Taco Pasta Salad [Without Meat]

This taco pasta salad combines favorite taco fillings with hearty pasta in a simple, satisfying Mexican pasta salad—now 100% meat and dairy-free!

Super Satisfying Easy Taco Pasta Salad

If you've ever tried hearty taco salad, get ready to fall in love with this vegan version made with a hearty pasta twist. Combining the pasta with taco favorites like juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, crunchy bell peppers, dairy-free Mexican cheese shreds, and taco-spiced vegan ground beef makes a vibrant, fresh, satisfying salad for your next BBQ, pool party, potluck, or gathering.

Perhaps surprisingly, this Mexican pasta salad is tossed in vegan French dressing. It might sound odd, but the sweet, tangy flavors complement it perfectly. Plus, just like tacos, it's so easy to customize this vegan taco pasta salad without meat - like subbing the dressing or adding more of your favorite taco toppings.

It’s quick, healthy, hearty, meal-prep friendly, and a perfect addition to your line-up of crowd-pleasing summery salads like Mediterranean white bean salad, watermelon mint salad, and vegan Greek salad.

The Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pasta: I recommend small pasta shapes with nooks. I.e., fusilli, penne, bowtie, rotini, macaroni, etc. Giant couscous or orzo also work.
• Vegan beef crumbles: Traditional taco pasta salad recipes use regular beef, but it’s so easy to use plant-based beef mince, so it's 100% plant-based.
• Taco seasoning: Make your own or use your favorite taco seasoning (mild, medium, or hot) to customize the heat in this recipe for taco pasta salad.
• Lettuce: Use fresh Romaine/iceberg lettuce for crisp texture. Save time using pre-shredded lettuce.
• Tomato: I prefer Roma tomatoes when possible during the summery months, but cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes work year-round.
• Bell pepper: I used green bell pepper. Use red/orange peppers if preferred.
• Dairy-free cheese: I used Mexican-style vegan shredded cheese, but a sharp vegan cheddar cheese or vegan feta cheese would also work well in cold taco pasta salad.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro (or green onions) adds a burst of fresh flavor.
• Taco salad dressing: I used vegan French dressing (homemade or bought).

Alternatively, try cilantro lime dressing, Catalina dressing, creamy vegan ranch dressing, or a homemade sauce made with vegan sour cream and salsa.

What Could I Add To Taco Pasta Salad?

• Crunch: Add crushed tortilla chips/vegan Doritos (or Takis) when serving for crunch.
• Red onion: Finely chopped for texture and robust flavor.
• Beans: Add fiber/protein with black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans.
• Corn: Canned, frozen (thawed), or charred corn will add crisp sweetness, while the latter adds amazing smoky depth.
• Avocado: For creamy texture, fats, and antioxidants. Add when serving.
• Black olives: Sliced for briny, tangy flavor.
• Radishes: For extra crisp texture in the taco pasta salad recipe.
• Jalapeño: Add heat with pickled or freshly sliced jalapeño/ chili.
• Sweet potato: Cubed and roasted for texture and subtle sweet flavor.
• Lime juice: Add a splash for added brightness and depth.

How to Make Taco Pasta Salad

• First, cook the pasta according to the package instructions, minus 1-2 minutes until al dente. Then drain and set aside in a colander to cool.

For more flavor, cook the pasta in vegetable broth. Also, to cool it quicker, spread it across a large tray.

• Either in the same pot (after cooking the pasta) or in another pot (while cooking the pasta), cook the vegan beef crumbles according to their package instructions.
• Remove the cooked vegan ‘beef’ from the heat, stir in the taco seasoning, and mix. Then, set it aside to cool.

• Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and bell pepper and shred the lettuce.
• Combine all the ingredients in the pot with the crumbles or a large salad bowl and toss. Taste and add more dressing if preferred, then enjoy cold/at room temperature. Enjoy!

For the best flavor, leave the taco pasta salad to sit for 1-2 hours before serving. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Cook the pasta al dente: It’s important to cook it for about 2 minutes less than the package recommends. This will stop it from becoming mushy.
• Leave it to rest: For the best flavor, leave the Southwest taco pasta salad to chill for at least an hour before serving. The longer it sits, the more the flavors meld, and the better it tastes.
• Experiment with add-ins: Just like regular tacos, you can experiment with adding your favorite taco toppings to this vegan taco pasta salad recipe.

Serving Suggestions

• A protein – like marinated or crispy tofu/tempeh, vegan chick’n, etc.
• Stuffed bell peppers
• Tacos - vegan chorizo tacos, black bean tacos, and walnut meat tacos
• Burritos and enchiladas
• Easy vegan taquitos
• Butternut squash enchiladas
• Mexican street corn (vegan elote)
• Tater tot nachos or air fryer nachos

Storing Instructions

Store the taco salad with pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days (it’s best to store some of the dressing separately). It tastes even better on day two.

To avoid sogginess but prepare the salad in advance, store the various elements in separate containers in the fridge, then assemble it before serving.

More Vegan Tex-Mex and Mexican Recipes

• Vegan Posole Rojo
• Vegan Elote
• Vegan Instant Pot Mexican Recipe

If you try this vegan taco pasta salad recipe (as written or with changes), I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla