Who’s hungry for a high-protein, Mexican-inspired vegan fiesta salad? This epic meal boasts over 35 grams of protein and is packed with veggies, grains, and greens to keep you healthy and feeling your best.
You may be wondering what is in this salad that makes it such a party! We start with a blend of chopped spinach and cilantro, then top it with brown rice, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Next comes a generous pile of pico de gallo, fire roasted corn, and sliced avocado. Top it all off with homemade vegan queso and you are good to go!
I created this salad on behalf of Switch4Good, which is a coalition of athletes, doctors, and plant-based chefs all working to promote the health benefits of dairy-free and plant-based foods. We also filmed a super fun video that goes into the health benefits as well as flavors and cooking methods. Watch the video here!
When you make this salad, be sure to tag us on Instagram #switch4good and #carrotsandflowers! We love seeing your creations!
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 tsp olive oil (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- few cracks black pepper
- Easy Vegan Queso
- 1 cup soaked cashews
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ⅓ cup water, plus more to thin as needed
- 3 cloves garlic (optional)
- 4 cups spinach
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup frozen fire roasted corn
- ½ cup pico de gallo or salsa
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Dice the sweet potato and bell pepper into 1” pieces. Line two baking sheets wth parchment paper. Put the sweet potato and bell pepper on the baking sheets not touching too much. Drizzle with oil if using, then season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add the soaked cashews, salsa, nutritional yeast, chili powder, salt, water, and garlic to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add water 1 tbsp at a time to thin if needed.
- Drain and rinse the pinto and kidney beans. Run the corn under warmish water to thaw, then drain. Roughly chop the spinach. Pull the stems from the cilantro. Chop the leaves and mix them into the spinach. Divide the greens between serving bowls. Top each bowl with rice, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Sprinkle the beans with cumin and sea salt.
- Deseed and slice the avocado. Slice the lime into wedges. Add the roasted sweet potato and bell pepper to each bowl. Top with corn, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Pour a generous amount of vegan queso over each bowl and dig in!
- If making this ahead for meal prep, keep the queso separate until ready to eat and slice the avocado just before serving
