce and bell peppers in advance. But all the other veggies (like cucumber and tomato) will get too watery and the avocado will brown, so wait until you’re ready to serve before slicing them.
Expert Tips
Smaller chips are best for Vegan Taco Salad. All elements of the salad should easily fit on your fork so you get a perfect mix of ingredients in every bite! If you cannot find small corn or tortilla chips, break up some store bought, or make your own! To make them homemade, shallow fry thin strips of tortillas in oil until golden brown. If using homemade tortilla chips, add a bit more salt to the dressing to balance the sodium.
FAQ
Since many oils solidify at cold temperatures, it’s best to allow your marinated chickpeas to come to room temp before tossing with the other salad ingredients.
You can control how much jalapeno is used in this recipe. If making it for kids, use less or omit altogether.
Yes, this salad is both nut-free and soy-free.
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Vegan Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing & Chickpeas
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas drained (170 g)
- 4 tbsp olive oil 60 ml
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 30 ml
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard 10 g
- 2 tsp maple syrup 10 ml
- 1 tsp ground cumin 2 g
- 1 tsp dried oregano 1 g
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika 2 g
- ½ tsp ground coriander 1 g
- ½ tsp salt 3 g
- 2 cloves garlic minced (10 g)
- ½ medium jalapeño minced, seeds removed for less spice (30 g)
- 2 medium green onions finely chopped (30 g)
Salad
- 1 small head romaine lettuce chopped (300 g)
- 2 medium avocados cubed (325 g)
- 2 medium tomatoes diced (275 g)
- 1 medium red or orange bell pepper cubed (125 g)
- ½ large English cucumber cubed (175 g)
- 2 cups tortilla chips or corn chips 125 g
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt, garlic, jalapeño, and green onions until combined. Stir in the chickpeas, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
- While the chickpeas marinate, wash and chop the romaine into 1/2-inch strips. Dice the tomatoes, cube the bell pepper and cucumber, and cube the avocados just before assembling.
- In a large serving bowl, layer the lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and avocado. Add the tortilla chips on top, then pour over the marinated chickpeas and dressing.
- Gently toss to combine and serve immediately while the chips are still crisp.
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