Lunch Meal Prep- Lentil Walnut Taco Salad
A delicious plant-based salad meal prep INSPIRED by southwestern flavors
Hello everyone!
Today I am sharing with you one of my most popular salads for meal prepping- Lentil Walnut “meat” Taco salad + Tostada/taco/burrito inspired by southwestern flavors.
I say "taco" salad loosely because I know traditional tacos don’t usually include tomatoes, bell peppers, and other ingredients like this salad does.
But growing up living in California, I always had access to traditional tacos that had just meat, cilantro, onions, and salsa.
Then we had our "at home" tacos with meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and more. When we ran out of taco shells, we’d turn whatever was left into a "taco" salad and top it with Thousand Island dressing, haha!
This salad recipe is a spin on that memory, LOL
But with WAY healthier ingredients that are not only satisfying but also DELICIOUS!
Believe it or not, my lentil-walnut meat substitute has a texture similar to ground beef.
I’ve swapped out all the recipes I used to make with ground turkey or beef for this lentil-walnut "meat" instead.
But my absolute favorite way to use this meat substitute is in southwestern-inspired dishes like tacos, tostadas, burritos, and salads.
The best part of meal prepping this recipe is that you can turn it into two different meals!
You can prep the salads and then use the remaining lentil-walnut "meat" and other ingredients for tostadas, tacos, or burritos.
This Lentil-Walnut "Meat" Tostada with a Roasted Poblano Pepper Spread recipe is a perfect meal prep companion to the salads if you're not tired of the flavors.
To add this as an addition to this salad meal prep, you would just need:
Tortillas
make Roasted Poblano Pepper Spread, or you can use the salad dressing/sauce recommendations below.
This recipe is already published within my Substack (link is above) and also a part of the 30-day Plant-based Challenge guide recipes.
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Lentils are considered a super food on a plant-based diet.
Lentils contain an excellent source of plant-based protein, packed with fiber to support health digestion, high in iron and rich in essential vitamins and minerals like folate, magnesium, and potassium.
Walnuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain health, reduce inflammation, and promote heart health.
The combination of omega-3s, fiber, and antioxidants in walnuts contributes to lowering bad cholesterol and improving cardiovascular health.
Walnuts are another excellent plant-based protein, and when combined with lentils, they create a powerhouse protein source, offering a total of 33 grams of protein per 1 cup of each.
Here are a few salad dressing ideas that are perfect for pairing with taco salad meal prep.
These recipe options are also in the 30-Day Plant-based Challenge guide.
Cilantro Avocado Hemp Seed Salad Dressing recipe. ← this is my favorite pairing with this salad.
Roasted Poblano Pepper Sauce recipe
Creamy Chipotle Salad Dressing recipe (in 30-Day plant-based Challenge) pg. 33
Dairy-free Ranch Dressing recipe
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I recommend meal prepping two different types of salads to add some variety throughout the week, so you don’t get bored with the same flavor.
Above are examples of two different plant-based meal prep ideas.
Today we are going to focus on building the Lentil Walnut Taco salad.
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I also want to mention again that this newsletter is here as a resource to help you with meal prep ideas and guide you on how to prepare them.
This is also a great visual guide for those who have purchased the 30-Day Plant-Based Challenge, as most of these recipes are included in the guide.
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Follow the guide below to get started and assemble this meal prep.
Step 1: Prepare Lentil Walnut “meat”. Follow the recipe here. after preparing lentil walnut meat, allow to cool.
Step 2: Soak and clean all your fresh vegetables and herbs for the salad and salad dressing you choose to pair with it.
Step 3: Chop lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, onions and other ingredients for the salad. If you're adding avocado to your salads, squeeze plenty of lemon or lime juice over them to help prevent browning.
Side Note: I recommend adding as many colorful varieties of veggies to your salad as possible. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals, and they make the salad visually appealing. You'll be so excited to enjoy a bright, colorful bowl of goodness!
Step 4: Assemble the salad by first laying down a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.
Step 5: Add chopped veggies on top of lettuce.
Step 6: Top with cooled Lentil Walnut “meat”.
Step 7: Make Salad dressing
Step 8: Pour the salad dressing into (2) 2oz containers with lids (per salad) or a 5.5oz container with a lid (per salad). This container size is perfect for sauces, salad dressings, and packing snacks like granola, nuts, etc.
Step 9: Add containers of salad dressing to each container of salad if it will fit. Cover all the salads with a lid.
Step 10: Store the salads in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Great! I hope you found this lunch meal prep helpful.
Just remember, if you've purchased the 30-Day Plant-Based Challenge guide, these recipes are included in there!
If you're a paid subscriber to my newsletters, you have access to all the recipes linked above—simply click on their links to check them out.
If you're a non-paid member, I hope this plant-based lunch meal prep idea was helpful to you. If you'd like access to all the recipes linked in this newsletter, you can upgrade by clicking the subscribe button below.
If you missed the Plant-based Breakfast Meal Prep newsletter, then click here to check it out. Breakfast Meal Prep
Keep an eye out for the next newsletter, where I'll be sharing my top salad recipe—perfect for meal prepping, packed with plant-based protein, delicious, and satisfying!
Much love,
-Steph
