You won’t miss the meat in this vegetarian taco salad that uses spicy cooked farro as taco “meat” and is topped with a creamy lime dressing.
Vegetarian Taco Salad

It’s too late and I’ve drank three too many glasses of white wine, so let’s just keep this short and sweet, shall we?

Or short and leafy.

Very leafy.

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This is what happens when it’s end-of-July and you’re still getting five kinds of lettuce in your CSA!

Did I mention that I strongly dislike lettuce?

S T R O N G L Y.

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But I’ve learned to tolerate it when there’s farro taco “meat” and pepperjack cubes involved.

Who wouldn’t?! So good.

The farro is sauteed in Mexican spices and has the same crumbly texture as actual taco meat. Then you add cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, chips, and CHEESE to the mix. Plus a little lettuce on the side. If you must.

(You must.)

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Vegetarian Taco Salad
 
You won't miss the meat in this vegetarian taco salad that uses spicy cooked farro as taco "meat" and is topped with a creamy lime dressing.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the farro "meat"
  • 1 cup farro, cooked according to package instructions and drained (about 2½ cups cooked)
  • ½ cup salsa verde
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste
For the creamy lime dressing
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt to taste
For the salad
  • 5 oz spring mix lettuce
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 ears of corn kernels
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • ½ cup sliced scallions
  • 8 oz pepperjack cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
  1. To make the farro, combine the cooked farro, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper in a large pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a high powered blender, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Pulse until totally smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  3. Toss together the ingredients for the salad. Top with the farro and a drizzle of dressing. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Adapted slightly from Oh My Veggies
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ of recipe

More super fun salads!

mexican fiesta chopped salad

Mexican Fiesta Chopped Salad

pickled nectarine salad with burrata

Pickled Nectarine Salad with Burrata

barley salad with kale, pistachios and feta

Barley Salad with Kale, Pistachios, and Feta

From Around the Web:

Moroccan Chickpea and Carrot Salad from Hip Foodie Mom

Strawberry Tropical Fruit Salad from Spoonful of Flavor

Ribboned Cucumber Salad with Chile and Roasted Peanuts from The Yellow House

Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn and Arugula from Naturally Ella

Wheat Berry and Blistered Tomato Mason Jar Salads from Floating Kitchen

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42 Responses to Vegetarian Taco Salad

  1. Katerina says:

    I am a total sucker for Mexican and this looks absolutely mouthwatering!

  2. We make taco salads all the time but the ones with meat 🙂 This would be a nice change-up! Aaaand, we are still getting tons of lettuce in our CSA too!

  3. You certainly have a way with salads my friend! I love me a good taco salad.

    Happy Tuesday!

  4. Okay, meat? It’s just totally overrated anyway. Bring on ALL the greens and vegetarian love in gorgeous salads like these! Oh, and tacos. Uh, of course. 😉

  5. I’m pretty sure I could eat this every day!

  6. Monica says:

    Loving the farro “meat”, Joanne! I love this idea…I don’t mind lettuce so much but it’s more the scenery around all the other good stuff in a salad. This is my kind of lunch!

  7. i’m loving this salad, joanne! farro for taco meat? yum!

  8. This looks awesome and I love the use of farro here. Delicious- pinning!

  9. I absolutely adore all things taco AND all things farro. PERFECTION!

  10. Julia says:

    If we ever become neighbors, I’ll happily trade CSA items with you. Will you accept fennel for alllllthelettuce? I’m loving this idea of farro “meat” and that dressing sounds maaaaahvelous! Bring on the vegetarian taco salad!

  11. Zainab says:

    Beautiful beautiful salad!!

  12. A good taco salad is my weakness!! In love with this!

  13. The faro “meat” is genius!!! I wouldn’t miss the meat one bit!!

  14. Short and leafy… haha! I like the way you roll!

  15. Anne says:

    I just have one thing to say- YUM!!

  16. Darrrrn this sounds like the best salad I’ve seen in a while! Pinning to try asap! x

  17. Eileen says:

    This is the problem with CSAs! There are definitely going to be salad greens for weeks and weeks, and even if you love them (hello), there’s just SO much. Taco salad sounds like an excellent way to get through a big supply! We like to just put a bed of greens under everything for the whole summer. You can also cook lettuce, though! This helps a lot. Maybe wilt a bunch into a risotto at the very last minute? Or serve a curry or a chunky soup over it. Or quarter a head of romaine or radicchio and grill it.

  18. Mira says:

    I definitely will not miss the meat in this salad! love it!

  19. Agness says:

    I became vegetarian lately, so this is a perfect dinner choice! Yum! Yum!

  20. I am such a salad girl Joanne. And I am looking at this, drooling on the inside, wishing I was home to make this. This looks amazing.

  21. Barbara says:

    More farro recipes! Yea! Love farro. Great dinner salad, Joanne, especially with the taco crunch.

  22. Yes to anything that has been tacofied! I eat salads pretty much every night, but they never involve lettuce. Kale is my lettuce … and my soul mate, but that’s another story.

  23. Emily says:

    Great idea to use farro for its meaty texture!

  24. Asha says:

    You certainly do the best vegetarian meals ever.
    You know the pairing so well, this one just is soooo good. I love vegetarian meals and this is definitely something we all would enjoy.

  25. Brian says:

    This is totally my kind of weeknight dinner. We’ve been doing a ton of hearty salads lately, so this is going on my list of things to make.

  26. Hotly Spiced says:

    I thought all vegetarians loved lettuce – how ignorant am I! I do love your salad – it has so much colour and texture and the crunchy tortilla chips on top are the perfect finish xx

  27. This taco salad sounds amazing Joanne! Love that it is vegetarian too! Great idea for subbing farro for the meat!

  28. Erica says:

    The farro is SUCH a smart idea!!! This looks like a perfect dinner to me, I’ve been eating salads because I eat so late nowadays and it prevents me from being bloated the next day! Great idea to try out 🙂

  29. Farro is the perfect meat replacement here, although, with all these amazing flavors, I wouldn’t want to add any meat to this salad anyway!

  30. Love the Farro in this salad – great idea !

  31. Oh, very delicious – love the farro ‘taco’ meat.

  32. I love salads like this. The creamy lime dressing sounds yummy.

  33. easypeasy says:

    This sounds like the best taco salad ever invented! Going to make this as soon as I can! 🙂

  34. This salad looks absolutely amazing!! I don’t even remember the last time I bought lettuce, but if it means having this salad, I am totally in!

  35. I surely won’t miss meat here. A very satisfying and delicious salad, Joanne.

  36. The dressing sounds delicious Joanne 🙂

  37. Wait, what? You don’t like lettuce? How did I not know this? Well, you definitely worked it out here. Looks delish!

  38. What?? You don’t like lettuce?? OMG, I’m like a rabbit (in the food type of way.. get your head out of the gutter- lol)… so you can most definitely send me ALLL your CSA lettuce yummies! 🙂 However, i’m thankful you are nuts-o and don’t like lettuce because this taco bowl is all sorts of num-nummy (minus the lettuce and all)! I am loving your use of farro in this to sub as the taco “meat”! You are also so dang clever! #Jelly. And all those toppings you loaded up into this… Who needs the meat (or the lettuce)?? Not I!! <3 Cheers, girlfriend! Pinned!
    P.S You can send me some wine with that lettuce if you would like! lol xo

  39. Kelly says:

    Gorgeous salad! Who needs the meat? Love the farro in here!

  40. Your salads are always so exciting and look so satisfying! This sounds like summer-appropriate Mexican.

  41. grace says:

    pepperjack cubes, yum! i would argue that your level of intoxication upon writing this post was just right. 🙂

  42. Kate says:

    Who dislikes lettuce?

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