Vegan taco salad with spicy black beans

Name: Vegan taco salad with spicy black beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 large wheat tortillas; 1 teaspoon organic canola oil; 2 garlic cloves (minced); ¾ cup onion (chopped small); 1 ½ cups black beans (1 15 oz can, drained and rinsed); 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder; ½ teaspoon oregano; ½ teaspoon coriander; ½ teaspoon paprika; 1 Tablespoon lime juice; ¼ cup water; Salt (to taste); 4 cups chopped romaine (or green leaf lettuce); 1 large tomato (chopped); 1 red bell pepper (chopped); 1 batch guacamole; Creamy cashew dressing (optional)

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Vegan taco salads include everything you need for a filling lunch or dinner in a bowl you can eat! There’s spicy black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and a generous dollop of guacamole. Crack some of the shell into the salad while you eat for extra crunch.

One word makes everything better. Taco.

Walking is nice. Walking tacos are better.

Breakfast is great. Breakfast tacos are greater.

Think pizza can’t be improved upon? Make taco pizza.

Even salad, which has its fare share of detractors, come around when it’s taco salad.

It has all of the flavors of everyone’s favorite Tuesday night meal in a crispy tortilla bowl.

That’s why vegan taco salad should be on your regular lunch or dinner repertoire.

Not only is it super easy to make, it’s also a great way to repurpose leftovers. (Yesterday’s black bean tacos make today’s taco salad a breeze.)

Let’s talk about that tortilla bowl

While restaurants often use the deep fryer for the tortilla bowl, baking is less messy, healthier, and easier.

If you have a tortilla bowl maker, obviously, use that. You can find them online or in the kitchen section of most home goods stores.

But if you don’t have them, use any oven safe bowl. I have a stacking set of glass oven safe bowls that I’ve used many times in a pinch.

Simply place the tortilla into a bowl, and press it against the sides. Depending on the material of the bowl, and size of the tortilla, the cooking time may vary a little bit. So it’s good to keep an eye on it, and check for when the edges are browning.

To easily pull out the tortilla bowl without burning yourself, grab your trusty toast tongs.

How to make a vegan taco salad

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put tortillas into metal taco bowls or oven safe glass bowls. Bake for 10 minutes (or less if the tortillas are small).

Bring a skillet to a medium heat with oil. Sauté onions and garlic. Once fragrant, add the following:

Drained black beans
Cumin
Ancho chili powder
Oregano
Coriander
Paprika
Lime juice
Water
Salt

Combine everything fully with a spatula. Let any excess liquid cook off while the beans heat.

Put the black bean mixture into the tortilla bowls along with the following toppings:

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Red bell peppers
Guacamole
Pickled jalapeño peppers

If you’d like, finish with a drizzle of cashew salad dressing, cashew queso, cilantro chimichurri, or a few generous dashes of hot sauce.

Make it your own

Change the ingredients and fillings to make this easy lunch or dinner your own.

Swap out the black beans with one of the following:

For a gluten-free option, use corn tortilla chips or vegan nacho chips instead of a tortilla bowl.

Swap out the lettuce for baby spinach.

Add a dollop of non-dairy sour cream, a sprinkling of shredded vegan cheese, and/or a handful of black olives.

Instead of or in addition to all of the raw vegetables, use grilled vegetables from this veggie fajitas recipe.