Meat-free, Gluten-free Mexican Taco Salad

Photography by Simeon Crofts

DIETARY – Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-free/Nut-free

Bursting with smokey flavours, a punch of chilli and a zing of coriander and lime, this Mexican-inspired chopped salad has fast become a weeknight favourite in our household. Better yet, the whole thing can be made in less than an hour, including prep time. Sign me up!

I dreamt it up one summer night last year when I was craving a good chilli but the weather was a little too hot. I thought about tacos instead but wanted less carbs and something I could keep leftovers of for lunch the next day. I thought, why not mix the flavours of two of my favourite Mexican dishes in a salad that will actually fill me up?

I know it looks a lot of ingredients, but there are lots of options in this recipe and so many shortcuts you can take. If you don’t have time to make a pico de gallo (though it’s well worth it if you do!) You can easily use store-bought salsa. You have the option of chunks of avocado or guacamole – whatever you have time for. If you want to make your own guacamole, here’s my go-to recipe (just mix it all together):

1 avocado, mashed

½ red onion, finely diced

6-8 cherry tomatoes, diced

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Squeeze of lime juice

Pinch of paprika

Salt & pepper

I’ve given you the option to use a ready-made taco seasoning or make your own, and, of course, the ‘to serve’ section is all suggested accompaniments, but you really can go your own way and customise however you want. You can also make it vegan by eliminating the cheese and sour cream or swapping for a plant-based alternative. Same goes for the meat-free mince – you can choose any mince you like, I personally prefer Impossible, but anything goes!

Meat-free, Gluten-free Mexican Taco Salad

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Makes: 4 servings

Enjoy the fresh, zingy flavours of Mexico with this easy meat-free salad, perfect for BBQs or a delicious weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

For the pico de gallo:

• 1-2 jalapeños, finely diced
• ½ red onion, peeled & finely diced
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, diced
• Fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Squeeze of lime juice
• Salt & pepper

For the meat-free mince:

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 2 packs Impossible mince or 2 packs Impossible burgers (or other meat-free mince alternative)
• 2 brown onions, peeled & diced
• One sachet gluten-free taco seasoning OR mix 2 tsp paprika, 1.5 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy), ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp garlic powder and a good grind of salt & pepper
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle in Adobo sauce (to taste)

To serve:

• 400g iceberg lettuce
• 150g tin corn kernels, drained
• Vegan or normal shredded cheese (optional – I like Woolworth’s Smokey Chipotle Cheese & Tasty Cheddar mix)
• Chopped avocado or guacamole
• Pickled or fresh jalapeños, sliced (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)
• Corn tortilla chips, whole or crushed (check they’re gluten free)
• More fresh coriander

Method

1. First, mix all the pico de gallo ingredients together and set aside.
2. Next, prepare your vegan mince. Heat the oil in a pan, then add the chopped onions and cook until golden – around 10 mins.
3. Crumble the vegan mince or burger patties into the pan with the onions and stir every couple of mins until browned and cooked through.
4. Add the taco seasoning mix, stir and allow to cook for 2-3 mins. Add a splash of water to the pan if it begins to look a little dry.
5. Finally, stir through the chipotle and cook for another couple of mins, before taking the pan off the heat.
6. Assemble the salad by mixing the iceberg lettuce, pico de gallo and corn. Top with a sprinkling of cheese, chopped avocado or a heap of guacamole and the sliced jalapeños, if using.
7. Add the cooked vegan mince on top and serve with sour cream, tortilla chips and more fresh coriander.

https://deliciously-free.com/recipes/meat-free-gluten-free-mexican-taco-salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @deliciously.free on instagram and hashtag it #mexicansalad