Vegetarian Taco Salad

This Vegetarian Taco Salad with lentils, tomatoes olives, and avocado is an easy taco salad that’s loaded with amazing flavors. And if you don’t want to bother with cooking lentils, see tips in the recipe to make a meatless taco salad using canned beans.

Pin the Vegetarian Taco Salad to try it later!

My recipe for Vegetarian Taco Salad is a recipe I came up with after I had “lentil lettuce wrap tacos” on my to-cook list for months and months. And then one day when my vegetarian brother Rand was visiting, I decided to turn that idea for lentil tacos into a taco salad with lentils.

And Rand, Jake, and I all gobbled this up, even though it was at the end of a day of recipe testing when none of us were very hungry. This meatless taco salad with lentils can be a delicious option for a main dish salad with Mexican flavors whether you’re a vegetarian or just trying to eat more plant-based meals. And I think it would be tasty as a side dish too.

I’m reminding you about this favorite recipe for my Friday Favorites pick, and if you’re cooking for Cinco de Mayo this Vegetarian Taco Salad is an idea that even the meat-eaters will enjoy!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• brown lentils (affiliate link)
• cherry tomatoes
• can of black olives
• green onions
• avocado
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my (fresh-frozen lime juice)
• Romaine or Iceberg lettuce
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• red onion
• diced green chiles (affiliate link) (not jalapenos, unless you really like it spicy)
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning
• Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link)
• vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
• BYU Creamery Ranch Copycat Recipe or other Ranch Dressing (optional)
• grated Mexican Blend cheese (optional)

What other beans can you use for a vegetarian taco salad?

If you want to skip the step of cooking lentils for this recipe, just substitute one 15 ounce can of black beans or pinto beans for the lentils.

What makes this meatless taco salad so delicious?

Please don’t skip the step of seasoning the lentils with green chiles, cumin, taco seasoning, and hot sauce, because the taco-flavored lentils is what makes this recipe so good. And if you substitute canned beans for the cooked lentils, I would still season those beans using the same method.

Can the vegetarian taco salad recipe be vegan?

If you skip the optional Ranch dressing and grated cheese, this taco salad will be vegan.

How low in carbs is this meatless taco salad recipe?

This meatless taco salad has about 21 net carbs and 11 grams of protein when served as a main-dish salad.

How to make the vegetarian taco salad recipe lower in carbs:

If you want a plant-based taco salad that’s lower in carbs, just user fewer lentils or beans in this recipe.

How to Make Vegetarian Taco Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Cook lentils in 6 cups water until they are softened but not falling apart; drain well. (Or rinse and drain one can of black beans or pinto beans.)
2. In frying pan, heat olive oil and cook chopped onion for a few minutes. Then add green chiles, ground cumin, and Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning and cook about 2 minutes more.
3. Add lentils, of Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) or other hot sauce, and stock, broth, or water and simmer until liquid has evaporated. (Don’t skip this step, which flavors the lentils.)
4. As soon as liquid has evaporated, turn off heat and let lentils cool while you slice the green onions, olives, and tomatoes.
5. Also chop the avocado and toss with lime juice.
6. Coarsely chop enough romaine lettuce to make about 6 cups, then wash in salad spinner (affiliate link). Iceberg lettuce would also be great in this if you’re an iceberg taco salad fan.
7. When you’re ready to toss the salad, use a really big bowl so you can mix it up. Put the lettuce in the bowl and add the partly-cooled lentils over the lettuce.
8. Then use your best salad tossing equipment to toss the lettuce with the lentils so the taco flavoring ingredients coat the lettuce. (This is what makes additional dressing optional in the salad.)
9. Then add tomatoes, green onions, and olives and toss again.
10. Serve Vegetarian Taco Salad immediately, with diced avocado (and optional BYU Creamery Ranch Copycat Recipe or other Ranch Dressing and grated cheese) to add at the table.

What else could you serve with Vegetarian Taco Salad?

Here are some other things that would taste great with this taco salad:

• Tomatillo Salsa
• Cilantro Lover’s Perfect Guacamole
• Green Tomato Salsa with Avocado
• Cucumber Guacamole Appetizer Bites
• Blueberry Salsa

More Vegetarian Mexican Food:

• Seven Layer Dip Tostadas
• Mexican Baked Eggs
• Easy Guacamole Tostadas

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Prep Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

This Vegetarian Taco Salad with lentils, tomatoes, olives, and avocado can also be vegan if you skip the optional Ranch dressing and cheese.

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils (see notes)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• one 6 oz. can black olives
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 avocados, diced (or more)
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 6 cups chopped Romaine or Iceberg lettuce

Lentil Seasoning Ingredients:

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles with juice (not jalapenos, unless you really like it spicy)
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 T Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning (see notes)
• 2 T Green Tabasco Sauce (more or less to taste, see notes)
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• Ranch Dressing (optional)
• grated Mexican Blend cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Put lentils, 6 cups water, and a little salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. When the water boils, reduce to a low simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.  Drain lentils well. (Or rinse and drain one can of black beans or pinto beans if you prefer.)
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chopped red onion and saute for a few minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
4. Then add the can of diced green chiles with juice, ground cumin, and Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more.
5. Add the lentils, Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), and stock or water and simmer until the liquid has all evaporated (about 10 minutes.)
6. Turn off the heat and let the lentils partly cool while you prep the other ingredients.
7. While the lentils are cooling drain and slice the olives, cut tomatoes in half and slice the green onions.
8. Dice the avocado into smallish pieces and toss with the lime juice.
9. Coarsely chop the lettuce and wash/spin dry with salad spinner, or wash in the sink and dry with paper towels.
10. To assemble the salad, place the lettuce in a very large bowl with plenty of room to toss the ingredients.
11. Add the partly cooled lentils on top of the lettuce and toss well, so the spicy taco flavoring is coating quite a few of the lettuce pieces.
12. Add sliced olives, tomatoes, and sliced green onions and toss again.
13. Serve the Vegetarian Taco Salad right away, with diced avocados (and Ranch Dressing and/or grated cheese if desired) to add at the table as desired.

Notes

If you want to skip the step of cooking lentils, just use one 15 oz. can black beans or pinto beans for this recipe.

Use your favorite purchased taco seasoning if you prefer. If you don't have Green Tabasco Sauce, use any hot sauce you prefer.

Nutritional information doesn't include optional Ranch Dressing or grated cheese.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 339Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 2.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16.4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 760mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 14gSugar 7.5gProtein 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This salad is probably too high in carbs for traditional low-carb diets, but you can make it lower in carbs by using fewer lentils. All the ingredients in Vegetarian Taco Salad are a great choice for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. (If you use the optional Ranch Dressing and cheese, South Beach would recommend reduced fat varieties.) 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This meatless taco salad recipe with lentils was first posted in 2013. It was last updated with more information in 2026.