Admittedly, taco salad is one of those things you don’t really need a recipe for. If you want to make it vegan and healthy-ish though, it might just come in handy.

This is my variation on Isa Chandra‘s Big Fat Taco Salad from Appetite for Reduction. As usual, I fattened it up just a hair but I didn’t monkey with what I think was one of the most important parts (and what makes it possible for you to eat this without it being covered in cheese and/or sour cream), her fresh tomato salsa dressing. That stuff is aces.

Tinker as necessary and enjoy!

Vegan Taco Salad
Recipe courtesy of Appetite for Reduction

Salad Ingredients

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 0z vegan Chorizo sausage
1/2 cup diced red onion

1 cup Guacamole (fresh or store bought)

Dressing Ingredients

1 lb tomatoes (~3 average size), diced small
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp cayenne hot sauce
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt

Salad Directions

• Add a small amount of oil to a skillet and cook Chorizo over medium-high heat for about 2 min.
• Layer salad in four big bowls: lettuce, beans, salsa, Chorizo, chips, onion, guac and cilantro

Dressing Directions

• Place diced tomatoes immediately in a mixing bowl so that not much liquid escapes on your cutting board
• Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and use your hands to mash everything up well
• Let sit for 10 minutes or so to let flavors meld (while you prepare and arrange the salad works well)
• Chill remaining dressing in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days

Yield: Serves 4

Hey Friends, I’m alive!

Sorry about the unannounced hiatus. Things got busy, yadda yadda, etc.

Anywho, I’m back and I come bearing many yummy new recipes. I got a new cookbook for Christmas, Appetite for Reduction,  and I’ve been quietly pounding away at it over the past few weeks. AFR is from the fabulous Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of the fantastic PPK blog and many wildly popular vegan cookbooks, including the holy grail: Veganomicon.

As you can probably deduce from the title, AFR focuses on lean, healthy and quick vegan cooking. I’ve made several drool-worthy things from it so far, including this salad. The original recipe calls for 4 cups of bean sprouts. However, I am not a fan of sprouts, as I think they taste of dirt. I replaced them with sliced mushrooms. Mushrooms lend a similarly “earthy” flavor sans hint of funky potting soil. Feel free to do it your own way.

Vegan Pad Thai Salad
Recipe courtesy of Appetite for Reduction

Ingredients

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 cups sliced mushrooms (or bean sprouts, if you insist)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 recipe Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing (recipe below)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
Lime wedges as garnish

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, toss lettuce, mushrooms, red onion and carrot
• Add dressing and toss to coat
• Distribute salad among four bowls, garnish with roasted peanuts and cilantro and serve with lime wedges

Dressing Ingredients

1/4 cup roasted peanuts*
2 tbs chopped shallot
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 tbs agave nectar
2 tbs shoyu/soy sauce
1 tsp Sriracha

*Note: The next time I make this I will definitely replace half the peanuts with 2 tbs of natural peanut butter (in the first step, below). This dressing is awesome, but it doesn’t have anything in it to make it adhere to the salad. I think peanut butter would accomplish that quite nicely without adding too much extra calories and fat.

Dressing Directions

• Pulse 2 tbs of the peanuts (peanut butter!) and the shallot in a food processor, just to chop everything up well
• Add the lime juice, water, agave, shoyu and sriracha and blend until very smooth
• Add remaining 2 tbs of peanuts and pulse for a bit, just to chop them up small

Yield: Serves 4

This salad is a take on your typical Italian house. I’d venture to say that the addition of avocado and cucumbers coupled with turning the volume way up on garlic gives this version an edge over the standard fare.

The next time I make this, I think I’ll sub out the green onion for red and will use half as much dressing, but it’s good as-is too.

Vegan Italian House Salad
Recipe courtesy of Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vegan Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
1 (9 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, leaves or spikes removed
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (peeled,regular cucumbers work too)
1 large avocado, cut into slices or chunks
3 green onions, minced
1/2 cup garlic croutons, crushed

Note: I mentioned it before, but it’s worth saying again, I would strongly advise making 1/2 the dressing this calls for.

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, prepare the dressing by combining the vinegar, oil, cheese, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper
• Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters
• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, cucumbers, artichokes and avocado
• Sprinkle with green onion and then toss with dressing
• Plate and sprinkle each serving with crouton crumbs

Yield: Serves 3-4

Look who’s posting two salad recipes within a week of each other. Who am I?

Someone where my mom works makes this salad on the regular and has brought it in to share several times. Mom talks about it like it’s the second coming, so I figured I’d make the necessary adjustments (the original version features Roquefort cheese crumbles) and see what all the fuss was about.

As salads go, this one is, in fact, pretty noteworthy. I think I might actually enjoy it more in the fall with a seasonally themed meal. Still, this is a perfectly good addition to a summertime meal as well. Serve it up and see what you think!

Candied Pecans & Pear Salad
Recipe courtesy of Michelle Krzmarzick, allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup sugar together with pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans
• Transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool and break into pieces
• For dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until well combined
• In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, avocado and green onions. Drizzle dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve

Yield: Serves 6

Here’s one for all the carb lovers in the house.

I’ve mentioned here before that I’m not that wild about salads. This however, is a salad I can get down with. Panzanella means “bread and tomato salad” in Italian and I am a fan.

If you wanted to, you could alter this to even out the proportions of bread and tomatoes to greens, but if I were you, I’d enjoy this in all it’s carb-loaded glory!

Vegan Panzanella
Recipe courtesy of Saveur

Ingredients

2lbs. medium tomatoes, cored and cut into small wedges
12 oz. country-style bread, torn into bite-size pieces and lightly toasted
1 cup loosely packed baby arugula
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, bread, arugula, basil and onions
• In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the oil, vinegar and garlic. Drizzle dressing over salad
• Season generously with salt and pepper, toss to combine and let sit for 10 min. before serving

Yield: Serves 10