Vegan Taco Salad with Tempeh Meat and Creamy Salsa Dressing Recipe
This vegan taco salad is made with tempeh, creamy salsa dressing and topped with crispy tortilla chips. It takes no time to prepare and is great for meal prep. The whole family will love this flavor-packed, plant based meal!
To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever turned down taco night. That’s what inspired this recipe! My husband and I were trying to decide what we wanted for dinner one night, he mentioned tacos and when is anyone not in the mood for tacos? The only kicker was that I’d just been to the grocery store the day before and really didn’t want to make another trip, so I started looking through in the refrigerator and pantry to see if I could make something work. I had tortilla chips, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, and tempeh, but no taco shells, meat, or sour cream…good thing tempeh is a plant based protein and goes great on a salad!
I quickly tossed the ingredients together, cooked the tempeh crumbles, and created a creamy salsa dressing with cashews I had in the pantry. We both loved it! If you haven’t tried tempeh, it’s texture when crumbled really resembles ground meat, and the seasoning was just right. The dressing was rich and creamy and spicy. The rest of the salad was classic taco salad flavors from the crisp veggies, creamy avocado, juicy burst from fresh tomatoes, and crunched up tortilla chips! It’s safe to say we’ll be making this vegan taco salad recipe again and sharing it with friends! I hope you love it as much as we did!
What is Tempeh?
This vegan taco salad uses tempeh as a source of protein. While most people are familiar with tofu, tempeh might be new to you. You’re seriously missing out if you’ve never had tempeh before, so let me share all the reasons to try it! Tempeh, originating from Indonesia, is a soy-based product made from fermenting soybeans then creating a firm cake from the soybean mixture. Tempeh has a nutty, almost earthy taste, but it absorbs the flavor of the food, spice, or sauce that it’s cooked with. This makes it a great and versatile choice for meatless chill’s, soups, stews, and dishes like tacos/taco salad and stir-fry.
If you’re comparing tempeh to tofu, it’s different because its more dense and holds its shape better, which makes it a great meat alternative in recipes. While I never push people to become vegetarian or vegan (and I’m not vegetarian or vegan myself!), I do support eating more meatless meals for health and environmental reasons. With 16 grams of protein in a 3 ounce serving, tempeh is a fantastic source of plant based protein.
Tips for Cooking Tempeh
As I mentioned before, tempeh is a great ground meat substitute because it has a similar texture when cooked, but you can prepare tempeh in many other ways too! Try chopping it into cubes for searing or grilling on skewers, cutting it into slabs to pan sear, or use cubes in a stir fry. Since it takes on the flavor of the food or spice its cooked with, try using bolder flavors when cooking. Here’s some other sauces that taste great with tempeh:
Stir fry sauce or soy sauce
Thai peanut sauce
Teriyaki
Barbecue sauce
Still, using it as ground meat is my favorite way to enjoy tempeh, and cooking the tempeh for this vegan taco salad is super simple. Heat olive oil in a pan, add the peppers and onions and saute until the onions are translucent, then crumble the tempeh into ground meat size pieces. Add the taco seasoning and cook the tempeh until it begins to brown and the outside is a little crispy. This usually only takes about five minutes which is another perk of using tempeh, it doesn’t take much time to prepare!
Creamy Salsa Dressing for this Vegan Taco Salad
The tempeh meat for this vegan taco salad isn’t the only ingredient that’s quick to prepare. There’s only two ingredients in this dressing and the only equipment needed is a blender...it doesn’t get better than that! To make sure the dressing is extra creamy and smooth, soak the cashews in water for at least two hours to soften and then drain before blending. Whenever you make a sauce with cashews, like my cilantro-lime dipping sauce or cashew queso, you’ll want to soak the cashews first.
After soaking and draining the cashews, just combine them with the salsa verde in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. So simple, right? Depending on your taste preference you may also want to add a little salt. You’ll love how versatile this dressing is! Here’s some other ways to use it:
Dip for raw vegetables
Sauce for a grain bowl like this butternut and chickpea bowl
Substitute for mayo or other spread on a sandwich
Spread for a burger or veggie burger
Drizzle on grilled meats
Sauce for pasta salad
Over enchiladas or in tacos, like my chorizo and potato tacos
I always like to double up homemade sauces so I have them on hand to add to other dishes!
How to Meal Prep this Vegan Taco Salad
If you’d like to prep this vegan taco salad in advance, layer up the salad ingredients in a plastic container. Put the olives, beans, avocado (toss with lemon or lime to keep from browning), and tempeh meat at the bottom. Top with the radish, cucumbers, and tomato, then the lettuce. The veggies will form a layer that keeps the other ingredients from wilting the lettuce. Pack the dressing in a condiment container and the crushed tortillas in a baggie to keep them crunchy.
This vegan taco salad recipe has been updated to give you the best possible content.
Vegan Taco Salad with Tempeh Meat and Creamy Salsa Dressing Recipe
Serves 4ish
Ingredients
Tempeh Taco Meat:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces tempeh, crumbled
3 tablespoons salt free taco seasoning
Salad:
Chopped romaine lettuce
Canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Halved cherry tomatoes
Chopped black olives
Sliced radishes
Diced avocado
Roughly broken tortilla chips
Creamy Salsa Dressing
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water at least 2 hours and drained
1 cup salsa verde
Instructions
First, make the dressing. Blend cashews and salsa verde together in a blender until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt.
Next, make the vegan tempeh taco meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes until tender. Add tempeh, taco seasoning, and saute 5 minutes until lightly browned and slightly crispy.
While tempeh is sautéing, toss together salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with creamy salsa dressing and toss to combine. Serve topped with tempeh taco meat.
if you like this Vegan Taco Salad Recipe, you might also like these meatless salad recipes:
Kale Tortilla Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing
Mustard Greens Greek Salad
Spring Salad with Sautéed Peas and Scallions
