This vibrant veggie taco salad is a quick and easy weeknight meal. Loaded with greens, corn, black beans, avocados, and fresh herbs, this taco salad is healthy and full of flavor. All your favorite taco flavors without the meat, creamy southwest dressing, and ready in just 5 minutes!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this veggie taco salad, you’ll need mixed salad greens, black beans, corn kernels, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, salt, and black pepper.
You can dress this salad with any dressing of your choice, but if you want to make the Southwestern salad dressing, you’ll need mayonnaise, sour cream, lime, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Variations & Substitutions
- Black beans. Use low-sodium canned black beans or cooked dried beans. As a substitute, you can also use pinto beans, kidney beans, or chickpeas.
- Corn kernels. Fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels will work. For more flavor, you can also use grilled corn or roasted corn.
- Cotija cheese. Cotija cheese is a crumbly, salty cheese that adds a depth of flavor to the salad. If not available, use feta cheese, queso fresco, cheddar cheese, or monterey jack or check out these cotija cheese substitutes.
- Make it vegan. Swap the sour cream with vegan sour cream and cotija cheese with crumbled plant-based cheese of your choice, and you’re set.
📖 Make veggie taco salad
To make the salad:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn kernels, tortilla chips and chopped vegetables to the mixing bowl, and toss to combine.
Make Southwest dressing:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
Season the dressing with salt and black pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the top of each serving.
👩🏽🍳 Tips to make the best veggie taco salad
While this taco salad is relatively easy to assemble even if it’s your first time, here are some tips and tricks to make the best version every time!
- Add heat. Add jalapeños or red pepper flakes if you want a spicier version of this recipe. You can also add a tangy pickled component (e.g., pickled onions, pickled jalapenos, or even pickled avocados!)
- Add grilled veggies: Grill some of the vegetables like zucchini, corn, or mushrooms before adding them to the salad. Grilling enhances their natural flavors and adds a smoky depth to the dish.
- Add more protein: For a protein-rich option, add tofu (like this gochujang tofu) or consider a cooked quinoa base instead of mixed greens.
- Make it ahead. Taco salad is easy and convenient for a make-ahead lunch. Prepare the ingredients ahead of time, store them separately, and serve them later!
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Yes, absolutely! To maintain freshness, it’s best to prepare the ingredients and then store them separately until ready to serve.
Absolutely! Use dairy-free cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise or skip them altogether. Use a light, plant-based dressing instead of a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing.
You can make your meatless taco salad more filling by adding protein-rich ingredients like beans, tofu, or lentils. Including whole grains like brown rice or quinoa can also make the salad more satisfying.
🍴 How to serve veggie taco salad
This easy taco salad is not only delicious, it’s also a versatile dish! While it’s already filling on its own and delicious with crispy tortilla strips, you can level it up and turn them into taco bowls, burrito bowls, or even rice bowls. Better yet, serve them with salsa or guacamole!
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Leftover veggie taco salad is stored best when the ingredients are stored in separate containers, then build them when ready to serve. Make sure to place the ingredients in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator.
Serve the salad within two days, meanwhile the salad dressing can last for up to a week. I don’t recommend freezing healthy taco salad as it will not store well in the freezer. The texture of the beans and mixed greens won’t be the same once thawed.
🍴 More hearty salad recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other delicious salad recipes:
… and more vegan and vegetarian salad recipes.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Healthy Veggie Taco Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup black beans, cooked or canned
- ½ cup corn kernels
- ¼ cup tortilla chips, crushed, substitute tortilla strips
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ avocado, diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
Southwestern Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn kernels, tortilla chips and chopped vegetables to the mixing bowl, and toss to combine.
Southwest dressing:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
- Season the dressing with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the top of each serving.
Notes
- Add heat. Add jalapeños or red pepper flakes if you want a spicier version of this recipe. You can also add a tangy pickled component (e.g., pickled onions, pickled jalapenos, or even pickled avocados!)
- Add grilled veggies: Grill some of the vegetables like zucchini, corn, or mushrooms before adding them to the salad. Grilling enhances their natural flavors and adds a smoky depth to the dish.
- Add more protein: For a protein-rich option, add tofu (like this gochujang tofu) or consider a cooked quinoa base instead of mixed greens.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
