Plant Based Burrito Bowl
So satisfying and flavorful, this Plant Based Burrito Bowl makes for a fun Tex-Mex twist on Taco Tuesday (or enjoy any night of the week)! Set up a build-your-own bar for the whole fam, or prep most of the components in advance for meal prep and enjoy easy meals all week long. This vegan burrito bowl is loaded with all the goodies like rice, beans, fajitas, the best corn-pico ever, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, low fat guac, and tons of lettuce for an incredible and unforgettable meal.
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I love that popular counter-serve Tex-Mex place as much as the next person, but all the oil and salt does not agree with me, unfortunately. And it’s just not on my current way of eating.
But, we can make it ourselves, and we can make it healthier and cheaper! And I think my version even tastes better!
It starts with quite a bit of lettuce. I know that some restaurants like to sprinkle like, what, a few tablespoons of lettuce on top?
But me, I like a LOT of lettuce. So I put a whole large romaine heart (washed and chopped of course) on one half of my large bowl.
The other half gets cooked brown rice (tossed with lime juice, feel free to add cilantro if everyone in your household is OK with that) and some spiced black beans. Super easy, I’ll show you how to make those.
Then we top it. Easy sheet pan fajita veggies (I include mushrooms because I’m obsessed), amazing homemade corn-pico salsa, low fat edamame guacamole (feel free to use regular guac if you prefer), plant based nacho cheese sauce, and homemade sour cream!
This plant based burrito bowl is super low fat, super low sodium, and absolutely filling, nourishing, and delicious.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
- Romaine Lettuce: While any will work, I like the crunchy yet neutral flavor of romaine for my plant based burrito bowls!
- Cooked Brown Rice: I add lime juice to the beans once the rice has cooled a little. Feel free to add chopped cilantro as well if everyone you’re serving it to enjoys cilantro! Make as much as you’d like to use! You can also store what you don’t use for up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or freeze the rest. See the Expert Tips section below if you want to know how I cook perfect rice in the Instant Pot every time.
- Spiced Black Beans: I’ll show you how to make these, but you’re also welcome to use just plain cooked black beans. I like to season mine with ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and dulse flakes for saltiness. Feel free to use taco seasoning or whatever you like. I add lime juice to the beans once they’ve cooled a little.
- Fajita Veggies: I use 4 bell peppers (one of each color, but use any you have), a pound of Baby Bella mushrooms (white or portobello also work fine), and a medium red onion to create my fajita veggies. I personally season mine with ground cumin, chili powder, granulated garlic, and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Pico de Gallo with Corn: I like to make a fresh salsa reminiscent of pico de gallo for my plant based burrito bowls. You can choose to include corn or not. I like to add it for a pop of sweetness, a little smoky flavor (I use frozen fire roasted corn), and more satiety. Feel free to add chopped cilantro as well if everyone you’re serving it to enjoys cilantro.
- Edamame Guacamole: While you can absolutely use traditional guacamole made with avocado, I have to avoid it due to my current way of eating (for weight loss). That made me come up with edamame guacamole which I absolutely love, and is low fat and full of protein. Give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous!
- Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce: What’s a burrito without a little queso? I love a good drizzle of my homemade plant based nacho cheese sauce on top of this vegan burrito bowl. You can make it in advance if you’d like!
- Tofu Sour Cream: This is a modification of a tofu sour cream recipe I developed for my other blog. But I’ll give you this version in the recipe card. I only change one thing: I switch out the salt for yellow or white miso paste.
- Garnishes, Optional: Use whatever garnishes you like! Cilantro, Cholula or another hot sauce, pickled jalapeños, chopped green onion, etc.
Substitutions
- Romaine Lettuce: Feel free to use any kind of shredded greens you like, such as kale, spinach, red or green leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce, etc.
- Cooked Brown Rice: You can use white rice, quinoa, or any grain you like as part of your burrito bowl. Or make it like a salad and skip the grain if you prefer.
- Spiced Black Beans: You can use plain black beans or you can make spiced pinto beans if you prefer. This is the main source of protein for this dish (but the other ingredients have a bunch too, including the guac and sauces), but you’re welcome to make sofritas too. There are tons of recipes on the web.
- Fajita Veggies: Feel free to use any veggies you like. If you prefer to stick to all green peppers, do that! I often add asparagus to my fajitas, especially when it’s in season.
- Pico de Gallo with Corn: Feel free to use any salsa you like. Use store bought pico de gallo to save a bunch of time (seeding and dicing tomatoes is a little tedious… but I have to admit that homemade salsa is SO MUCH BETTER than store bought!). You can also (in addition or instead) use your favorite jarred salsa.
- Edamame Guacamole: Don’t want to try it? Use traditional guac, or just used diced avocado. Or skip it, because honestly I completely forgot to add it when I filmed the video for this plant based burrito bowl and it was pretty dang good without it. (I did kick myself when I realized my mistake, though.)
- Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce: You can use vegan shredded cheese or skip this if you don’t want to include a cheesy factor.
- Tofu Sour Cream: Feel free to swap some or all of the tofu for soaked raw cashews or soaked raw sunflower seeds for a richer vegan sour cream if you prefer (you will need to add water to get it to blend). Or you’re welcome to use store bought or omit.
How to Make a Plant Based Burrito Bowl
Watch me make this recipe or follow the step-by-step instructions below.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and line a large baking tray (half sheet size which is 18 x 13 inches) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Make the Fajita Veggies: Add the sliced peppers, red onions, and mushrooms to the lined baking tray. If you’d like, season with a half teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder, granulated garlic, and fresh cracked black pepper (or use whatever seasonings you like). Mix well with your hands or a set of tongs. Bake for 30 minutes, using the tongs to stir the veggies halfway through. Set aside to cool when cooked.
- Make the Spiced Black Beans: Heat a small nonstick pot over medium heat. If you have no-salt-added black beans (or cooked them from scratch OR if you don’t care about sodium and just have regular black beans), you can add the full can (liquid and all) to the pot. Add a half teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, granulated onion, granulated garlic, or whatever seasonings you’d like. If you want, add 1-2 teaspoons of dulse flakes for saltiness. You could alternatively add salt to taste or you could add thinned miso (1 teaspoon yellow or white miso paste to 3 teaspoons warm water) when the beans are done cooking and off the heat. Bring the beans to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6-10 minutes or until they’re thickened to your liking. Remove from heat. Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice if you like. If you don’t have the bean liquid available, use a quarter cup low sodium vegetable broth or water.
- Make the Tofu Sour Cream: Add the silken tofu, lemon juice, and miso paste to the blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use (it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge).
- Make the Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce: If you haven’t made this yet, you can make it now (and you don’t even need to clean out the blender!). Add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Make the Edamame Guacamole: Like the previous two sauces, this ingredient can be made well in advance. I prefer to do that since I think it’s better cold. But if you haven’t made it yet, hop on over to my Edamame Guacamole recipe and whip it up in just 5 minutes.
- Make the Pico de Gallo: Add the diced tomatoes, diced white onion, minced jalapeño, thawed corn, and lime juice to a large bowl. Stir and taste. Adjust if needed. Feel free to add chopped cilantro if everyone who’s eating it likes cilantro!
- Assemble: This is totally up to you how you build your plant based burrito bowl (or burrito or tacos)! I’ll tell you how I make mine: I add a whole chopped romaine heart one side of a large bowl. On the other side, I add a cup of cooked brown rice, a half cup of the spiced black beans, a large amount of cooked fajita veggies (usually a third of the pan!), a few big scoops of pico de gallo, a heavy sprinkle of chopped cilantro, a third cup or so of the edamame guacamole, and a few good drizzles of both the plant based nacho cheese sauce and the tofu sour cream.
- Storage: Each of the vegan burrito bowl components will last for at least 3 days in the refrigerator. I would store each component separately in airtight containers, or at least store the pico de gallo separately from the cooked elements.
Expert Tips
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make everything in advance! I’d say the salsa is best on the first or second day, but you could definitely chop it up earlier in the day and refrigerate it until dinner time! Everything else is great made in advance and served up to 4 days later. You can heat the individual elements that you want to serve warm such as the rice, beans, fajitas, and cheese sauce.
- Instant Pot Brown Rice: Note that I’ve only tried this with short grain brown rice, I’ve never tried it with long grain. Rinse 1 + ⅓ cups short grain brown rice really well in a fine mesh handheld sieve or strainer. Add to the Instant Pot inner pot and cover with 2 cups of water. Give it a little stir and place the lid on. Set the pressure valve to ‘sealing’ and set the machine to high pressure (it might be called ‘manual’) for 20 minutes. When the rice is done, carefully switch the pressure valve to ‘venting’ for a Quick Release. Once all the pressure is out (the float should be in the lowered position; please consult your manual if you are unfamiliar with the safety procedures), you can remove the lid. Fluff up the rice with a spoon and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before stirring in 2-4 tablespoons of lime juice (to taste) and chopped cilantro if you wish.
- About the Ingredients and Building Method: This is just how my partner and I like our plant based burrito bowls. You can totally build yours any way you want! Use cooked quinoa instead of brown rice, find a recipe for sofritas and add those or add another meat replacement, use potatoes instead, seriously, do whatever you like! It is YOUR bowl!
Serving Suggestions
Not only is this an epic spin on on Taco Tuesday, it’s great for meal prep, get togethers, and more. Set up a build your own burrito/bowl bar at birthday parties, movie nights, watch parties, and more.
I love to make the components on Sunday and mix different bowls of the ingredients all week long. Sometimes I do less rice and make more of a salad base with some kale and spinach. Some nights I add some baked sweet potato or regular potato for different textures. This is such a fun recipe to play around with!
More Flavorful Plant Based Dinners (or Lunches!)
- Bell Pepper Nachos with Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce and Edamame Guacamole
- Oil-Free Pasta Salad with Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
- Whole Food Plant Based Potato Salad
- Portobello Pizzas
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Kale Salad with Blueberries and Grapes + Sweet Lime Oil-Free Vinaigrette
- Cabbage Mushroom Soup
- Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Butter Bean Scramble
- Creamy Plant Based Broccoli Salad
Plant Based Burrito Bowl
So satisfying and flavorful, this Plant Based Burrito Bowl makes for a fun Tex-Mex twist on Taco Tuesday (or enjoy any night of the week)! Set up a build-your-own bar for the whole fam, or prep most of the components in advance for meal prep and enjoy easy meals all week long. This vegan burrito bowl is loaded with all the goodies like rice, beans, fajitas, the best corn-pico ever, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, low fat guac, and tons of lettuce for an incredible and unforgettable meal.
Equipment
- 1 Blender a food processor can also be used
- 1 Blender spatula this is optional but it helps me get every last bit of deliciousness out of the blender.
- 1 Silicone Baking Mat or parchment paper can be used
- 1 Pair Cooking Tongs
Ingredients
For the Burrito Bowl
- 2-4 Romaine Hearts, finely chopped (more or less to taste, or use any other green)
- 4 Cups Cooked Brown Rice, or more for serving (depending on how much each person will eat, etc.) or use any other grain
- 1 Batch Spiced Black Beans, see below
- 1 Batch Fajita Veggies, see below
- 1 Batch Corn Pico de Gallo, feel free to buy pre-made to save time, and/or use jarred salsas
- 1 Cup Edamame Guacamole, or more to taste (feel free to use regular guac or diced avocado)
- 1 Cup Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce, or more to taste (feel free to use vegan cheese shreds or omit)
- 1 Cup Tofu Sour Cream, or more to taste (see below)
- Garnishes, optional, such as cilantro, Cholula or another hot sauce, chopped green onion, etc.
For the Spiced Black Beans
- 1½ Cups No-Salt-Added Black Beans, don’t drain liquid, see Notes section below
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Granulated Onion
- ½ Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- 1-2 Teaspoons Dulse Flakes, to taste, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice, fresh is best but bottled will also work
For the Fajita Veggies
- 4 Bell Peppers sliced into thin strips, any color, I used one of each
- 1 Small or Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced, or use another color onion if preferred
- 16 Ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms, or use any mushrooms, Portobello would be great cut into strips, or omit if you don't like mushrooms
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ¼ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
For the Corn Pico de Gallo
- 4 Cups Diced Tomatoes, I used Roma, but any firm tomato will work
- ½ Medium White Onion, finely diced
- 1½ Cups Fire Roasted Corn, I used frozen. Any frozen corn will work (fresh will also work but you might want to cook it).
- 1 Large Jalapeño, finely minced (remove seeds and veins for less heat), more or less to taste
- ½ Cup Cilantro, chopped, optional (I did not add this since my partner does not like it)
- 3-4 Tablespoons Lime Juice, fresh is best but bottled will also work
For the Tofu Sour Cream
- 16 Ounces Silken Tofu, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, fresh is best but bottled will also work
- 1 Tablespoon Yellow or White Miso Paste, see Notes section below for substitutions
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and line a large baking tray (half sheet size which is 18 x 13 inches) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Make the Fajita Veggies: Add the sliced peppers, red onions, and mushrooms to the lined baking tray. If you'd like, season with a half teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder, granulated garlic, and fresh cracked black pepper (or use whatever seasonings you like). Mix well with your hands or a set of tongs. Bake for 30 minutes, using the tongs to stir the veggies halfway through. Set aside to cool when cooked.
- Make the Spiced Black Beans: Heat a small nonstick pot over medium heat. If you have no-salt-added black beans (or cooked them from scratch OR if you don't care about sodium and just have regular black beans), you can add the full can (liquid and all) to the pot. Add a half teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, granulated onion, granulated garlic, or whatever seasonings you'd like. If you want, add 1-2 teaspoons of dulse flakes for saltiness. You could alternatively add salt to taste or you could add thinned miso (1 teaspoon yellow or white miso paste to 3 teaspoons warm water) when the beans are done cooking and off the heat. Bring the beans to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6-10 minutes or until they're thickened to your liking. Remove from heat. Just before serving, add the 2 tablespoons of lime juice if you like.
- Make the Tofu Sour Cream: Add the silken tofu, lemon juice, and miso paste to the blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use (it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge).
- Make the Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce: If you haven't made this yet, you can make it now (and you don't even need to clean out the blender!). Add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Make the Edamame Guacamole: Like the previous two sauces, this ingredient can be made well in advance. I prefer to do that since I think it's better cold. But if you haven't made it yet, hop on over to my Edamame Guacamole recipe and whip it up in just 5 minutes.
- Make the Corn Pico de Gallo: Add the diced tomatoes, diced white onion, minced jalapeño, thawed corn, and lime juice to a large bowl. Stir and taste. Adjust if needed. Feel free to add chopped cilantro if everyone who's eating it likes cilantro!
- Assemble: This is totally up to you how you build your plant based burrito bowl (or burrito or tacos)! I'll tell you how I make mine: I add a whole chopped romaine heart one side of a large bowl. On the other side, I add a cup of cooked brown rice, a half cup of the spiced black beans, a large amount of cooked fajita veggies (usually a third of the pan!), a few big scoops of pico de gallo, a heavy sprinkle of chopped cilantro, a third cup or so of the edamame guacamole, and a few good drizzles of both the plant based nacho cheese sauce and the tofu sour cream.
- Storage: Each of the vegan burrito bowl components will last for at least 3 days in the refrigerator. I would store each component separately in airtight containers, or at least store the pico de gallo separately from the cooked elements.
Video
Notes
- Black Beans: You can use plain black beans or you can make spiced pinto beans if you prefer. Feel free to switch up the seasonings. This is the main source of protein for this dish (but the other ingredients have a bunch too, including the guac and sauces), but you’re welcome to make sofritas too. There are tons of recipes on the web. If you don’t have the bean liquid available, use a quarter cup low sodium vegetable broth or water.
- Dulse Flakes: Yes, dulse flakes are seaweed, however the spices in this recipe overpower any “seaweed flavor” in this recipe. I promise it doesn’t taste like seafood. This is a replacement for salt. You could totally use regular salt or the lower sodium potassium chloride salt substitute if you prefer. Yellow or white miso paste would also work, but thin it out with warm water (2 teaspoons miso to 2 tablespoons warm water, mix them) and add it after the black beans are cooked and removed from the heat source.
- Finding the Right Size Silken Tofu: You can find 16-ounce packages of silken tofu in the refrigerator section at your local grocery store, that’s where I buy mine even in my little town that has almost nothing. But if you can only buy your silken tofu in the shelf-stable 12-ounce aseptic containers, you can either use 1 + ¼ of those, or just use one pack and add 2-4 tablespoons of soaked raw cashews, soaked raw sunflower seeds, cooked white beans, or dehydrated potato flakes.
- Substitution for Silken Tofu: If you can only find soft or regular tofu (don’t use firm), you can use this and just add a little plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (just enough to blend). If you don’t want to use tofu at all, you can 1 cup of either soaked raw cashews or soaked raw sunflower seeds (and you will need water or plain unsweetened non-dairy milk to blend, and how much depends on how long you soaked them so start with equal parts nuts/seeds and liquid and adjust from there).
- Yellow or White Miso Paste: This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. Please feel free to omit or use a pinch of salt if that is what you prefer.
- Lower Sodium: To further lower sodium, you can omit the miso from the component recipes (cheese sauce, guac, etc.).
- Note About Nutrition Info: The nutrition info is coming soon; check back tomorrow!
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25recipe
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