Live every day like it’s Taco Tuesday with this delicious vegetarian Black Bean Taco Salad! It’s loaded with veggies and drizzled with a delicious homemade creamy salsa dressing.
This salad kick of mine is in full force and I’m loving every leafy green second of it!
Of course it doesn’t hurt to have 5 million billion toppings piled into my bowl to keep things crazy flavorful and texturally interesting, right?
I love when a salad has a little of everything.
These black bean taco salad bowls deliver on the goods!
They’re piled mile-high with all my favorite mix-ins and are essentially a crispy salad version of my beloved Black Bean Tacos.
What I love about a good taco salad though, is that you can pack them with so much more goodness than a simple taco shell can hold. Let’s load it up!
Taco Salad Toppings
For these baller black bean taco salads, I went with a bevy of fresh toppings including juicy ripe tomatoes, sweet yellow corn, crisp red bell pepper, flavorful grated cheddar cheese, and chopped scallions on a bed of romaine lettuce.
To keep things fun and give it that token taco crunch, I topped my bowl of yum with a sprinkling of crushed tortilla chips. The texture is perfection!
Want to customize your bowl even further? Here are some more tasty taco salad topping ideas:
- fresh cilantro
- pico de gallo
- jarred or homemade salsa
- chopped avocado
- guacamole
- salsa verde
- avocado salsa verde (yessss!)
- chopped red onion
- black olives
- sliced jalapeños or pickled jalapeño peppers
- shredded cabbage or slaw
Easy Vegetarian Black Bean Taco Salad
As written, this recipe yields 2 large meal-sized salads or 4 smaller side salads.
Need only one salad? Simply halve the recipe and you’re good to go! Need a larger yield? The recipe is easily doubled to feed a larger family or group of friends.
I’m so excited for y’all to try this taco salad! Enjoy!
Black Bean Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup black beans (drained + rinsed if canned)
- 1 cup corn (canned or steamed from fresh/frozen)
- ½ cup freshly diced or chopped tomatoes
- 1/4-1/3 cup sliced green onion (greens and whites)
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips
CREAMY SALSA DRESSING
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP red salsa
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp salt or season to taste
- ½ lime
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine sour cream with salsa, cumin, and salt. Juice half a lime and whisk into the dressing. If your salsa is chunky and you'd like a more uniform dressing, simply puree using a blender or immersion blender.
- For the salad, cook corn via your favorite method. You can grill or boil it right on the cobb then cut it off for this salad, or simply steam from frozen.
- Chop all your veggies up super small for a little bit of goodness in every bite. Finely chop romaine lettuce, bell pepper, and tomatoes, and thinly chop/slice green onion. Combine with black beans, corn, crushed tortilla chips, and grated cheese. Toss to combine.
- For a little dressing in every bite, toss salad in a few TBSP of dressing and mix to coat right before serving. Serve with extra toppings/dressing on the size for a custom salad.
- Love veggies? Us too! Feel free to add extra vegetables or mix-ins to this salad and rock your plate! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
It’s a wee bit ridiculous how much I love this salad! I’m so over the moon excited for you to try it! Do it! Right meowwwwww!
If you get a chance to try this black bean taco salad, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
More Tasty Taco Night Recipes:
- Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
- Vegetarian Taco Bowls
- NEW! Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Vegan Jackfruit Walking Tacos via Sarcastic Cooking
- Cheesy Sheet Pan Nachos with Homemade Queso
Questions & Reviews
So good! I’ll be making this a regular part of my dinners each week!
Great salad. Depending on the spice level of the salsa, I suggested adding a bit of sugar or maple syrup/agave to level up the heat. Since we eat plant-based, I topped it with Upton’s Naturals Chorizo Seitan.
Delicious, filling and easy salad! Mixed black beans, chopped red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, black olives, red cabbage, pickled carrots and jalapeños, and oven roasted corn. Did not use tomatoes or cheese. Kept greens separate and let people scoop the mixture on top of greens and then finish with fritos and dressing. Kept it dairy free by using jarred Herdez guacamole salsa. Will definitely make again!
Great recipe! Next time I will add some diced jalapeño. I subbed red onion for green and made an avocado ranch dressing. I also added chickpeas.
Very yummy! And so easy to make.
Can this dressing be made a day ahead and kept in fridge?
Hi Betty! You can absolutely make the dressing a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge.
The nutritional information – is that for the total sale or per serve? And if its per serve, what is the serving size?
Hi Rachel! The nutrition facts are per serving of salad with all the ingredients and dressing present and the serving size is approx. 1 and a half cups of salad.
Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe. My question is about the corn and beans. Are they served hot or cold?
Hi Cristy! You can chill the salad or serve it up room temperature for more pronounced flavors — I love it both ways!
I have made this recipe several times. I made a few ‘tweaks’. I added a 4 oz can of diced green chili’s to the dressing and used 1/2 sour cream and half Greek yogurt and 1 tsp Sazon. It was fabulous. I also added a small can of sliced black olives to the salad and substituted pepper jack cheese for the cheddar cheese. Also a good addition. I’m in love with this salad and it’s in my regular rotation now!
This salad is fabulous. I made few adjustments – I added sliced black olives to the salad and a homemade version of Sazon and diced green chilies to the dressing. I will put this salad in the regular rotation.
My family all enjoyed this. Next time I will double the dressing. We were a little short on it, and it was very nice tasting. Thanks for sharing.
My husband and I are new to trying out vegan and this salad is delicious. We didn’t miss the meat at all!
Happy to hear it, Debbie! Thank you!
What are the white bits in the salad’s picture?
Hi Cindy! There are some white portions of the green onion as well as dressing that I drizzled over the salad.
This was so delicious! I added chicken and roasted the corn on the stove to give it that extra flavor. Each of my kids had 2-3 servings. Definitely a summertime favorite!
I made this salad and kept everything separate in large pasta bowls as in the picture. I wasn’t expecting much, but it was great!!! I absolutely loved it. It made an interesting colorful presentation. Making it for guests again tonight.
Good ingredients that come together deliciously with that tasty dressing. I’ve made it twice now.
Made this for weekend bowls. It was a hit! Will make it again!
Very tasty! I will make this often.
I’d add some hot peppers like poblano, hatch green chili to this and black olives. Red onion would work too.
This salad is a dream! Easy to put together and very tasty. I will definitely be making this one frequently this summer.
Super stoked you enjoyed it! Thank you Jane!
OMG. Just made this it is fabulous. The dressing is perfect.
I roasted my fresh corn in oven added a hard boiled egg for extra protein and did half recipe because of your very helpful tip not to make ahead just prep the ingredients ahead of time so tomorrow’s is ready also. Thanks for sharing !
Moe-Lisa
Valley Station, Kentucky
Ahh yay! Thank you for the glowing review, Lisa! Love your idea of adding some hard boiled egg to the mix for a protein boost.
OMG, this salad is delicious! What a great summer meal. And so easy to prepare. This is going to become a regular for me.
Thank you Jane! Beyond excited that you enjoyed it!
I’m going to make this for a teacher’s retirement luncheon. Can it be made the night before?
Hi Lucinda! Romaine salads cannot be made the night before as they wilt and get soggy. You can combine all of these ingredients together the night before though and chop your romaine in advance and keep it in a baggie to combine with the remaining ingredients before the luncheon:
1 red bell pepper
1 cup black beans (drained + rinsed if canned)
1 cup corn (canned or steamed from fresh/frozen)
½ cup freshly diced or chopped tomatoes
1/4-1/3 cup sliced green onion (greens and whites)
I would make a little extra dressing and serve it with the dressing on the side so everyone can add the amount they desire. Hope this helps! xoxo
Super delicious and easy! Truly a crowd pleaser. A staple in my meal planning.
Thanks so so much Ginny! xoxo
This is our favorite main dish salad! Flavorful and filling. I make extra dressing cause it makes a great dip for the extra Tostitos. We’ve also added leftover seasoned cooked chicken.
I never usually comment on recipes, but this one was amazing! so delicious. I used half the cumin cause I don’t really care for cumin. For my partners I swapped beans for shredded rotisserie chicken and no cheese
This was delicious!!
Delicious! I actually just ate this for breakfast lol. Will definitely make again!
Haha breakfast of champs! So glad you enjoyed it!
Really delicious!!! I added tomatoes to each individual bowl right at serving time. I’m glad I did because this is even better the next day, and the tomatoes might have made it soupy after many hours. I’ll be making this again and again! Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious. So easy to prepare. Going to be a summer favorite
I love your recipes but the ads are ridiculous. They make it so you can’t see your recipes.
Which salsa do you use for the dressing?
Hi Sarah! Totally use your favorite one! My all-time fav brands of store bought salsa are Mrs. Renfros Habanero Salsa (spicy but so good!), Target’s fresh Serrano Pepper Salsa, and Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa.
This was delicious! I used grilled corn and added an avocado. I will be making this again!
Can’t wait to make this tonight for dinner for my husband and myself! So I’ll be making 2 dinner sized portions. Is your nutrition calculator for 1 side salad or 1 large portion? Thanks! Im going to cook up some ground Turkey with taco seasoning and put it on top of my husband’s salad since he isn’t a vegetarian like me!
Hi Katie! I’m so excited for you to try it! The calculator is for 1 side salad but it’s a pretty big serving so it’s not like a small scoop or anything crazy. Hope y’all love it as much as we do!
I never comment on a recipe. I either love it or hate it and keep it moving BUT this – wow! The dressing alone sets it over the top. I put the ingredients over brown rice (bowl) and have had it for lunch every day this week. I intend to make it again for next week but I’m thinking of adding sofritas. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll be looking into other pescatarian/vegan recipes on your site.
So honored you hopped on over to leave me a note — thank you Melanie!
fabulous dressing! i used greek yogurt and loved it!!
YAY! Thanks Karen!
Delicious and easy to make in a snap
This is amazing! Added avocado and shredded rotisserie chicken. Removed bell pepper. Huge hit! Made double the recipe but it still disappeared. Definitely a keeper.
This recipe is SO good as is. I’ve also added diced cooked chicken which is also delicious. Either way, my whole family enjoys it.
Delicious! Will definitely put this in my regular rotation.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This salad is delicious. My husband is definitely not vegetarian so I made some beef taco meat to go with it and he loved it. He also loved the dressing but next time I make it I will double the amount.
This is my favorite summer salad. I served it at party and everyone loved it. Add an avocado to the salad before serving to give a new flavor to taste. Also, i didn’t have any fresh cilantro, so I added some cilantro paste (vegan and gluten free) to the dressing. Perfect for these hot days of summer. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So glad the salad was a hit! Thanks Sue!
Ok so I fried the tortilla chips to brown them, then added salt and cumin. For the dressing, tzatziki instead of sour cream, taco sauce in addition to salsa, extra cumin, and lime zest. Oh, and taco seasoning. I haven’t finished yet, but I know it’ll be good.
Love this recipe! It was so easy and tastes so fresh but I am vegan so this is what I used to veganize the recipe: Rawsome sour cream mixed with Las Margaritas medium salsa for the dressing and Violife cheddar shreds to the salad. I also try to be gluten free so I used Que Pasa Squeeze of Lime grain free tortilla chips. I’m not that fond of cumin so I halved the amount and added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the dressing and added extra lime juice to thin it out a bit. I also added half a jalapeno pepper, cilantro and some chopped red onion to the salad. The only reason I gave this salad 4 stars instead of 5 is because I had to ‘veganize’ it. I will be making this over and over throughout the summer here in Vancouver. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
This salad was delicious!!! Came together quickly and will definitely be on our regular menu roasting.
So glad you enjoyed it Janet! Thanks!
I made this tonight, and it was very good! Easy,healthy no-cook meal. The only change I made was instead of adding cumin to the dressing, I added some homemade taco seasoning. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Simply Amazing!
Thank you Nikki!
Best bean burrito bowl I have found! The dressing is sooo good and easy. I also add brown rice and makes it a little more filling.
Made this yesterday & it is absolutely delicious! The dressing is amazing, whole family loved it, thanks for sharing!
Both me and my husband enjoy this salad!
Yay!!! So so glad y’all enjoy it!
Love how light, tasty and refreshing it is. Added diced avocado as well! Yum!
What a tasty idea. Going to have to try this for dinner this week.
Looks delicious. This would be great for summer bbqs
I loved it I used vegan sour cream n vegan cheddar tho it was delishes
Yay! So glad it worked well with those tasty vegan swaps! xoxo
This will be great for summer BBQs.
Delicious and so easy! I actually added some leftover shredded Mexican chicken that I had in the fridge and it was great. I know it would’ve been fine without it, too!
So stoked you’re loving the recipe and love that you repurposed leftovers to amp up the protein content — I’ll have to try that next time! xoxo
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I want to make it, but I don’t know what kind of red salsa you used.
Can you please let me know. Thank you
Hi Estela! Salsa is a very personal thing (everyones has their go-to brand and type) so my suggestion would be to use your favorite salsa! I’ve used homemade salsa, fresh store-bought salsa, and also jarred salsa (Mrs. Renfros is my favorite brand) and the salad is great every which way! xoxo
This was delicious! I added one jalapeño and one avocado to the mix and it was perfection! Thank you!
I wanted to post pics, but it was all gone!! Such an AMAZING recipe. I was looking for something that I could eat during these hot days. Perfect recipe. Light, but hearty. Thank you!
Ahhh yay!!! So glad you enjoyed the salad, Melinda!
Excellent taco salad. I left out the bell pepper and added avocado just before serving! Super easy and quick to make!
This was SOOO Good!!! I will make this again, very soon! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Joni! Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Allison! xo
Thank you!