This Vegetarian Taco Salad is the Ultimate Loaded Salad

While my never-ending quest to make vegetables interesting to eat continues, what results is often a fridge that contains a lot of odds and ends from different recipes that don’t always come together seamlessly. For the most part, this usually results in a grazing plate for dinner or a collection of half vegetables that I inevitably toss into a hash or scramble, because what else am I going to do? However, a recent collection of tofu and vegetables came together to create this incredible vegetarian taco salad. Call it serendipity, but that half block of tofu and slightly sad bell pepper paired with the pickled veggies and leftover dregs of a bag of tortilla chips were all begging to come together in this salad.

For a salad to feel like a full meal to me, it needs to be packed with flavor, bring together a collection of textures that make it interesting, and it needs to absolutely be easy to toss together. This vegetarian taco salad does all of that and more. The tofu and dressing can be made ahead of time, and everything else can be customized and requires just a tiny bit of chopping. This one has quickly become a go-to in my recipe rotation, and I think it might just be for you too.

Ingredients for this Vegetarian Taco Salad

Tofu

Taco Seasoning

Bell Pepper

Romaine

Cilantro

Avocado

Roasted Corn

Pickled onions and jalapeno

Cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

How to Prepare Tofu for this Vegetarian Taco Salad

I know, I know. If you’re not a vegetarian, you’re probably wondering if it’s possible to replace taco meat with a tofu version. As someone who’s never had actual taco meat, I can’t confirm that it is the same. However, I can confirm that this does taste really, really good. The key is to use pressed and crumbled tofu. My favorite way to prepare tofu is to freeze it overnight, and then thaw and squeeze out all of the water when ready to cook. I find that this is the most effective way to get rid of as much liquid as possible to get those crispy tofu bits when I’m cooking. Also, crumbling instead of chopping means you get all these great nooks and crannies that mimic the texture of a crumbled taco meat.

A prepared taco seasoning is also an incredible ingredient to have on hand for quick and easy meals that need a boost of flavor. Just a tablespoon or so makes the tofu extra delicious and creates that really delicious and warm flavor for a taco.

How to Assemble This Vegetarian Taco Salad

There’s really no trick to assembly when it comes to salad, it really just comes down to layering and adding as much texture as you can. A few tips I’ve learned along the way:

• Chop your lettuce right before serving. This ensures it remains crisp and fresh.
• Salads are all about the flavor. I like adding chopped cilantro right into the salad leaves for this, in addition to chives if I have them. Add flavor to every ingredient. Roasting your corn and buying frozen roasted corn adds a delicious charred flavor, while pickled onions and jalapeños give the salad that addictive bite, in addition to a big squeeze of fresh lime. Also, salting your salad really does make a difference.
• For the chips, I like to add some to the actual salad bowl, but also crumble a few on and leave a few on the side once I’ve served them in individual bowls for extra crunch.

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