Inside Scoop: Your meatless Mondays just hit an all time high! This Warm Kale & Lentil Taco Salad Bowl With Chipotle Dressing is beyond delicious.
If you could do one good thing for yourself this week, one thing that will have you feeling amazing, energized, full and proud of yourself… but also, totally satisfied… well, we would highly recommend making this Warm Kale & Lentil Taco Salad Bowl With Chipotle Dressing.
This is one of those meals that you can pleasantly disguise as a ‘meaty’ meal for your family, without having to go into the whole ‘why’ you chose LENTILS instead of ground beef.
These lentils take on the chili seasoning and flavour just as effective as ground meat, and you have a total excuse to make Meatless Mondays rock, or if you are doing the whole Veganuary thing, this lentil taco salad will be something that you come back to over and over again even when you add the meat back into your diet.

THE PERFECT WINTER BOWL IS THIS KALE & LENTIL TACO SALAD BOWL WITH CHIPOTLE DRESSING
Initially we did this bowl with raw chopped romaine and spinach mixed, and I have done this exact bowl with ground beef (for the hubs – all you have to do is replace the lentils with 1 pack of ground beef), and it’s such an easy DIY, low-carb taco bowl that the whole family can enjoy.
However, it’s been UBER cold in Ontario lately and there was a definite need for something that was warming, something that raw vegetables just do not provide.
Going to tell you right now that the idea of sautéing the kale before creating this lentil taco bowl was the best thing that I did for myself! I’m not a massive fan of the taste of plain kale, and really didn’t know how this would turn out, until I put all of the ingredients together! I’m now officially hooked on this recipe and making it a weekly staple.
One of my favourite things about this lentil taco bowl recipe (aside from the amazing flavours, especially the chipotle dressing), is the fact that it is a great gut loving meal.
Cooking Veggies Is Easier On Digestion
Just like blending vegetables, lightly steaming or sautéing vegetables (especially high fiber ones) can be easier on digestion, as the heat helps to break down the fibers making it easier for your body utilize the whole food.
Lentils Are Great For Your Gut
Unless on a paleo diet, or have a severely compromised gut and have been told to avoid legumes, lentils have some serious beneficial health properties. They are loaded with prebiotic fiber, which help feed your gut bacteria, contain ample amount of protein, a whack load of folate, zinc, iron and phosphorus.

Aside from the fact that this Warm Kale & Lentil Taco Salad Bowl With Chipotle Dressing is a great plant-based choice, a nice gut-loving meal, and will nourish your soul, it’s also incredibly delicious.
The chipotle dressing takes some simple ingredients and really makes the whole lentil taco bowl stand out. We like to use Vegenaise, or even Avocado Mayo (if you’re okay with eggs), and all you do is add 3 simple ingredients and whip them together, drizzle on top of the bowl and, friends, welcome to flavour town.
This delicious meal contains a plethora of nutrients, is easy to put together, a great grain-free, gluten-free, plant-based alternative for your family, and you can mix and match your toppings according to taste preference. Make sure you check out this Lentil Beef-less Stew for another inspiring plant-based ‘meaty’ recipe.
And if you’re looking for more gut-loving ingredients to add to your database, check out our Top 25 Gut-Loving Foods list here:
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If you’ve tried this lentil taco bowl we would love to see it in action by tagging us with a simple #naughtynutrition!



Warm Kale & Lentil Taco Salad Bowl With Chipotle Dressing
Ingredients
- 10 cups kale destemmed and chopped
- 1 cup lentils cooked (cook according to package, we cooked ½ cup and had leftovers)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped
- 1 lemon or 2 limes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ghee or avocado oil
Chili Seasoning:
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
Chipotle Dressing:
- ¼ cup mayo we use vegenaise or avocado mayo
- 1 tsp chipotle chili or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 lime juiced
Garnish with:
- 1 large tomato diced, 1 avocado, diced, nacho chips, corn
Directions
- Preheat oven to 420F and assemble the chili seasoning.
- Take the chopped potatoes and toss in ½ Tbsp of oil, ½ Tbsp chili seasoning.
- Lay flat on parchment lined tray and bake for 25- 30 min, until soft.
- Meanwhile, take the cooked lentils and add to a pan over medium heat, mix with water, tomato paste and 1 Tbsp chili powder, stir. Season accordingly (if you like more spice/ flavour add more seasoning and add salt according to taste as well.)
- While that’s cooking you can take the kale and add to a large pot over medium heat with ½ Tbsp oil. Cook down until soft and wilted. Add lime or lemon juice and stir.
- While everything is cooking you can easily put together the chipotle dressing by mixing in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
- To assemble:
- Layer the kale at the bottom of the bowl, top with ¼ cup lentil chili and1/4 of the sweet potatoes. Top with chopped tomatoes, avocado, nacho chips, corn or anything else you choose to add to this dish. Drizzle the chipotle dressing over everything and toss.
- You can also use this as lentil chili tacos.
Recipe Notes
You can also use this as lentil chili tacos.
Made this recipe for dinner and MY WORD it is DELICIOUS!!! We’ve recently transitioned to plant-based eating, and hit a rut with dinners. This taco bowl was everything we needed and more, and is super budget-friendly.
Hello Ashley… Thank you for your feedback. Incorporating more plant-based meals can definitely be delicious and we’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed it 🙂