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    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    Published: Jul 6, 2016 · Modified: Jul 11, 2020 by Sina · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

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    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    I absolutely LOVE Mexican food, so I took my tacos with lentil walnut meat to the next level and made a vegan taco salad! We expected it to be good but it was actually AMAZING!! And the best thing is that I made waaay too much, so I could take it to work the next day. Flo and I are both pretty good eaters, but the lentil walnut meat is super filling, so we just couldn’t eat it all! But I absolutely love having leftovers, so that wasn’t a problem at all. Especially when it’s this healthy and delicious!!

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    Plus, this vegan taco salad is packed with tons of nutrients!!

    Lentils are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, folate, magnesium, and iron. They’re actually real superstars! I usually use red lentils to make soups, spreads, and curry but for this recipe I used brown lentils instead.

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    And it’s even healthier when you pair them with walnuts. They contain plant-based omega-3 fat acid, which is good for your heart as well as a lot of rare and helpful antioxidants. Besides, eating healthful amounts of nuts can help you maintain your ideal weight. And they’re even said to reduce the chance of cancer and diabetes. So it’s pretty safe to say that this lentil walnut meat is a lot healthier than ground meat.

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    We enjoyed the lentil walnut meat with some lettuce, corn, black beans, green onions, fresh cilantro, and some homemade salsa and vegan sour cream. Oh, and of course we also added some nachos, so I guess it’s basically a nacho salad.

    The recipe for the vegan sour cream couldn’t be easier. You only need four ingredients (not including salt and pepper): cashews, water, one clove of garlic, and lemon juice. Just combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. It’s best to soak the cashews for at least 30 minutes. If your food processor got problems processing the cashews just add a splash of water.

    The vegan sour cream is not only super delicious with this vegan taco salad, but it’s also great with potato wedges or baked potatoes!

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    I hope you like this healthy vegan taco salad as much as we do!

    Have a great week! xx

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    Vegan Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut Meat

    I can guarantee you nobody will miss the meat in this vegan taco salad with lentil walnut meat, black beans, and avocado! It's super delicious and healthy!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Sina

    Ingredients

    For the lentil walnut meat:

    • 1 cup walnuts
    • 1 cup brown lentils
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/2 onion
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
    • 2 teaspoons oregano

    For the cashew sour cream:

    • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 30 minutes
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1 clove of garlic

    For the salad:

    • 1 cup corn
    • 1 cup black beans
    • lettuce, roughly chopped
    • 2 green onions, cut into rings
    • 1/2 red onion, cut into half rings
    • 1 cup nachos
    • 1 avocado, cut into slices
    • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
    • 1 tomato
    • 3/4 cup tomato salsa

    Instructions

    • Cook the lentils according to the instructions. Drain and set aside. In a medium pan, roast the walnuts without oil for about 2 minutes or until they're lightly golden. Put the walnuts and the cooked lentils in a food processor and process until chopped. Make sure to leave some texture!
    • In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sautée the onions for about 3 minutes. Then add the lentil walnut mixture and stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and the spices (paprika powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper).
    • Make the sour cream: Drain the cashews and put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
    • In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, the corn, the tomato, the avocado, the salsa, and the black beans. Serve with the lentil walnut meat, cashew sour cream, and the nachos on top and sprinkle with green onions, red onions, and fresh cilantro.
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    Previous Post: « Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    Next Post: Tomato and Avocado Bruschetta »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Candy

      August 13, 2017 at 3:59 am

      Can I sub the walnuts for something else?

      Reply
      • Sina

        August 22, 2017 at 10:55 pm

        Hi Candy,

        Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe with any other nuts yet. You could maybe use almonds instead if you’re allergic to walnuts.

        Let me know if you give it a try. :-)

        Reply
        • Jennifer Zaft

          March 14, 2019 at 3:29 am

          5 stars
          I used sunflower seeds and it was great.

      • Jennifer Zaft

        March 14, 2019 at 3:28 am

        5 stars
        I have done it with sunflower seeds and it totally works.

        Reply
    2. Tee

      August 02, 2017 at 1:17 am

      Can you refrigerate left overs

      Reply
      • Jennifer Zaft

        March 14, 2019 at 3:27 am

        yes – this is amazing stuff. And like most vegan food, without dairy or meat, the cooked leftovers last FOREVER in the fridge. Like a month, I swear.

        Reply
    3. Josie

      February 15, 2017 at 1:00 am

      It does not only look good…it tastes amazing! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe…please try it it’s worth it!

      Reply
    4. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

      July 11, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      Taco salad is one of our faves! We use lentil walnut meat on ours too and it’s the perfect added topping! This looks so good and so colorful. I love pretty food and extra bonus when it’s delicious!

      Reply
    5. Krisi von Excusemebut...

      July 11, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      Wow sieht das lecker aus, eine tolle Idee. Werde ich sicher probieren=)
      Liebe Grüsse,
      Krisi

      Reply
      • Crissi

        September 09, 2016 at 8:42 am

        Hey Krisi, hast du den Salat inzwischen probiert? BIn am überlegen, ihn für eine Party zu machen… Würde mich über deine Meinung dazu freuen. :)
        Liebe Grüße
        Crissi

        Reply
        • Sina

          September 23, 2016 at 12:22 pm

          Hi Crissi,

          bei mir ist der Salat bis jetzt immer sehr gut angekommen und alle waren total erstaunt, was man mit Linsen alles machen kann. Es ist nur wichtig, dass man die Linsen und die Walnüsse nicht zu lange mixt. Falls du ihn mal ausprobierst, kannst du ja mal berichten wie er dir geschmeckt hat. :-)

          Liebe Grüße!

          PS:Falls du erstaunt bist, dass ich auf deutsch zurückschreibe. Ich komme selbst aus Deutschland und Vegan Heaven gibt es auf deutsch (veganheaven.de) und auf englisch. Wobei ich auf dem englischen Blog mittlerweile mehr Rezepte habe. :-)

    6. Amanda

      July 10, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      I seriously need to try this. I don’t eat beef, but I do love nachos. And I have a whole bunch of lentils just begging to be used. Looks great!

      Reply
    7. Alisa Fleming

      July 09, 2016 at 5:12 pm

      This sounds like such a fulfilling vegan meal Sina. I’ve had walnut “meat” before and loved it. Lentils sound like a nice complimentary addition.

      Reply
    8. Mel | avirtualvegan.com

      July 09, 2016 at 12:31 am

      Tacos in salad form is such a great idea and I am loving that walnut ‘meat’! The colours are beautiful too.

      Reply
    9. Ceara

      July 08, 2016 at 5:41 am

      What gorgeous tacos. Love that vegan meat!

      Reply
    10. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit

      July 07, 2016 at 9:55 pm

      I love taco salad, but I have yet to make a vegan version! Filling nutritious protein-packed taco “meat” sounds like the perfect match for lots of fresh raw veggies! Plus it’s so beautiful, I always love how colorful your meals are Sina :)

      Reply
    11. Nicole Dawson

      July 07, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      That looks delicious! Love the color in toppings and flavor combinations.

      Reply
    12. Jenn

      July 07, 2016 at 2:52 pm

      I love taco salads! Nuts work so well as a “meaty” component. Love all of your topping choices too! I want to dig in!

      Reply
    13. Aimee | Wallflower Kitchen

      July 07, 2016 at 11:31 am

      I love using walnuts in “meaty” mixtures, there is something about the taste, look and texture that just works so well! This looks fantastic :-)

      Reply
    14. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      July 06, 2016 at 9:57 pm

      No joke, that “meat” looks scarily real!! (But so much better!!!) I haven’t been doing much Mexican lately…I’ll change that stat!

      Reply
    15. Becky Striepe

      July 06, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      These look so good! I love a taco night.

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Sina and this is my recipe blog where I share heavenly simple and sinfully delicious vegan recipes.

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