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.
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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.
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.
You might also like:
- Beyond Beef Shepard’s Pie
- Beyond Beef Grazing Platter
- Beyond Beef Meatballs
- Spicy Tomato Peanut Bowls (Vegan or with Chicken)
- Buddha Bowls with Brown Butter Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce (Tofu, Prawns, Chicken)
- Lettuce Wraps (Vegan or with Pork)
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers (Vegan, Vegetarian, or Beef)
Recipe Card
Beyond Beef Taco Salad
Taco Salad is always a crowd pleaser. Make this plant-based or vegetarian using Beyond Beef, crispy lettuce, ripe tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa, and of course taco chips. Easily customizable with other toppings too, including avocado, black olives, and sliced bell peppers.
Servings: 4
Calories: 810kcal
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.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
If you have extra taco meat, you can store in the fridge in a well-sealed container for 2-3 days. Reheat over low heat, adding a little oil or water to the pan as needed.Optional Add-Ins
You can customize this with your choice of avocado, olives, sliced bell peppers.Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is based on dairy-based cheese.Nutrition
Calories: 810kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2708IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 444mg | Iron: 8mg
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