Vegetarian Black Bean Taco Salad -

Black beans, feta cheese, celery, bell peppers, courgette and crispy tortilla strips.

Vegetarian Black Bean Taco Salad

This vegetarian Black Bean Taco Salad is the perfect summer salad! It's tasty, filling and really easy to make. With minimum cooking involved you can have this tasty salad on the table in under 20 minutes!

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 456kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Equipment

Food Processor or blender

Ingredients

For The Salad

2 heads of cos lettuce or 1 large head of cos lettuce, chopped
150 g cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 medium yellow bell pepper pith and seeds removed then cut into thin strips
½ a medium red onion finely chopped
1 large ripe avocado peeled, stone removed then sliced
1 stalk of celery sliced thinly
1 medium courgette (zucchini) shaved into ribbons
50 g feta cheese
235 g / 1 x 400g (15oz) can of cooked black beans drained then rinsed under a cold tap
140 g / 1 x 150g can (1 cup) of sweet corn drained

For The Dressing

150 g (½ a cup of ) of natural plain yoghurt
1 medium green jalapeño pepper stem removed, cut in half lengthways, then seeds removed
1 small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 clove of garlic finely minced or put through a garlic press
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ a medium lime the juice of
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For The Tortilla Strips

3 x 15cm (6 inch) corn tortillas cut into thin strips, you can also use wheat tortillas if you prefer.
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried coriander leaf
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

To make the dressing:

Add the yoghurt, jalapeño, coriander, lime juice and garlic to a food processor or blender and blitz until the sauce is creamy.
Season with salt and pepper.
Put the dressing in the fridge until you're ready to use it. If you don't have a blender or food processor, finely chop the jalapeño and coriander then stir them into the yoghurt along with the lime juice and maple syrup.

To make the crispy tortilla strips

Heat the oven to 180°C/ 356°F fan oven, 200°C / 390°F conventional oven
Cut the tortillas into long thin strips
In a large bowl add 1 ½ tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, ½ a teaspoon of dried coriander leaf, ½ a teaspoon of dried oregano, ¼ of a teaspoon of ground black pepper and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Stir until combined then add the tortilla strips.
Toss gently making sure all the strips are covered in the oil mixture.
Lay the strips on a baking tray then place in the oven and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, turning the strips halfway through cooking. Keep an eye on them as they will cook quickly.

To make the salad

Add all the prepared vegetables to a large salad bowl.
Add the black beans and sweetcorn and toss well.
If serving straight away pour the dressing over the salad then add the tortilla strips and crumble over the feta cheese.
Serve with lime wedges and a few leaves of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Notes

Tortilla Strips - If you can't find corn tortillas wheat or flour tortillas will work well too. If you have any tortilla strips left over then keep them in an airtight container for up to a week. They're a tasty snack on their own.
Heat - Everyone has a different tolerance to heat, I have made this so it's suitable for the whole family if you want more heat in the dressing don't discard the seeds of the jalapeño. You could also add some pickled jalapenos if you like, I do!
Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online tool. It includes tortillas and dressing.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.

Nutrition