Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Taco Salad

If you love our Sweet Potato Chickpea Tacos, get ready for another FAVE! Meet: the Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea TACO SALAD! It’s got fresh kale + romaine, crunchy tortilla chips, smoky roasted chickpeas + sweet potatoes, and a creamy jalapeño dressing.

The result? BIG flavor, lots of textures, and ready in just 30 minutes (hello, weeknight ease with weekend flavor)! Let’s make this satisfying, flavorful, plant-based dinner!

Kale, tortilla strips, sweet potato, oil, avocado, chickpeas, romaine, cashew dressing, smoked paprika, salt, and chili powder

A little multi-tasking and some speedy knife skills are the tricks to keeping this a 30-minute meal! It all begins with sweet potatoes and chickpeas roasted with avocado oil and a mix of salt + smoky spices: chili powder and smoked paprika.

Adding oil onto a baking sheet of chickpeas and sweet potatoes

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are in the oven, we prep our greens and dressing. We love a mix of crunchy, sweet romaine and hearty, nutrient-rich kale for this salad, but it is flexible and will work with almost any greens, as long as they’re not too bitter or tender!

Bowl of chopped romaine and kale next to tortilla strips, dressing, and spices

The dressing is our 5-minute Jalapeño Cashew Dressing, made simply by blending up cashews, water, lime juice, nutritional yeast, miso paste, Dijon mustard, salt, garlic, and a jalapeño! It’s super creamy, a little “cheesy,” savory, and SO good you may want to drink it straight from the blender.

Using a spoon to pour vegan cashew jalapeño dressing onto greens and roasted sweet potato and chickpeas

The final required ingredient (tortilla chips) gives that quintessential “crunch” that makes the salad extra special! Simply crumble up store-bought tortilla chips, or if you’re feeling up for something extra, you can make homemade spiced tortilla strips.

We can’t wait for you to try this vegan taco salad! It’s:

Fresh
Savory
Smoky
Subtly spiced
Full of crunchy textures
Nourishing
& SO flavorful!

It’s satisfying as a standalone plant-based meal, but for a higher-protein option, you could top with our Smoky Shredded Tofu Taco “Meat” or 1-Pan Mexican Shredded Chicken (if not vegan/vegetarian). Or enjoy it as a side with Mexican-inspired mains including our Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers or Spicy Baked Fish Tacos (30 Minutes!).

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

More Satisfying Vegan Salad Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Fork with a bite of taco salad on it including avocado, romaine, kale, roasted chickpeas and sweet potato, dressing, and a tortilla strip

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Course Entrée, Salad, Side

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? Best when fresh

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes (2 sweet potatoes yield ~4 cups or 500 g)
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or sub ~1 ½ cups homemade per can)
2 Tbsp avocado oil (plus more for massaging kale)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup Cheesy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
1 small bunch lacinato kale, rinsed and chopped (1 small bunch yields ~3 cups or 100 g)
1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped (1 head yields ~5 cups or 270 g)
2 cups tortilla chips*, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 large avocado, sliced (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place chopped sweet potatoes and chickpeas onto the baking sheet and toss with avocado oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, and sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, make your Cheesy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing and set aside.
Place the chopped kale into a large mixing bowl and massage with a little oil to break down a bit/promote tenderness and digestability. Add the romaine and toss to combine.
Once the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasted, reserve 1/4 of them for serving, then add the rest to the lettuce + kale mixture and toss with 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the dressing (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering default number of servings). Taste and adjust as needed, adding more dressing to taste.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with the remaining sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Garnish with slightly crushed tortilla chips and sliced avocado (optional). Best when enjoyed immediately, but it will keep up to 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 442 Carbohydrates: 58.7 g Protein: 12.6 g Fat: 19.4 g Saturated Fat: 2.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 10.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 967 mg Potassium: 902 mg Fiber: 11.9 g Sugar: 10.3 g Vitamin A: 4020 IU Vitamin C: 24 mg Calcium: 142 mg Iron: 4 mg