Kale Taco Salad with Smoky Quinoa

A vegan taco salad packed with plant-based protein, black beans, smoky quinoa crumble, tortilla chips, pickled onions, and topped with chipotle crema.

This vegan taco salad was inspired by 3 of our favorite things, this simple kale salad recipe, smoky quinoa crumbles (and the desire to add them to anything and everything) that mock ground meat, and well, a deep deep love for tacos and Mexican food in general.

This is a healthier take on a taco salad since it is loaded with superfood kale, lots of plant-based protein (from quinoa and black beans), and topped with a creamy smoky cashew-based chipotle crema.

Although this taco salad is health-conscious, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, it doesn't lack in flavor and even though it is a salad it is definitely filling and will not leave you feeling hungry.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions + Additions
• Storage
• Recipe

Ingredients

This vegan taco kale salad recipe does require a couple of steps and is ideal for meal prep or batch cooking. The kale, lemon vinaigrette, black beans, quinoa crumbles, pickled onion, and chipotle crema can all be prepared ahead of time. The quinoa crumbles and chipotle crema can also be frozen.

• kale
• lemon vinaigrette
• black beans
• smoky ground quinoa
• chipotle crema

Optional additions to add flavor, variety, and depth to this kale taco salad:

• pickled onions
• tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips
• any additional veggies

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Smoky Quinoa Crumble

To make this recipe prepare ahead of time the smoky quinoa crumble recipe. This recipe is the best batch cooked and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months if properly stored. It reheats easily either in the oven or on the stovetop to keep its crispy nature.

Black Beans

If you prefer a warm salad heat up the beans on the stovetop other wise just drain and rinse precooked beans.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Juice the lemons into a container or jar with a tight-fitting lid until you get enough freshly squeezed juice. Add the rest of the ingredients to the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic granules, and salt and pepper. Seal with the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed. Find detailed instructions here.

Kale

Prepare the kale by removing the stem and center ribs from the kale. Roughly chop or tear apart the kale into bite-size. Rinse the chopped kale. I like to do this by giving the kale a bath, adding the kale to a large bowl, and filling it with water. Then strain off the water. Add the rinsed and chopped kale to a large bowl.

Add a bit of dressing to the kale and massage the kale. Massaging the kale tenderized the kale and makes it less chewy and fibrous. Add enough dressing to taste.

Serve

Prepare any additional vegetables, like diced bell peppers, roasted sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, and avocado chunks.

Substitutions + Additions

This kale taco salad is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Here are some recommendations on additions and substitutes depending on what produce is available in your area.

• Lettuce - instead of curly kale, you can use romaine lettuce or spring mix (which are greens that do not need to be massaged)
• Beans - instead of black beans substitute pinto beans or charro beans
• Spice - can be added to this recipe in a few different ways, by either kicking up the heat in the chipotle crema or quinoa crumble or by adding freshly sliced or diced jalapenos.
• Vegetables - add more colorful veggies to this salad - diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado chunks, corn (raw or roasted), diced onion or green onion, fresh cilantro

Storage

Store kale taco salad leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Eat within 1-2 days. The kale will shrink down but is usually edible within 1-2 days. If ingredients are stored separately this recipe can be meal prepped and enjoyed over a span of a week.

The smoky quinoa crumbles and chipotle crema can be kept frozen for up to 6 months.

Recipe