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Lentil Taco Salad
30 min
Main
Salad
No cook
Servings
Total
30 minPrep
30 minContains
tree nut
Free from
soy
peanut
sesame
gluten
Ingredients
Spiced lentil walnuts
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1½ cups (270 g)cooked brown lentils
-
½ cup (44 g)raw walnuts, chopped
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¼ cup (36 g)roasted sunflower seeds, roughly chopped
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1 tsp (5 mL)extra virgin olive oil
Salad base
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4 cups (140 g)romaine lettuce, chopped
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1medium tomato, seeds removed, diced
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1bell pepper, diced
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½cucumber, diced
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½ cup (82 g)canned corn, drained
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¼ cup (34 g)black olives, sliced
Cashew lime cream
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½ cup (65 g)raw cashews
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⅓ cup (80 mL)boiling water
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1lime, juiced
Quick guacamole
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2avocados, chopped
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1lime, juiced
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3garlic cloves, crushed
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½small red onion, diced
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1 tsp (2 g)ground cumin
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½ tspsalt
Toppings
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1 cup (30 g)tortilla chips, crushed
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1 Tbsp (15 mL)hot sauce (optional)
Make your own
Directions
- Add all the ingredients for the spiced lentil walnuts to a bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Add all the salad base ingredients to a large bowl. Toss and set aside.
- Add all the cashew lime cream ingredients to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, and add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- To make the guacamole, mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
- To assemble, add the salad base to the bottom of your bowl. Top with the lentil-walnut mixture, guacamole, salsa, and cashew cream. Lastly, add the crushed tortilla chips and a drizzle of hot sauce, and enjoy!
Storage
- Store components separately in air-tight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let us know what you think
Watch it step-by-step!
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.
Grains & Starches 0%
Proteins 21%
• cooked brown lentils
• raw walnuts
• roasted sunflower seeds
• raw cashews
Fruits & Veggies 79%
• romaine lettuce
• medium tomato
• bell pepper
• cucumber
• canned corn
• black olives
• lime
• avocado
• lime
• garlic clove
• small red onion
• salsa
Calcium
No significant sources of calciumFat
• raw walnuts
• roasted sunflower seeds
• extra virgin olive oil
• black olives
• raw cashews
• avocado
Nutrition info
Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.
Leave a comment
I really like the salad base and the lentil mix. The cashew lime cream was not for my taste. I’m still looking for a substitute for it, any suggestions? I feel like the salad needs something a bit creamy/soft as well. The guacamole helps!
That lentil mix is genius but needed salt. My husband and I ignored instructions and ate it all ourselves ;-)
I'd make the lentil mix again. The cashew cream was a bit meh.
Absolutely delightful! I was unsure about the cashew lime cream, but was pleasantly surprised by its color & taste. It was perfect in combination with the other components. I added a little bit of smoked jalapeño to my Mexican seasoning and I loved the kick it gave to the lentils! Will definitely make this salad again (and can’t recommend it enough for parties or gatherings, especially in summer). Thanks for another great recipe!
Yum! This was so nice to have a refreshing dinner without heating up the kitchen. Was still hearty enough to satisfy hubs. When going through the steps, I noticed there was no salt measurement for the guac. Maybe an oversight? Anyway, I added about 3/4 tsp. Also thought the lentil/walnut mixture needed a bit more salt. I had to double the ingredients for the lime cream because it was too small an amount for a vitamix to process but doubling worked perfectly and it was delicious so more was better anyway. Would make this again for sure!
The taste was amazing but the texture a bit dry, maybe next time i will cut the lettuce smaller? Do you have other tips for marrying the textures together better?
Every bite of this lentil taco salad was so delightful. It was crunchy, slightly tangy , creamy and sooo much texture I couldn’t stop digging in for more. Needless to say this one will be making an appearance on my weekly menu.
This is one of the salads for people who don't eat salads! The lentils are so full of flavour and work really well with the freshness of the cashew cream and guacamole. There's a bit of time to make all the components, but they do keep well in the fridge. We had this over two days and even the salad base had kept well. Also love the fact this can be eaten with a spoon 😂 This speaks to my after-work needs!
This was so good. My meat loving husband loved it too. I could eat like this every day.
Thanks
Mhmm this was so delicious, thanks for this inspiration! We added some air fried tofu! :)
Everything about this salad is delicious! The cashew cream gives it the creaminess of sour cream that I miss from restaurant burrito salads. The spices in the lentils are a game-changer for me though and I'll be adding these to so many other recipes.
Yum yum yum!
I’m out of both walnuts and sunflower seeds, so I used Almonds and raw cashews. I loved the crunch, and loved the ease of just mixing without having to cook it.
A note for parents (not a suggestion for PUL)- The guac was too spicy for the kids with the raw onions and garlic.
This became one of my favorite salads. It takes a bit if time to prepare and assemble, so I don't make it as often. I brought this to work once and colleagues were commenting on how delicious it looked. The crux of this salad: don't skip roasting the seeds, it makes all the difference :)
It turned out delicious!!!
Very filling and still so light!
Excellent!
This is a gourmet taco salad! I love every component of this recipe. The balance of flavors is perfect. I did make one small mistake — I accidentally got cream style corn instead of whole corn. Oops! I must have been shopping a bit too quickly and misread the label. But I made it work and mixed the cream style corn with the salsa, so as not to saturate the salad mix. It worked out. Phew! I will definitely make this taco salad again. It’s an instant favorite for me!
Love this! Have made it a bunch of times - so flavorful and full of different textures. And easy!
I frequently prepare this salad throughout the warm season; it offers a wonderful balance of flavors, satisfaction, and healthiness. Many thanks to PUL for this delightful recipe! ;-)
Easy, delicious, and packed with flavour!
I just made this and it was delicious. I accidentally watered down the cashew sauce too much but it was still good. I made mason jar salad kits with this recipe for lunches by layering the cashew sauce, salad, walnut mix, guac and then crushed tortillas.
This was fantastic! Easy, delicious, and nourishing. And the bonus is that it's something we can also serve to company. I loved this so much that it inspired me to make a meal on day 2 (today) using the Spiced Lentil Walnuts. I made that again; charred a panful of shishito peppers; charred some corn & slivered onions; made a cilantro lime sauce from some leftover 'ranch dressing' I had. Wow, another fantastic meal. Thank you SO much.
The taco salad is a great addition to my Tex/Mex collection. I definitely heated up the lentil filling with pepper flakes. The contrast with cool lettuce is spicy, light, and refreshing. The toppings of the salad like in a taco bar are a personal choice. I like to pack the lettuce around the outside of the bowl creating a well in the center. I fill the center with warm lentil filling. Sometimes I well the center of the filling and adding my sweet potato nacho sauce. A sprinkle of diced onion and or jalapeño., a slice of avocado or guacamole, and a little cilantro. It is a meal of flavors. What I would recommend everyone try is baking a bowl with a tortilla. It is simple use a heat resistant bowl and aluminum foil. I warmed the tortilla for about 20 seconds to make the it more flexible and used the aluminum foil to hold it in place. It takes fifteen minutes baking time once flipped in the middle to attain a golden brown color. Braking the sides of the bowl and using the pieces to scoop up the salad with is fun and tasty. It can turn this salad into a conversation piece work of art.
😍😍😍 so good!!!!
Love this! On regular rotation at my house when it's hot. I am often lazy (lol) and sub veg ground bee'f instead of the walnut/lentil mix. Where is the recipe for the lemon drink???
Love the versatility of this salad, & the flavors of the lentil walnut base are fantastic! Great meal prep option!
I used up some store bought cilantro lime dressing instead of making the cashew topping, but hope to try it out the next time I make this salad!
This is the best summer southwest salad! I'll be making it all season long.
This has been my go to salad for lunch and picnic since summer 2019 and my husband and I enjoy this very much especially during the summer. Every time I make it, it brings back some fun memories to us during summer 2019 back when enjoyed picnics very often.
I just made this a little bit ago for our holiday/birthday weekend family get together happening shortly and wanted to pop in here and show my appreciation for this recipe. ALSO, I LOVE the serving adjustment feature to know how much of each ingredient I need.
Another meal hit right out of the park! We all devoured it. The only changes I made were to the Cashew Lime Cream as the only flavors of the cream were the cashews and the lime. Therefore I added some vegan sour cream, vegan mayo, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika - in fact it was so good, and so smooth that it also doubled as a dip for the chips. Thanks for another great dinner PUL team!
I had this salad in the summer and I made it again now and it tastes just as good in the winter. Homemade salsa with loads of garlic turns this dish into a super healthy cold-busting remedy, too. And it's so easy to make!
Wow, this was so very good. My whole family absolutely loved the salad! Will definitely make this again <33
Not awesome, but good. I think the base of the salad could have used a bit more seasoning to make the individual flavors stand out. I also think fresh roasted corn would have made a real difference, too (like another reviewer added). I'll make it again, but next time I might toss the base in a very light vinaigrette.
This recipe is seriously so, so good. I roasted the corn since I had a couple cobs in the fridge and it was elite. Fresh, spicy, crunchy, creamy, all the good things. This will likely become part of our regular meal rotation!
This is one of my all time favourite salads, it's absolutely delicious and so healthy that I feel amazing after eating it. I meal prep the parts of the salad so I can have it three days in a row and it's super quick to assemble on the second and third day. Thanks so much for this recipe, I love it!
Delicious, delicious, delicious. Thank you very much. I’m sharing your journey for more than 2 years and tested almost all recipes. All delicious, thank you so much for teaching us how to eat better and feel better. Love and Light!
It was sooo delicious!
I didn't add guacamole, since I don't like avocados, so I doubled the cashew cream.
It was just perfect.
Delish.
The nuts and seeds combined with the lentils is soooo good! Thanks for giving new inspiration to a classic Mexican dish!
hello PUL ! I don't have cashews on hand, what can I use instead of the cashew Cream ?
So versatile!!
This salad was delicious and filling. I especially loved the dressing and the the spices on the turkey. I have mad ethos twice in one week because it was so good. I highly recommend it! :)
A total hit with the whole family. This was such a pleasant surprise. I made this knowing I’d love it but I wasn’t sure my kids would as lentils have never gone down well. I’m overjoyed that this was enjoyed so much and my girls have asked for it again. It makes me so happy to find good tasty food they enjoy. Thanks again for another recipe to add to our family favourites
I’m trying to eat more vegan meals. I haven’t fully committed to being vegan (although healthy wise it’s my only option). But this meal was so good! I’m going to make it for my family.
Oh wowww, what an explosion of perfectly combined aromas and textures! This salad is a source of happiness! ☀️
(Even without lettuce and when swapping the walnuts for almonds.)
Love, love, love this one! This lentil walnut mix is super quick & easy, and I use leftovers in a wrap for lunches on the go. Although I've been a fan & follower for years, It's been a while since I've visited your website for recipes. You've created a masterpiece!
I absolutely love this salad. I used a general taco spice mix and it worked perfectly. The fresh guacamole and the cashew cream really make this salad, don't skip out on them! I think for leftovers I am going to rip the lettuce more and use rice as the base of the bowl. This is one of my favorite recipes because it is very easy and very filling!
This is my go-to salad whenever I feel like making something that's super easy and not too heavy.
It's the perfect mix of everything. Thank you so much fo this wonderful meal!
Delicious and healthy salad. So easy to make!
I didn't have avocado or coriender but it still tasted so good. I didn't have the spice mix either, so used a mexican mix which is very similar.
Thank you for creating these amazing recipes!
An easy and very delicious salad recipe ! We made this at least 10 times already and it never disappoints :)) all the flavors are incredibly delicious and the different textures from the ingredients make it even better 😍 we usually add some smoked tofu to the lentil mix. It goes really well together and we get another great protein source ! I love this salad and I look forward to eating this again :))
I love this salad! :)
Every single time I try a new recipe on pick up limes my taste buds are having a party. I wasn't expecting to like it so much because i'm usually not the biggest lentil fan but now i've tried it, I wouldn't make this salad without the lentil-nu-spice mix. It just lifts the whole dish to a higher level. I added one tbsp of nutritional yeast to the cashew dressing which for me made a big difference. This salad is definitely worth the effort!!
Thanks Sadia ❤️
Got my omnivore housemate to try the lentil mixture - he was so impressed he said he wouldn’t think twice if he was given that in a beef taco. Left out the cashew cream to save money but it was still one of the best salads I’ve ever had! The homemade tortilla chips are also essential in this and it was a great way of using some that are a bit too stale to use for wraps
Superb! This salad is perfection, every element comes together so nicely and it doesn't take too long to make! I highly reccomend!
This recipe is amazing - it's a regular summer favorite in our household, and I recently made it for non-vegan relatives, who loved it as well. It's especially good with some Cholula, if you've got it!
This recipe is so tasty! She honestly is so smart with spices. That Mexican spice mix she uses in this really makes it taste so taco-y! Also not lying when they say it’s filling. Highly recommend this one!
this was delicious! will for sure be making it again
Made this tonight and the colours on my plate alone already cheered me up. And it was very tasty too! Perfect salad for the hot weather we've had here recently. Can't wait to make it again, with the cashew cream this time (I had none in my cupboard today)
Hello, Can you suggest an alternative to walnuts if I am allergic? Thank you!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I left out the corn because I'm not a fan. Making it was a breeze and I couldn't believe how comfortably full I was after! I couldn't wait until the next day so I could have it for lunch. This is one I'm going to use again and again.