My recipe for today, Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing is my submission for the February theme with The Recipe ReDux.
The February 2017 theme is: “Taco Tuesday – February 21 is a Tuesday. So show us your healthy, creative take on the taco”.
This easily customizable salad is perfect for Taco Tuesday or any day of the week that you want an easy and healthy meal.
It’s a bowl full of nutritional goodness and you can customize this recipe with your favorite ingredients. I used cilantro, jalapenos, black olives, tomatoes, red onions, avocados but you could also add black beans, corn or even use a vegan “cheesy” sauce instead of the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing for variety.
The Creamy Cilantro Lime dressing is ready in less than 5 minutes using a Vitamix and the vegan “taco meat” is also ready in under 5 minutes using walnuts and avocado oil and seasoned with cumin, chipotle powder and Himalayan pink salt. I like to also use it in a wrap with romaine lettuce leaves.
And, the amount of each ingredient is customizable too. There is no right or wrong amount of each ingredient to use, just add as much or as little as you like. I used about a 1/2 cup of each ingredient and 2 large handfuls of mixed salad greens. The salad dressing and “taco meat” was enough to make two generous servings.
Also, I added a handful of broken up veggie tortilla-style chips to the top of my salad. My favorite brand is “Forager Organic Vegetable Chips”, which is made with fresh pressed vegetables, ancient and sprouted grains and a touch of sea salt. Keep in mind if you add the chips it wouldn’t be a 100% “raw” salad, unless you made these Raw Corn Chips in advance to go with it.
While I separated all the ingredients in the bowl to take a pretty photograph, what you will actually need to do is toss all the ingredients together and drizzle with the salad dressing and sprinkle the optional chips on top.
So have fun and enjoy eating a fresh, raw ingredient salad with lots of healthy ingredients that’s raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and paleo-friendly.
Want more healthy meal and entrée recipes? Check out Strawberry and Spinach Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinegar, Clean Eating Vegan Greek Salad Bluebarry Mango Salad with Tahini Ginger Dressing or my Clean Eating Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating meal and entrée recipes just like this one that you will love!
5 Fast Facts About Walnuts:*
- high quality vegan protein
- high in anti-oxidants
- rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- high in vitamin C
- improves blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors
5 Fast Facts About Avocado Oil:*
- healthier cooking with smoke point of 500 degrees
- may help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome
- helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels
- provides protection from cardiovascular disease
- good source of vitamin E
5 Fast Facts About Tomatoes:*
- contains lycopenes which are cancer fighting agents
- high in beta-carotene
- excellent anti-oxidant
- high in vitamin A and K
- high in chromium which helps control blood sugar levels
5 Fast Facts About Chipotle:*
- can help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- can help lower the risk of diabetes
- a thermogenic food to help energize metabolism
- can help improve circulation
- rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and potassium
5 Fast Facts About Avocados:*
- excellent source of vitamin E
- contains 25 essential nutrients
- contains 2 – 3 times the potassium as one banana
- has anti-inflammatory properties
- can help lower cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Cilantro:*
- contains powerful anti-oxidants
- anti-inflammatory
- helps to remove toxins and heavy metals
- promotes healthy liver function
- helps to control blood sugar
5 Fast Facts About Jalapenos:*
- excellent antioxidant
- thermogenic food
- anti-inflammatory agent
- high in vitamins A and C
- contains anti-bacterial properties
5 Fast Facts About Onions:*
- rich source of sulfur compounds
- excellent for cardiovascular health
- inhibits bone loss in women
- reduced blood pressure
- lowers blood cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Cashews:*
- packed with dietary fiber
- rich in “heart friendly” mono-saturated fatty acids
- rich source of minerals
- high in magnesium and copper
- excellent source of antioxidants
5 Fast Facts About Limes:*
- aids in digestion
- fat burner
- contains more vitamin C than a lemon
- anti-oxidant and anti-biotic effects
- extremely alkalizing to the body
5 Fast Facts About Cumin:*
- high in anti-oxidants
- aids in digestion
- 1 tablespoon contains 20% dv of iron
- 1 tablespoon contains 6% RDV of magnesium
- can help lower cholesterol and triglycerides
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing (Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Paleo-Friendly)
Print recipe
| Serves | 1 - 2 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| www.thehealthyfamilyandhome.com | The Healthy Family and Home |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic tomatoes (diced)
- 1/2 cup organic fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 cup organic black olives (sliced)
- 1/2 cup organic red onions (diced)
- 1/2 organic avocado (diced)
- 1 organic jalapeno (sliced)
- 1 - 2 handful organic mixed salad greens
For the vegan taco meat
- 1 cup organic walnuts
- 4 teaspoons 100% pure avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon organic ground cumin powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon organic ground chipotle powder
For the dressing
- 1 cup organic raw cashews
- 1/2 cup purified / filtered water
- 1 cup organic fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves organic garlic
- 4 tablespoons organic lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Directions
| Prepare the veggies | |
| Step 1 | Prepare the veggies you will be adding to the salad (example: cilantro, jalapeno, black olives, tomatoes, avocado, onions, etc) by dicing, slicing and chopping the amount you'd like to use. |
| Prepare the vegan taco meat | |
| Step 2 | Add all ingredients for the "taco meat" to a food processor and process until the walnuts are broken down into tiny pieces, taking care not to over process. Adjust seasonings to your preference. |
| Prepare the dressing | |
| Step 3 | Add all ingredients for the dressing to a Vitamix, or high speed blender, and blend until it is creamy and smooth. Adjust seasonings to your preference. |
| Assembly | |
| Step 4 | Add 1 - 2 handfuls of your favorite salad greens to a large bowl and gently toss with the veggies you've prepared and the "taco meat" and drizzle the dressing over the top. Optional: add broken pieces of your favorite tortilla-style chips on top. Enjoy! |
Note
This recipe will make approximately (1) large or (2) smaller servings.
The recipe and photographs for "Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
