Healthy Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Recipe
This healthy vegetarian burrito bowl recipe is packed with flavor and filled with simple, healthy ingredients. Inspired by Chipotle burrito bowls, these veggie burrito bowls are filled with a plant-based meaty base made with vegetables and are perfect for a healthy dinner or lunch.
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Bowls filled with a mix of ingredients and flavors are easy to make, versatile, and taste delicious! If you like these vegetarian burrito bowls, you might like these savory breakfast bowls, another simple recipe.
Why this recipe works
- It doesn’t take much time to make this healthy burrito bowl recipe, and everyone will love it!
- These bowls are customizable, and perfect for using up ingredients in your fridge.
- Vegetarian burrito bowls are economical; filled with inexpensive and simple ingredients.
Here is what you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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Ingredient list
- Olive Oil
- Cauliflower
- Walnuts
- Taco Seasoning (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder)
- Canned Black Beans or Pinto Beans
- Cooked Brown Rice or White Rice
- Cheddar cheese
- Optional Toppings: Romaine lettuce, tomato, and red onion, green onions, avocado slices, jalapeno peppers, salsa, tortilla chips, chopped cilantro
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Food Processor (optional) to chop cauliflower
How to make vegetarian burrito bowls
Prepare: Clean and chop the cauliflower into small pieces a little larger than cauliflower rice. Chop the walnuts into a similar size to the cauliflower.
If it’s not already mixed, mix the taco seasoning ingredients together. Drain and rinse the black beans. Cook the rice, and prepare the toppings.
Step 1. Cook the cauliflower
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot add the cauliflower pieces and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
Step 2. Add the walnuts and spices
Reduce to medium heat and stir in the chopped walnuts and the taco seasoning. Add water or broth, reduce heat to low heat cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower are soft.
Step 3. Assemble the bowls
Add chopped lettuce to the bottom of each bowl, then top with cauliflower meat, rice and beans.
Step 4. Add your favorite ingredients
Add your favorite burrito bowl ingredients, such as chopped green or red onions, chopped cherry tomatoes, cheese, avocado slices or homemade guacamole.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The full list of ingredients to make this easy vegetarian burrito bowl recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Cauliflower – Cauliflower adds a nice texture to these veggie bowls. And in this recipe, it doesn’t have much flavor. If you do taste the cauliflower and don’t care for the taste, chopped portobello mushrooms are a great substitute in this recipe.
Walnuts – Walnuts have a meaty texture and are an excellent addition to this vegetarian meat mixture. They are a good source of protein and healthy fat too. Walnuts can be replaced one-for-one with cashews or pecans.
Taco seasoning blend – Here is my recipe for homemade taco seasoning blend which is a delicious addition to veggie burrito bowls. You can also use a packaged blend for convenience.
Recipe variations
This recipe is so versatile! Here are some suggestions to make your own burrito bowl creation.
Vegan Burrito Bowls – These bowls can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese or replacing it with your favorite vegan cheese.
Meat Burrito Bowls – Instead of making a vegetarian version, replace the cauliflower and walnut mixture with 3/4 to 1 pound of lean ground beef, turkey or chicken.
Add More Vegetables – Add any kind of vegetable that you like to your burrito bowl. Cooked or raw shredded carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, sweet corn, and green or red bell peppers.
Lower Carb Burrito Bowls – Add more cauliflower meat filling and leave the rice out and cut back on the amount of beans.
Make ahead instructions
Burrito bowls are perfect for meal prep! Prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time. Place each ingredient separately in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Just before serving, heat the veggie meat mixture and assemble the bowls.
How to store leftovers
Leftover vegetarian burrito bowls can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in separate containers.
Reheat the filling on top of the stove in the microwave before serving the leftovers.
Serving suggestions
Burrito bowls are a full delicious meal on their own but taste even better when homemade garden salsa, pico de Gallo or salsa verde is drizzled on top with a scoop of homemade guacamole and sour cream or Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lime juice.
💡Tips
- Reserve up to a quarter cup of liquid from the canned beans and stir it into the beans before adding them to the bowl.
- Save time and use precut cauliflower from the supermarket.
- Use a food processor to pulse the nuts and cauliflower into small pieces.
This recipe is filled with healthy veggies, and you can add more. Burrito bowls are very filling, one bowl will have you feeling full and it’s made with all healthy ingredients.
Yes, you can, but the texture will be less firm than it would if you were using larger pieces of cauliflower.
You might also like these easy dinner recipes
Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Equipment
- 4 Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower small to medium to equal 4 cups chopped
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups black beans cooked and drained
- 1 cup Cooked rice brown or white
- 1 head romaine letuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: clean and chop the cauliflower and walnuts into small pieces. Set them aside separately. Mix the taco seasoning ingredients together, drain and rinse the black beans, cook the rice and prepare the toppings.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the cauliflower pieces and cook for aout 5 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the chopped walnuts and taco seasoning blend. Add water or broth, reduce the heat to low heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes longer.
- Assemble the bowls: Add chopped lettuce to each bowl and divide the cauliflower mixture into four portions and place it into bowls. Add beans, rice, chopped lettuce and any variety of toppings.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Mix together 3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Store leftover taco seasoning in a small jar in your spice cabinet
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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