This easy vegan chili taco salad has been our go-to recipe for nights when we want something healthy yet still loaded with tons of delicious Tex-Mex flavors. Hearty chili (or black beans) and crunchy tortilla chips are arranged on top of fresh veggies and lettuce, and topped with deliciously creamy vegan chipotle dressing.
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The past few weeks have been a whirlwind over here! Since I started my new job, there hasn’t been enough hours in a day, it seems, to do everything I need to do.
I used to be able to put a nice, freshly cooked meal on the table every night, but now I’m scrambling to find time even to sit down on our couch for five minutes!
The whole time management issue has been a challenge, especially since I still very much want to keep this blog going, and exercise regularly.
When free time becomes a luxury, you’ve got to get inventive. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing when I make this chili taco salad, and my family always raves about it!
How This Vegan Chili Taco Salad Was Born
A little backstory: Rob and I agreed that if we wanted to have homemade dinners every night throughout the week, I would have to pre-cook a few dishes for us to eat over the week.
So in the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a good portion of our Sundays cooking our meals for the week, and then just reheating some of that food in the evening and making a quick salad or a side of vegetables.
The premade foods are also great to pack for lunch at work – they help us save money on eating out every day, plus our homemade food is usually healthier than what we could find during our lunch hour.
We’ve done this for a few weeks so far, and while we’re still trying to perfect our system, it’s already paying off by saving us money and time every day on making/buying lunches and dinners.
However, when no leftovers are available, these vegan office lunch ideas always come in handy!
Here’s a video of me making this vegan taco salad on my live-streamed vegan cooking show on YouTube:
Anyway, on Sunday I made a pot of my high protein vegan chili with sweet potatoes and TVP, and we packed it for lunch a couple days during the week.
By mid-week we were left with about one bowlful of chili – not enough for a standalone meal for two grown adults.
So, I decided to stretch it a little further – and this vegan chili taco salad was the result of that creativity 😄
During that dinner, Rob must have said that it was delicious at least four or five times!
Here’s a picture of my high protein vegan chili that went straight into the taco salad:
(More chili options: my vegan three bean barley chili inspired by Scott Jurek’s chili recipe from his book, Eat to Run; and my ultimate vegan chili made with easy to find, pantry-friendly ingredients.)
My Inspiration for This Salad
Why did I decide to add my leftover chili to a salad? Glad you asked 😉
When I first came to the United States, I had a number of odd jobs that most immigrants go through in their first years in this country.
One of those jobs was at Wendy’s, the fast food chain famous for their square hamburgers and Frosty (IYKYK). I must have made a million burgers and sandwiches during my days there.
I wasn’t vegan back then, and as much as I tried to eat as healthy as I could (at least I thought so), I indulged in some of Wendy’s food every now and then.
One of my favorite things there was the taco salad, which consisted of a mixture of lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese topped with a ladleful of beef chili, crispy tortilla strips, and Southwest dressing.
Fast forward to today – lettuce and chili (vegan, of course) still sound good together to me, but cheese and overly processed tortilla strips and dressing are long gone.
And yet my vegan taco salad is just as delicious and filling, and a whole lot healthier!
Recipe Tips
➡️ If you don’t have any chili at home but still want to try this salad, use some canned and rinsed black beans or pinto beans instead.
➡️ This salad is a bit on the indulgent side. But if you’re trying to make it healthier, read the label on the tortilla chips you’re using.
The brand I used had organic blue corn, and only four or five ingredients.
➡️ The creamy chipotle dressing is really easy to make. It has a vegan mayonnaise base – I usually use the Follow Your Heart vegan mayo.
For a healthier option, use homemade mayo, like this recipe from Fat Free Vegan.
The Conclusion
With some planning ahead, it’s possible to enjoy homemade plant-based meals every day during a busy week, and even reinvent the leftovers and make them into new meals!
Vegan Chili Taco Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing
This delicious and filling vegan chili taco salad is a vegetarian copycat version of Wendy's taco salad. The crunchy texture of vegetables is combined with a creamy flavor of homemade chipotle dressing. I made it with my Sweet Potato TVP Chili, but you can use the leftovers of any vegan chili or even a can of black beans.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Sweet Potato and TVP Chili*
- 3 cups mixed chopped salad greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc)
- 2 cups chopped vegetables of choice: bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, avocado, etc.
- 3 Tbsp chopped herbs: cilantro, parsley, chives, scallions, etc.
- ½ cup hand-crushed vegan tortilla chips like these
For the Creamy Chipotle Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise**
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- Juice of 1 lime wedge
- Dash of chili powder (optional, for a smokier flavor)
Instructions
- Arrange rinsed and chopped salad greens between two large bowls. Top them with equally split amounts of chopped vegetables and herbs.
- Heat up the Sweet Potato and TVP Chili. Once it’s warm, ladle the chili on top of the veggies. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and top with the dressing. Toss all of the ingredients together before digging in.
To make the Creamy Chipotle Dressing:
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisk with a fork until smooth. Use to top the taco salad, or as an aioli on Southwestern-inspired vegan burgers.
Notes
* Any other vegan chili or a can of rinsed black beans can be used instead.
** I usually use Follow Your Heart vegan mayo, but feel free to use any other vegan mayo brand you like, or make your own at home.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1 large bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 849Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 834mgCarbohydrates: 117gFiber: 32gSugar: 22gProtein: 32g
Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.
Question: How do you get creative making meals after a long day at work? Do you ever create new meals using leftovers? Please share your thoughts and tips!
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