Vegan Taco Salad Bowl

Name: Vegan Taco Salad Bowl
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Small Red Onion (finely chopped); 1 8- Ounce Block Tempeh (crumbled); 1 15- Ounce Can Black Beans; 3 Cloves Garlic (minced); 3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning; 4 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce; 2 Cups Oil-Free Tortilla Strips; 1 Cup Corn; 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved); 1 Small Red Onion (sliced); Jalapeño Slices; Avocado; Vegan Sour Cream

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Make the ultimate vegan taco bowl! With a protein-packed vegan taco meat, homemade tortilla strips, and your favorite fixings this vegan taco salad bowl will become your taco Tuesday staple recipe. Ready in 25 minutes!

This post is sponsored by CatholicTv, all opinions are my own.

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl surrounded by toppings.

These bowls are like taco Tuesday in salad form. They've got all the things you love about tacos: the meat, the tortilla, the toppings. Just in a bowl!

This recipe features my favorite taco meat recipe: tempeh and black bean tacos. I love it because it's so simple and packed with both protein and fiber. Tempeh makes such a great taco base - it's got that crumbly texture that ground beef has and it packs quite a punch of protein.

This vegan taco bowl also features my oil-free tortilla chip recipe. Tortilla chips are so easy to make at home, and you can avoid the extra nutrient-poor calories by baking them without oil instead of deep frying! Plus, you can cut your tortillas into small strips, so they are more salad friendly.

Once you've got those two components down, then just add your favorite taco toppings. A base of lettuce for the salad, plus corn, tomatoes, jalapeno, avocado, vegan sour cream - whatever you like!

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl focused on vegan taco meat.

Why I love these Vegan Taco Salad Bowls

Dietary needs - these bowls are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and sugar-free.
SUPER quick - it takes about 25 minutes to whip up these bowls from start to finish. So you can have dinner in no time
High protein - the taco meat, made from tempeh and black beans, is packed with protein, so you'll be feeling nice and full
Tastes like real tacos - tempeh easily absorbs other flavors, so it really takes on the taco seasoning flavor. Plus, it has a texture similar to ground beef

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl - focused on tortilla strips.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Taco Meat Ingredients

Red Onion: you can also use a white or yellow onion.
Tempeh: tempeh is a block of fermented soy beans. You can find it in the vegan section of the grocery store.
Black Beans: a can of black beans is perfect in this recipe. Avoid draining it to keep all of the flavor from the juices in the tacos. If you want, you could use a different bean like pinto beans or chickpeas. Or omit the beans entirely.
Garlic: optional but highly recommended - garlic gives the dish some extra flavor.
Taco Seasoning: I used my 5-minute taco seasoning. But feel free to use a store bought if you have that on hand.

Other Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce: classic taco salad is served on romaine. Another lettuce like boston or leaf lettuce will work fine. Or for a more nutrient-dense option, try spinach!
Oil-Free Tortilla Strips: I made my oil-free tortilla chips recipe, slicing the tortillas into thin strips instead of triangles. Feel free to grab your favorite tortilla chips or even just a shredded tortilla. Or sub with rice!
Corn
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Onion
Jalapeño Slices
Avocado
Vegan Sour Cream

How to make Vegan Taco Salad Bowls

Step 1. Prepare the Vegan Tempeh Taco Meat. Sauté the red onion in a non-stick pan until just starting to soften. Add the crumbled tempeh, the entire can of black beans (including the liquid), garlic, and taco seasoning to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the tempeh and beans are warmed through.

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl Step 1 - prepare the taco meat.

Step 2. If desired, prepare oil-free tortilla strips. Follow the instructions for these oil-free tortilla chips, slicing the tortillas into thin strips instead of triangles.

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl Step 2 - make the tortilla strips.

Step 3. Assemble the bowls. Start with a bed of lettuce and top with the taco meat, tortilla strips, corn, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, avocado, and sour cream. Enjoy!

Vegan Taco Salad Bowl Step 3 - assemble the bowls.

FAQ & Expert Tips

Choose a different taco meat

I love tempeh taco meat and it is my go-to, but I have several other vegan taco meat recipes you could easily sub in these bowls:
- Vegan Mushroom Tacos
- Vegan Walnut Tacos
- Vegan Lentil Tacos
- Vegan Red Lentil Tacos
- Vegan Tofu Tacos

Is taco salad cold or hot?

‍Typically the greens and other toppings are served cold. The taco meat itself is usually warm on top of the salad.

Feel free to serve leftovers cold or warm!

What to serve with taco salad

This recipe is a complete meal all on it's own.

Feel free to add some extra veggies on the side like my go-to roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

Make taco night extra fun with my Strawberry Margarita Mocktails!

Storage

I recommend storing the components of these bowls separately. The fresh ingredients like lettuce tomatoes, and jalapeños will not last as long as the taco meat itself.

The salad CAN be stored altogether though, just remove the tortilla chips.
Store any leftover tortilla chips in a paper bag on the counter.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat, warm the taco meat in the microwave until heated through.

The tortilla strips can be heated in the oven if desired. If they are stored properly in a paper bag, they will remain crisp.

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for these taco bowls. Thank you for food that nourishes our bodies and our souls. Amen.

More Vegan Taco Recipes

Tried this recipe?

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