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Build the Ultimate Taco Toppings Bar with These Plant-Based Toppings for Tacos
At my house, #TacoTuesday is a thing. Sort of. We might not always get the day right, but we do have tacos at least once a week.
Tacos are also one of my go-to meals to take with us on our camping trips. They’re easy to make, feed a crowd and make everyone happy. Especially if we set up a taco toppings bar. Kids love exercising their independence over refusing salsa and loading up on guacamole. It’s also a great way to get plant-based eaters and vegans to sit down at the same table.
My Favorite Toppings for Tacos
Going vegan doesn’t mean your reduced to a life of boring tacos. Quite the contrary actually. There are so many vegan-friendly toppings for tacos that your biggest problem is going to be having enough room in your tortilla.
Spicy Red Lentils
My Spicy Red Lentils recipe is hands down my favorite taco ingredient. If you can call it that, it’s more along the lines of the main event. This vegan tacos topping uses red lentils, onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, tomato paste and water. Red lentils cook quickly, so this is a great taco topping if you’re trying to get a healthy dinner on the table quickly.
Vegan Charro Beans
If you’ve got some time (and by that, I mean all day), these Vegan Charro Beans might be the best thing you’ve ever tasted. For this taco topping, I start with dried pinto beans and slow cook them for hours with some diced onion, garlic and jalapeno. The real trick to this taco filling though is my warm “bacon” sauce. It gives these slow-cooked beans incredible depth of flavor.
Vegan Refried Beans
Who doesn’t love refried beans? This vegan version of Refried Beans is rich and creamy and actually really healthy. They’re a great topping for tacos, but I also like to add them to my breakfast burritos and tostadas.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a staple in my house. They find their way into just about everything. I sprinkle them in salads and on soups. My husband puts them on his power toast in the morning. I swear they’re best though as a topping for tacos though! They add some crunch and a little bit of salty nuttiness.
Quick Pickled Red Onions
I’ve said it before – I have a Quick Pickled Red Onion problem. I put them on everything, but they’re especially fun as a taco topping. Not only do they add a little bit of tang, they’re vibrant in color making an ordinary taco look extraordinary. Sometimes I’ll add sliced jalapenos to the jar as well to give my pickled red onions some extra kick.
Homemade Pico De Gallo
Pico de gallo is an easy addition! It’s salsa’s fresher, chunkier cousin. To make it, I just combine chopped grape tomatoes with some diced red onion, diced jalapenos, fresh chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice and salt & pepper.
Avocado Crema
Avocado crema is silly easy and so worth adding to your taco bar toppings. It’s a blend of fresh avocado, vegan mayonnaise, fresh lime juice and cilantro. I haven’t done a full post for it yet, but you can find the recipe here.
Mango Guacamole
This is fun way to change up your taco toppings bar! I love adding unique taco toppings to complement traditional taco toppings. This Mango Guacamole is a combination of sweet, creamy, salty, citrusy and spicy. Even my dad, a self-proclaimed avocado hater, will dip chips in my Mango Guacamole. It’s that good!
Sweet Corn Salsa
This twist on a traditional taco topping is super easy to make, but still manages to dazzle taco bar guests. Maybe it’s the colorful combination of yellow corn, bright red tomatoes, purple “red” onions, vibrant green jalapenos, lime zest and cilantro. Or it could be the way that all of these ingredients taste when they’re combined, but this Sweet Corn Salsa is an asset to any vegan taco toppings bar!
Roasted Cauliflower
Don’t be a skeptic, roasted cauliflower makes a great vegan taco topping. I like to first toss the cauliflower florets in a little oil and season it with salt, ground cumin and chili powder. Roasted cauliflower takes on a nutty flavor that makes for a really satisfying taco topping. You can find the recipe here with my Spicy Red Lentils and Roasted Cauliflower Vegan Street Tacos Recipe.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
I feel the same way about roasted sweet potatoes as a taco topping as I do roasted cauliflower. It’s not to be missed. Like roasted cauliflower, I like to toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil, salt, cumin and chili powder before roasting them at 400º. The sweet, salty, spicy combination enhances any taco topping list. You can learn how to make them here in my Vegan Burrito Bowl Recipe.
Purple Cabbage
Cabbage may seem like an odd ingredient to add to a list of taco toppings, but it’s not. Think fish tacos! There’s usually a cabbage slaw tucked into those taco shells. There’s no reason why vegan tacos shouldn’t get the same treatment. I like purple cabbage because it has such a nice aesthetic quality. I think it tastes best if you slice it thin. Sometimes I just add it to my taco toppings bar raw, but other times I’ll toss it in a little olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper before adding it to my tacos. On a really good day, I’ll pickle it. And those days are the best days.
Fresh Lime Wedges
Fresh lime is so good with so many things. This is because the acid is an excellent flavor enhancer. I cut each lime into 8 wedges – these little wedges add the perfect citrus blast to my vegan street tacos.
Fresh Cilantro
No taco topping bar would be complete without some fresh cilantro. Cilantro is a common ingredient in salsas and guacamoles, but it’s a colorful, flavorful addition all on its own. The best thing about cilantro? You don’t have to sweat the stems. Unlike other herbs, the stems aren’t bitter, so you don’t have to pick them clean of the leaves. You can chop them up together. I don’t include a lot of them, but this trick does make fresh cilantro an easy addition to any taco toppings bar.
Homemade Chile De Arbol
Hot Sauce I’m a hot sauce fan. I put it on almost everything! I usually buy commercial hot sauce (I like Yellowbird’s Habanero Original) but on occasion I will take the time to make it myself. My favorite hot sauce recipe is this Chile De Arbol. Learn how to make it here and pick up some tips for making hot sauce at home too.
Tell Me About Your Favorite Taco Toppings
I hope that this post helps you plan your next taco night! Don’t be afraid to reach beyond traditional taco toppings and try a few different ideas. Vegan tacos are a great way to put an easy, healthy dinner on the table and make it fun!
If you celebrate #tacoTuesday and try any of my suggested taco toppings, be sure to tag me on Instagram #herbivoreskitchen. I love seeing your creations! And, of course, please tell me about your favorite toppings to tacos! I’m always up for being inspired.
About Herbivore’s Kitchen
I hope that this post helps you plan your next taco night! Don’t be afraid to reach beyond traditional taco toppings and try a few different ideas. Vegan tacos are a great way to put an easy, healthy dinner on the table and make it fun!
If you celebrate #tacoTuesday and try any of my suggested taco toppings, be sure to tag me on Instagram #herbivoreskitchen. I love seeing your creations! And, of course, please tell me about your favorite toppings to tacos! I’m always up for being inspired.