This recipe is so easy, delicious, and fast that we usually have this for dinner once a week. What’s more, the kids LOVE this and request it by name frequently. They like to make their “masterpieces” as they say, and it gets them eating what is essentially a giant salad without them realizing it’s a salad.
Burrito Bowl
I was originally inspired to make this from Kathy at Straight Up Food. The brilliant thing about this recipe is how flexible and adaptable it is and we never seem to make it the same way twice. The other thing I like about it is that it is a great way to enjoy a Mexican dish without sacrificing a creamy texture and without eating cheese.
Below is a template for the recipe. For those of you who like to adapt recipes anyway, go for it! For those of you who get nervous when straying even a tiny bit from a recipe you can use the recipe as written below and I would encourage you to try substitutes on occasion as you build your confidence as a cook. You’ll figure out ways to make it yours.
Burrito Bowl
What I wouldn’t skip is the Best.Salsa. Ever. Or the guacamole. The guac is what gives this dish its creaminess. For those of you new to the plant-based lifestyle, I found that the easiest way to eliminate cheese from my diet was to replace it with other things that mimic it’s texture and mouthfeel. You can certainly make your own guacamole but we use a brand that we get in bulk from Costco. There are several brands that contain no added oils including Calavo Guacamole or Wholly Guacamole.
You could also add some of Plantivores’ Cheezy Sauce. For some extra heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped green chilies or 1 diced jalapeno.
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover veggies at the end of a week and you can make this as big or small as you want, depending on your level of hunger.
Burrito Bowl Template:
When using a template, select one or more items from each category. To change things up switch out items in a category but be sure to stick to at least one item from each category.
- Greens: kale, spinach, chard, romaine, baby greens, etc.
- Grains: brown rice, couscous, farro, quinoa. For a quick and easy organic brown rice, try this one that they sell in bulk at Costco or online here.
Organic Brown Rice
- Veggies: cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, squash, corn, black olives, etc.
- Legumes: we like fat-free refried beans, regular or spicy, black beans, pinto beans, refried black beans, etc. Make sure to drain and rinse your beans if you are using them whole from a can.
- Creaminess—guacamole, cheezy sauce
- Salsa– Best.Salsa.Ever. or a store-bought version of your choice.
- Dressing–if you add a salsa and/or a guacamole you will find that you likely won’t need any dressing. Should you avoid both and/or want a dressing, you could add a few splashes of fresh lime juice with a clove of fresh, chopped garlic.
Burrito Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
These Burrito Bowls are simple, quick, flexible and delicious! They make for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- Organic brown rice
- 1 can of beans of your choice: we like fat-free refried beans, regular or spicy, black beans, pinto beans, refried black beans, etc. Make sure to drain and rinse your beans if you are using them whole from a can.
- 1 can of sliced black olives
- 1 can of whole kernel corn
- Any greens you have on hand—we like kale, spinach or chard for our burrito bowls
- Any chopped veggies you have on hand: cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, squash, etc.
- 1 container of pre-prepared guacamole. You could prepare your own but I never have time to do that.
- Best.Salsa.Ever. This is a quick and delicious salsa made from fresh ingredients.
- (Optional) Fat-free tortilla chips or strips. I have never found my own but will make them on occasion.
- (Optional) Cheezy Sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Best.Salsa.Ever.
- Assemble all of the ingredients
- Cook the rice
- Heat the beans
- Each person builds their own bowl like this:
- Add greens to a bowl
- Add a few scoops of rice
- Add a few scoops of beans
- Add lots of veggies
- Add several scoops of Best.Salsa.Ever.
- Add a scoop of guacamole
- Add a spoonful of Cheezy Sauce (optional)
- Top with tortilla strips or chips (optional)
Notes
There are few specific quantities on here for ingredients as you can use as much or as little as you would like. You really can’t mess it up. Promise. 🙂
Burrito Bowl
When you add all of these ingredients together you end up with a filling and satisfying one-dish meal.
This recipe was submitted to Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend
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