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Big Vegan Taco Salad

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Big-Vegan-Taco-Salad

Hello, my name is Cassie, and I’m still holding on to summer with all I’ve got. Will. Not. Let. It. Go.

Considering I’ve switched from shorts and t-shirts to pants and sweaters in less than a week, I think it’s safe to say that summer has abruptly just up and left me, without even saying goodbye.

Which just means YAY, FALL FOODS TIME! But it also means summer is gone, and also, much of my fave summer meals. Boo. So let’s give summer one last hurrah, shall we?

Vegan-Taco-Salad

This is a big, monster vegan taco salad that I whipped up on a whim the other day, hoping it would bring summer back to me (it didn’t), and it ended up being one of my most favourite salads that I made all summer.

It’s loaded with veggies, quinoa, vegan taco meat and a healthy drizzle of oh-so-good green sauce. It makes my tummy happy.

Big-Taco-Salad

I also added crushed up tortilla chips (Neil Brothers are THE BEST!) on top, because duh, that’s just obvious. It added a nice salty, crunchy flair to the dish. It also kinda sorta helped with getting my two picky kids to eat a meal full of VEGETABLES.

Goodbye summer, you will be missed! And please… let fall last awhile before old man winter comes along! Pumpkin EVERYTHING is calling my name…

The-Big-Vegan-Taco-Salad

Big Vegan Taco Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
Creamy Green Sauce
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup parsley (cilantro would work, too)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Taco Meat
  • 1 cup walnuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
Taco Salad
  • 4 cups chopped lettuce (I used mixed greens)
  • ⅔ cup cooked quinoa
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup corn
  • ¼ cup cooked black beans
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • ½ cup salsa
  • Handful of crushed tortilla chips (optional)
Instructions
Creamy Green Sauce
  1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Taco Meat
  1. Drain walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes.
  2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until combined, and still a bit chunky. Set aside.
Taco Salad
  1. On one large plate or 2 medium-sized plates, add your lettuce, quinoa, red onion, taco meat, corn, the black beans, cherry tomatoes and salsa.
  2. Drizzle on a heavy amount of dressing, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips, if desired, and dig in! If you have any left over, the dressing should last in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes
*Make this recipe gluten-free by omitting the tortilla chips (or using a gluten-free variety).

 

Fruity Wheatberry Salad with Greens & Chickpeas

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Have you ever made a recipe that was SO GOOD that you just couldn’t wait to shout it from the rooftops and tell all of your friends? Well, I have. (Often.) And this is one of those recipes.

fruity-wheatberry-salad

This past weekend, I was struggling with my menu plan. Nothing on it sounded interesting to me. I needed to change it up. So I did what I always do when I can’t think of what to make: I turned to my dear friend Pinterest. She gets me. She solves all of my [food-related] problems.

While I was browsing Pinterest, I came across this older recipe from Angela – Heat Wave Summer Salad. I wouldn’t say we were having a heat wave that day, but we certainly were experiencing a really hot summer’s day, so  I checked out the recipe.

vegan-wheatberry-salad

And…. I’m not gonna lie, I almost went back to searching Pinterest. Wheatberries with peaches and berries? Plus chickpeas and sauteed greens? What? How does that even work?! And the dressing has mustard and CINNAMON.

Everything just sounded so… weird. Like, there’s no way that combination of food would actually work.

wheatberry-salad-vegan

And then I remembered that it was Angela sharing the recipe, not some random person that just started a food blog 2 weeks ago. Angela is a well-respected vegan food blogger, and has been for years – there’s no way she would post a recipe that tasted weird!

So, I decided to give it a go.

vegan-fruity-wheatberry-salad

And all I can say is – YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE. Holy wow is it ever good. The ingredients combine so well, and it’s like a flavour explosion in your mouth with every bite. The dressing, as weird as it sounded to me in the beginning, really helps pull everything together and make it a well-rounded, satisfying dish.

This recipe makes a lot, but I don’t suggest cutting it in half, unless you’re just making the recipe for one person. Because, hello – LEFTOVERS!

I had leftovers of this yummy meal for lunch yesterday and it was marvelous. Just as good as when I’d made it the day before.

wheatberry-salad

So don’t be weirded out by the ingredients in this dish. Just trust me (and Angela) when I say that this recipe is AMAZZZZZING.

Fruity Wheatberry Salad with Greens & Chickpeas
 
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Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Salad
  • 1 cups wheatberries
  • 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cups chopped peaches, skins removed
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 4 cups chopped raw kale or spinach (I used kale)
  • ½ cup almonds, chopped
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp hemp oil
  • 1 tsp flax oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Salad
  1. Cook your wheatberries by combining 1 cup wheatberries and 3 cups water to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour.
  2. Sautee your kale in a pan of water (just a bit of water is fine), until wilted. Set aside.
  3. Chop your almonds and add to a large bowl with peaches, blueberries, strawberries, chickpeas, sauteed kale and cooked wheatberries. Add in the dressing (all of it), and mix well, being careful not to smash the fresh fruit.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature (I think it tastes best at room temperature).
Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients to a small mason jar (or small bowl) and shake/whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Oh She Glows.

*For a nut-free dish, omit the almonds. Replace with sunflower seeds.
*If you don't have hemp or flax oil, replace either with extra virgin olive oil.

 

Vegan Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

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I have never met a Caesar salad I didn’t like, but this recipe – this recipe is the best. BEST Caesar salad recipe ever, ever, ever.

That is no lie. It’s the absolute best vegan Caesar salad I have made, and every Caesar lover that has tried it agrees.

Vegan-Caesar-Salad

The dressing is smooth and creamy, perfectly coating every piece of romaine lettuce. With just a hint of liquid smoke, the dressing gets that bacon taste that traditional Caesar salad has – without using bacon. Yippie!

Liquid smoke, where have you been all my life?

Caesar-Dressing

I like to keep my Caesar pretty simple, with dressing and homemade croutons, but you can definitely add other things, such as meat substitutes, sprouts, chickpeas, or lentils.

Vegan-Caesar-Dressing

If you’re a big Caesar salad lover like me – you MUST try this recipe! Then report back and tell me what you thought!

Also, some big news ’round these parts: this is my 100th post on the site! 100 posts since I first started blogging about delicious vegan food in March of this year. YAY!

Thank you so much for reading. I love sharing my passion for vegan food, and I appreciate you for reading these words that I write, scoping out the photos that I take (that are nowhere near as awesome as my favourite food bloggers photos are), and trying out the recipes that I create. I’m honoured that you visit me each week!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Vegan Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
Dressing
  • 1¾ cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours, then drained
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Salad
Instructions
Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Salad
  1. Add lettuce to a large bowl and add ½ of the vegan Caesar dressing. Mix very well.
  2. Divide salad among bowls and top with croutons. Enjoy!

Caesar-Dressing-Vegan

Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

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Quinoa-Chickpea-Tabbouleh Oh, how I love simple meals! We visited my mother in law for Mother’s Day this past weekend (the weekend after the actual holiday, because my hubby was sick on that day), and I brought along this dish for two reasons: 1. It’s SO quick and easy to prepare. 2. It’s travels well. 3. It’s freakin’ delicious, light, healthy and tastes good straight out of the fridge. Okay, that was more than 2 reasons. All legit, though, of course. Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh-Vegan We served it along side these oven roasted garlic sweet potatoes, and WOW DELICIOUSNESS. The two went very well together. Vegan-Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh
This protein packed salad is the way to go if you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish or lunch. I found it very filling, and it’s also healthy enough that you can have multiple servings and not feel guilty about it. I anticipate this dish being our regular potluck contribution to family gatherings! Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh

5.0 from 4 reviews
Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad, Side
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1½ cups chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse them first)
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 cup green onion, chopped small
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice (2 large or 3 medium lemons)
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Put the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, cucumbers, minced garlic, cherry tomatoes, green onion, parsley and mint. Toss well to combine.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Adjust S&P as needed.
  3. Pour the dressing over the quinoa & chickpea mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings again, if necessary.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature. *
Notes
*This dish lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it ahead of time to save even more time in the kitchen.

 

The Big Vegan Salad Plate with Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing

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Vegan-Salad-Plate

Who is ready for some healthy summer salads? Even though it’s still spring (and even though it was snowing 3 days ago!), I am pretending it’s summer. This winter has gone on long enough.

After a week of eating way too much junk food and way too much comfort food, it was time to get back on the healthy bandwagon.

Enter – this awesome salad. I made it for lunch the other day.

The-Big-Vegan-Salad-Plate

I looked in my fridge and grabbed pretty much any vegetable I could find, added some nuts, seeds, hummus and avocado, then drizzled on a delicious creamy dressing.

Salad-Plate

Ah-mazing! I felt so good after eating this plate of nutrients, and was so incredibly stuffed that I didn’t eat again until dinner at 5pm. Coming from someone that usually needs to eat something every 2-3 hours, that says a lot!

The Big Vegan Salad Plate with Tahini-Dill Dressing
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 3 tbsp flax or hemp oil
  • ½ tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed (or 1 tbsp fresh)
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salad Plate
  • 2 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1 small tomato, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • ½ cup cucumber, sliced
  • ½ tbsp hemp seeds
  • ½ tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup carrots, shredded
  • ¼ cup beets, shredded
  • ½ small avocado, sliced
  • ¼ cup hummus (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • Poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds)
Instructions
Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth. If the dressing is not getting smooth enough, you may need to add a bit more water.
Salad Plate
  1. Add a bed of salad greens to your plate, making sure to cover the plate completely.
  2. Add the other ingredients, layering them nicely around the plate. Make it pretty! Pretty food is fun to eat.
  3. Drizzle on a bit of the creamy tahini-dill dressing, sprinkle on some green onions and poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds) and enjoy!

 

Quick & Easy Falafel Salad

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falafel-salad

I love falafels just about any way I can get them. In a salad, in a pita – even on their own. They’re just magnificent balls of goodness.

Although the ingredients list for this recipe is rather huge, don’t let that scare you, because this is really such a simple dish to prepare. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner!

If you want to bake the falafels instead of frying, you can do that. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes (turning halfway through cooking).

Quick & Easy Falafel Salad
 
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These falafels are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Falafels
  • 1¾ cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • ⅛ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 2 tbsp flour (I used whole wheat)
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water - allow to sit for 10 minutes, then whisk)
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • ½ tbsp chia seeds
  • ½ tbsp hemp hearts
  • oil for frying
Dressing
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup plain soy yogurt
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
Salad
  • salad greens
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • cucumber, sliced
Instructions
Falafels
  1. In a high-powdered blender or food processor, pulse chickpeas until they are chopped up very small.
  2. Add garlic, onion, parsley, cumin, coriander, baking soda, salt, lemon juice and water. Pulse until all ingredients are mixed together well.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl, then add flour, flax egg, sesame seeds, chia seeds and hemp hearts. Mix well. You should be able to form them into small balls. If not, add a bit of water, just a tablespoon at a time, until you get the right consistency.
  4. Start rolling all of your falafel balls and set them onto a cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  5. Once your falafels have firmed up a bit in the fridge, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to over just over half of the falafels. Once oil is heated, carefully add the falafels to your pan, just a few at a time, until browned on the bottom, then flip over and wait for the other side to brown.
  6. Repeat until all falafels are cooked.
Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients to a jar and shake well. Place in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
Assembly
  1. Divide salad greens, tomatoes and cucumbers among 4 salad bowls. Top with fried falafels, then drizzle on your dressing and serve.
Notes
If you want to bake the falafels, you can do that. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes (turning halfway through cooking).

 

Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing

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sweet-potato-salad

So, I found myself with an extra sweet potato that really needed to be used up this week.

Not one to waste food (especially this time of year, when produce is ridiculously expensive), I put on my thinking cap. Unfortunately, nothing very creative came to me, so I just decided on a sweet potato salad.

The good news – this salad is OFF THE HOOK. It was so good that I plan on making it again next week. And maybe the week after. And the week after that…

Salad with Sweet Potato

 

The creamy cashew dressing on it’s own is.. just.. wow. I love cashews. Love, love, love. And the cashew dressing works perfectly with this simple (but delicious!) salad.

 

Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing
 
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A delicious, easy, and very healthy salad for any day of the week!
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Salad
  • 2 cups salad greens of choice (I used mixed greens)
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks
  • ½ tbsp oil for high heat (avocado, grapeseed)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • large handful crushed tortilla chips
Dressing
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ tbsp agave nectar
  • ¼ cup water + more as needed
Instructions
Salad
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. While the oven is heating up, add your sweet potato chunks to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix them all up so that every potato chunk is coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until you can pierce the sweet potato with a fork.
Dressing
  1. Drain and rinse the cashews and put them in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, oil, agave nectar and water.
  2. Process cashew mixture until creamy, scraping down the sides and adding more water as needed.
Preparation
  1. Add salad greens to a bowl or plate, top with sweet potato, slivered almonds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, crushed tortilla chips, and drizzle with cashew dressing. Serve immediately.