Chipotle Chickpea Taco Salad

Vegetarian, taco salad that’s tossed in a spicy avocado chipotle sauce and topped with crunchy, roasted chickpeas.

I love tacos, and taco salad! Who doesn’t?

Except, I’ve been trying to cook more meals without any meat in them. I recently saw a documentary, called “Food Inc.” I was already on the fence about not eating meat before and now that I’ve seen how animals are treated and the disgusting ways they’re forced to live until they’re killed for their meat has completely opened my eyes.

Most tacos, burritos, enchiladas and taco salads are all made with some type of meat; ground beef, ground pork, chicken or steak. What could I substitute for the meat that would still give me protein? Chickpeas!

These delicious little nuggets are good by themselves but even better when they’re roasted, hot and crispy! Not to mention, they smell so amazing while they’re roasting! I stood by the oven just inhaling the smells for a solid minute. I’d like to say I’m joking but I’m really not. Ha!

You can add all your favorite taco salad toppings, it’s fun to set it out like this so everyone can help themselves. I used red onions, cilantro, black beans, corn, avocados, tomatoes, limes and chickpeas. Most taco salads are made in a taco shell or have crumbled up tortilla chips in it. As usual, I’m on my never-ending journey to make my favorite meals healthy. So, instead of the taco shell or crumbled tortilla chips, I substituted crunch red cabbage for the chips.

I used to coat my taco salad in sour cream.

Delicious? Yes.

Good for me or my waist line? NO.

Solution? Avocado Chipotle Sauce! Super spicy and creamy sauce that’s made with greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, lemon juice and chipotle peppers. Low calorie and it really pumps up the flavor of any salad!

(Click here for the Chipotle Sauce recipe)

I tossed the salad in the dressing first and drizzled a little extra on top too. What they hey!? It’s only greek yogurt, drizzle as much as you want!

Note: Add the avocados last so they don’t get mashed up when you mix the salad.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Chipotle Chickpea Taco Salad

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Vegetarian, taco salad that's tossed in a spicy avocado chipotle sauce and topped with crunchy, roasted chickpeas.

Author: Stacey

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Tex Mex

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Avocado Chipotle Sauce -
• 1 Cup greek yogurt
• ¼ Cup cilantro leaves, remove the stems
• ½ t Lemon juice
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• ½ Avocado
• ¼ Cup chipotle peppers
• Taco Salad -
• 1 Head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ Red onion, diced
• 2 Medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 Can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 Cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 T Olive oil
• Sprinkle of cumin, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper
• 1 Cup of cilantro leaves for the salad & a little more for ganish
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 Avocados (I like lots of avocado!)

Instructions

1. Avocado Chipotle Sauce - Blend all ingredients except the greek yogurt in a food processor, until smooth. You can add the yogurt last and blend for a few seconds to combine or you can stir the mixture into the yogurt.
2. Chickpeas - Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain & dry thoroughly. Add to a parchment lined pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a light layer of each spice over the whole tray. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Cook for another 15 minutes.
3. For taco salad - Add lettuce, corn, beans, cilantro, lime juice, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, & cabbage to a large bowl. Add chipotle dressing and mix to coat everything in the sauce. Add avocados last. Top with more cilantro and lime juice. Serve.

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I hope you enjoy this Chipotle Chickpea Taco Salad with avocado chipotle sauce! See, isn’t it fun to eat vegetarian meals like this or purple potato & chickpea veggie shepard’s pie or lentil stuffed red cabbage rolls? Yum!

Do you have any favorite vegetarian dishes? If so, please list it in the comments!

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