Who doesn’t love Taco Salad? Make a plant-based or vegetarian version of this crowd pleaser using spiced Beyond Beef, crispy lettuce, ripe tomatoes, shredded cheese, juicy tomatoes, and of course taco chips. Ready in about 15 minutes, this salad is easy to customize.
Taco Salad Ingredients
Taco salad is very customizable. Here’s what we put in ours:
- Lettuce – we like iceberg or romaine – something crunchy!
- Spicy Beyond Beef – we sauted the Beyond Meat in a tiny amount of oil, and added tomato paste, water, chili powder, and garlic. Chili powder is a mix of spices, so depending on the blend you’re using you might want to add extra cumin, onion powder, and/or cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes) for more heat.
- Juicy Tomatoes – we like cherry tomatoes, halved, but you could use any kind of ripe tomatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Shredded Cheese – we went with a mix of cheddar and mozzarella. Choose your favourite plant-based or dairy cheeses, one or two types. Cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack would all make good options.
- Next, we add a dollop of sour cream, or a vegan alternative. We sometimes use plain yogurt too.
- Salsa – use your favourite salsa
- Taco chips – of course! It’s taco salad. Use your favourite corn tortilla chips. We like to add these last so they stay crunchy. If you are looking for a low carb version of this salad, you can omit the taco chips (but still call it taco salad…)
Optional Toppings
- Avocado or guacamole. Ripe avocados are best – their creamy texture plays beautifully with the rest of the ingredients.
- Black olives. If you love olives these make a great addition.
- Sliced bell peppers. Add some sliced bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange – whatever you like) to up the veggie factor and add extra crunch.
Visual Overview: Making Taco Salad
This recipe makes 4 servings. For each serving:
Start with about 1 cup of lettuce per bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of spiced taco meat.
Scatter on about 1/2 cup of tomatoes.
Next add a couple of handful of shredded cheese - about 1/2 cup.
Add a dollop of sour cream.
Top with your favourite salsa and garnish with taco chips.
Optionally, Serve it Family Style
You can also serve this family style, where you make a big bowl of the ingredients and everyone serves themselves and adds their own taco chips. This also works if you want to make a low carb version - that is, without the taco chips.
Tips: Let's talk about meat substitutes
From plant-based chicken nuggets to ground beef substitutes and vegan sausages, grocery stores offer an ever-growing range of products for people who don't want to eat meat but like the taste of it.
While people new to plant-based eating take all sorts of different approaches, some look for animal-free versions of familiar recipes. If that sounds like you, you might also like our Beyond Meat Spaghetti Sauce, Shepherd's Pie, Beyond Beef Meatballs, Garlicky White Bean Soup with Plant-Based Sausage, or our Grazing Platter.
We tested this recipe using the Beyond Meat brand of ground beef (aka ground round). This is not a sponsored post. We haven't tested this recipe with other brands, such as the Impossible brand, but we think it would work just as well. The cooking time for the 'meat' may vary, so read the product label before starting the recipe.
If you're interested in comparing nutritional information, the Recipe Card has the nutritional breakdown at the bottom of it. This including calories per serving, and units of carbohydrates (carbs), protein, and fat.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Beyond Beef Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 2 cups taco chips
Taco Meat Mix
- 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil (We used sunflower oil).
- 1 340 g package Beyond Beef, plant-based ground
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 2-4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Taco Meat Mix
- Add the oil to a frying pan and heatover a medium heat. Add the Beyond Beef ground to the hot oil and fry, breaking up the meat with a spatula, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and about half of the water and stir in.
- Add the smaller amount of chili powder and garlic and stir in. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
Assembly (makes 4 individual bowls)
- Add about 1 cup of lettuce to the bowl
- Top with 1/2 cup of taco meat mixture
- Scatter on about 1/2 cup of tomatoes.
- Scatter on about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese(ss)
- Top with 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of sour cream.
- Top with 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of salsa
- Garnish with a handful (about 1/2 cup) of taco chips.