Take your salad to new levels with this Vegan Chicken Taco Salad with Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas. Because quesadillas are the new croutons.
It's not so often you hear the words chicken, quesadilla and salad all in one recipe.
Especially a vegan recipe!
But today, folks, we're saying screw the norm and putting it all in one bowl and topping it off with creamy avocado dressing.
So, remember a couple weeks ago when I showed you those super tasty Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas? They were part of my Super Bowl round-up and filled with vegan cream cheese & sautéed onions and jalapeños.
Well today, those same quesadillas are being chopped into strips and layered on top of this gi-normous salad.
I'm standing strong that quesadillas could be the new croutons.
Anyone else with me on that?
The salad itself is made up of romaine lettuce, black beans, red onions, corn, jalapenos, cilantro and vegan chicken. You could really stop there and just dig in. But those quesadillas are no joke. Sorry I keep mentioning them, but dang, they are so good.
TSV TIP: Vegan chicken is pretty easy to find these days and most brands are pretty amazing. I think Gardein is always a good choice (you will see it listed on my "Shop" page above), but I have found that most brands have a similar taste and texture.
For the dressing, you have a few options.
I opted for my Creamy Avocado Dressing. It is oil free and packed full of flavor.
But you could easily go with vegan ranch, a creamy chipotle dressing or even chimichurri.
TSV TIP: My favorite vegan ranch brand is Just Ranch from Hampton Creek. You can find it online or in many grocery stores.
Once you have everything chopped, your chicken is cooked, and your quesadillas are sliced, it is time to toss it with your dressing of choice and chow down.
This salad is perfect for dinner when you want something hearty and filling.
Vegan Chicken Taco Salad with Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 5 vegan chicken strips diced
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 large tomato diced
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn
- ¼ red onion diced
- 1-2 Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas* sliced in strips
- dressing of choice**
- 1-2 avocados pitted and sliced
- cilantro optional
Instructions
- Prepare lettuce, tomato, black beans, corn & red onion and set aside.
- Prepare vegan chicken strips according to package instructions. When done cooking, cut into chunks.
- While chicken is cooking, make Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas according to instructions.
- To prepare the salad, combine lettuce, tomato, black beans, corn, red onion and chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing of choice (I used my Creamy Avocado Dressing) over everything and toss to combine.
- Top each salad with quesadilla slices, avocado and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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