Feb 28, 2023 | Dinner, Main Course, Recipes, Vegetarian
Move over, Chipotle! This vegan burrito bowl recipe is super flavorful and easy to make. Kick it up a notch with pineapple salsa and plenty of guac.
I love a Chipotle burrito bowl as much as the next person, but for my money, this sweet and spicy vegan burrito bowl recipe is just as good. While making it may not be quite as quick as grabbing lunch to-go, it’s still pretty easy to make, thanks to a secret ingredient: chipotles in adobo sauce! The sauce acts as a 1-ingredient marinade for meaty portobello mushroom caps, and I mix pinto and black beans with the chopped peppers to infuse them with some heat. A scoop of pineapple salsa adds a delicious sweet contrast, while burrito bowl essentials – fajita veggies, rice, guac, and greens – round the whole thing out.
This vegan burrito bowl recipe is a great make-ahead lunch or weeknight dinner. Serve it with margaritas, tortilla chips, and (of course) extra guac, and dig in!
Vegan Burrito Bowl Components
When you order a burrito bowl at Chipotle, you answer one key question: what’s your protein? Instead of using meat, I pile this plant-based bowl with grilled portobello mushrooms. They’re smoky, juicy, and super easy to make on the grill! If you don’t have a grill, cook them on the stove on a cast iron grill pan, or under the broiler in your oven.
Char the fajita veggies in this cast iron skillet on the grill while you cook the mushrooms. In order for the peppers to really char, make sure the pan is sizzling hot. If you don’t have a grill, cook them in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Season the charred peppers simply with salt and pepper when they come off the heat, or spice them up with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or taco seasoning!
Once your veggies are ready, assemble your bowl with these components:
- Rice – If you’ve been to Chipotle, you know that a great burrito bowl has a base of cilantro lime rice. Make it with white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice!
- Pinto or black beans – Mix them with chopped chipotles for smoky flavor. Use canned beans, or cook your own.
- Salad greens – Try chopped romaine or arugula.
- Pineapple salsa – It adds the perfect sweet contrast to the smoky adobo sauce. If you don’t have pineapple, mango salsa would be great here too. And if you’re not a fruity salsa person, try tomatillo salsa verde or pico de gallo!
- Guacamole – Need I say more?
If you want to load up your bowl even more, finish it with a dollop of vegan sour cream or creamy chipotle sauce and pickled red onion. Then, garnish it all with chopped cilantro, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing. Enjoy!
Burrito Bowl Meal Prep Tips
Like many rice bowl recipes, this vegan burrito bowl is delicious warm or cold, and the components keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. As a result, it’s perfect for meal prep. If you make it ahead of time, follow these easy tips to keep the components fresh:
- Keep things separate. If your bowls are going to sit in the fridge for a few days, I recommend storing components separately. Keeping the greens away from the moist salsa and fajita veggies will help them stay nice and crisp.
- Swap the grain. Leftover rice can dry out in the fridge, so if you’re making this burrito bowl recipe in advance, try using a different grain. Quinoa would be a great choice!
- Save the guac for the last minute. We all love guac, but it has one failing: it doesn’t keep well! If you’re meal prepping these bowls, skip the guac, and top them with avocado slices and a squeeze of lime juice at the last minute.
Check out this post for more healthy lunch ideas and this one for more meal prep tips!
More Meatless Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you love this burrito bowl recipe, try one of these Mexican-inspired recipes next:
- Vegetarian Tacos
- Easy Fajitas
- Best Breakfast Burrito
- Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Homemade Taquitos
Ingredients
Bowls
- 1 cup cooked pinto beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 to 2 chopped chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo
- ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 cup cooked white, brown, or cilantro lime rice
- 2 cups arugula, chopped
- ½ cup guacamole
- ½ cup pineapple salsa
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Veggies
- 2 portobello mushroom caps
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Adobo sauce from the can of chipotles used above
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, stem, ribbing and seeds removed, sliced into strips
- 1 green pepper, stem, ribbing and seeds removed, sliced into strips
- 1 jalapeño pepper, ribbing and seeds removed, sliced into thin strips, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the beans with the chipotle peppers, olive oil, lime juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Prepare the veggies: Preheat a grill to medium heat with a cast iron pan inside. You’ll grill the mushrooms directly on the grill, and the sliced peppers in the cast iron pan.
- Rub the whole mushroom caps with a drizzle of olive oil and a few spoonfuls of adobo sauce. Use enough sauce to coat the mushrooms well on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the portobellos (directly on the grill grate) 4 to 5 minutes per side or until charred and tender. Slice just before assembling the bowls.
- Toss the pepper strips with a drizzle of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Grill in the cast iron pan or grill pan for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until charred and soft.
- Assemble the bowls with the rice, beans, arugula, sliced mushrooms, peppers, guacamole, scoops of pineapple salsa, and cilantro. Serve with extra salsa and extra lime wedges on the side. (Note: If you would like your arugula and rice seasoned/dressed more, drizzle with olive oil, squeezes of lime and pinches of salt and pepper).
Feb 23, 2023 | Dinner, Recipes, Vegetarian
The ultimate nutrient-packed vegan buddha bowl! Fresh veggies, beans, sauerkraut, and a vibrant turmeric tahini sauce make it hearty and flavorful.
Where did the name ‘Buddha Bowl’ come from, anyway? If you’ve been on Instagram in the last 5 years, chances are you’ve seen these colorful bowls, packed with plant-based goodness like grains, legumes, steamed and raw veggies, and flavorful sauces. According to a 2017 Epicurious article by Katherine Sacks, the name could come from how Buddha collected alms, using a large bowl to gather small bits of food that the residents of whatever village he was staying in could afford to share.
Before we started calling these colorful bowls “Buddha Bowls,” I knew them as macro bowls. When we lived in Austin, I headed to a macrobiotic restaurant called Casa de Luz whenever I needed a bit of a recharge. Instead of having a fixed menu, Casa de Luz offered one rotating meal per day. It would always be some type of buddha bowl, with a grain, a legume, blanched leafy greens, steamed vegetables, a pickled vegetable, and a delicious sauce. It may sound limiting, but I’ve honestly had some of the best sauce and vegetable pairings of my life there. Since I can’t visit Casa de Luz regularly now that we live in Chicago, I used their basic template to build my own buddha bowl recipe.
My Buddha Bowl Recipe Ingredients
To make a homemade version of a Caza de Luz macro bowl, I used one item from each of these categories:
- A delicious sauce – I made a vibrant turmeric tahini sauce. It’s my favorite type of creamy sauce in that it doesn’t require a blender, so you can stir it together in no time. And if you have leftovers, you’re in luck! This colorful sauce tastes great on everything.
- Cooked vegetables – Roasted sweet potatoes were my pick.
- Raw vegetables – Watermelon radish, rainbow carrots, and red cabbage give this buddha bowl recipe a huge pop of color!
- Leafy greens – Bring on the kale.
- A legume – I chose my go-to plant-based protein: chickpeas!
- A grain – I used brown rice, but if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute white rice.
- A pickled vegetable – Sauerkraut! I love Bubbies.
These components all keep nicely in the fridge if you want to meal prep this recipe for lunch during the week. Find my best meal prep tips here and more of my favorite healthy lunch recipes here!
Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe Variations
I love this recipe as written, but feel free to customize your buddha bowl. Here are a few of my favorite variations:
- Vary the veggies. Replace the sweet potato with roasted butternut squash or regular potatoes, or try a different kind of roasted veggie. Roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or beets would all be great. You could also try cooking them in different ways. Steam or sauté the kale instead of leaving it raw, steam or roast the carrots, or boil the sweet potatoes. In the summer, grilled veggies would be great here too!
- Swap in a different protein. Try edamame, lentils, black beans (or any kind of beans), or top your grain bowls with cubes of crispy tofu or tempeh. For extra crunch, you could even use roasted chickpeas!
- Change up the grain. Replace the rice with quinoa, farro, or couscous. For extra veggie power, skip the grain, and swap in cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
- Switch the sauce. Make a different variation of my basic tahini sauce recipe, or use a different sauce entirely! I love finishing a buddha bowl with peanut sauce, lemon vinaigrette, green goddess dressing, cilantro lime dressing, hummus, or drizzles of sesame oil and soy sauce or tamari.
- Try a different pickle. Don’t have sauerkraut on hand? Use pickled red onion or jalapeños instead!
Let me know what variations you try!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 watermelon radish or 2 red radishes
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- Squeeze of lemon
- 8 kale leaves, chopped
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas or cooked lentils
- ¾ cup sauerkraut or other fermented veggie
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or hemp seeds
- Turmeric Tahini Sauce, for serving
- Microgreens, optional
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread onto the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Thinly slice the radish into rounds (this is best done on a mandoline), and use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots into ribbons.
- Toss the radish slices, carrots, and shredded cabbage with a squeeze of lemon. Set aside.
- Place the kale leaves into a large bowl and toss with a squeeze of lemon and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.
- Assemble individual bowls with the brown rice, chickpeas, kale, carrots, radishes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, sesame seeds, and microgreens, if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the Turmeric Tahini Sauce.
Feb 16, 2023 | Dinner, Recipes, Vegetarian
If you love easy recipes that pack a huge punch of flavor, these roasted cauliflower tacos are for you. They’re healthy, delicious, and simple to make.
When I opened Julia Turshen’s new cookbook Simply Julia, I landed on a photo of these roasted cauliflower tacos. My first thought? “I want to eat that.”
After trying them, I think it’s safe to say that you’ll want to eat these cauliflower tacos too. They’re jam-packed with flavor from nutty roasted cauliflower, aromatic spices, and a zingy avocado sauce, and they’re also super easy to make. Roast the veggies, whizz up the sauce, stuff it all into tortillas, and voila! Dinner is served.
If you’re looking for more recipes that combine easy prep with big flavor, I highly recommend you check out Simply Julia. Recipe after recipe will catch your eye – Everything Bagel Hand Pies, Creamy Roasted Tomato & Orzo Soup, White Pizza-Style Kale – and you’ll find that each one is easy to prepare. They’re not all vegetarian, but not to worry! If you have a dietary restriction, Julia is looking out for you. The book is filled with vegan, gluten-free, and low carb options.
But even better than new recipe ideas, Simply Julia will give you a new friend in the kitchen. Julia’s good-humored, honest writing makes you feel like you’re cooking together, with her cheering you on the whole time. Cauliflower tacos, here we come.
Cauliflower Taco Recipe Ingredients
- Cauliflower, of course! We’ll roast it until it’s nutty and golden brown.
- Red cabbage – It roasts right along with the cauliflower, becoming tender and browned in the oven.
- Cumin, coriander, olive oil, and salt – They fill the roasted veggies with aromatic flavor.
- Avocado sauce – This rich, zesty sauce is super simple to make! You just need avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and a little mayo.
- Tortillas – Make your own if you’re up for it, or use your favorite store bought corn tortillas.
- And whatever fixings you like! I topped my cauliflower tacos with avocado slices, radishes, cilantro, and sliced serranos. Diced onion, pickled jalapeños, or even a dash of hot sauce would be great too.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cauliflower Tacos
Did I mention that this cauliflower taco recipe is easy to make? Here’s how it goes:
First, roast the veggies. Julia roasts the cauliflower florets and cabbage together on one baking sheet. I tweaked the recipe and put them on separate baking sheets, adding the cabbage to the oven partway through the cauliflower cooking time. Either way works! Whether you’re using one baking sheet or two, toss the veggies with the spices, olive oil, and salt before you stick them in the oven.
While the veggies are roasting, make the sauce. You could whizz it together in a food processor or mash it by hand. It’ll be chunkier if you mash it yourself, but it’ll still be delicious.
Finally, assemble and eat! Fill the tortillas with a scoop of the avocado sauce, the roasted veggies, and whatever fixings you like.
Cauliflower Tacos Serving Suggestions
These cauliflower tacos would be perfect for all sorts of occasions:
- A busy weeknight. Enjoy the tacos as a meal on their own. So easy!
- A fun Taco Tuesday. Serve them with chips, salsa, and margaritas to drink.
- An epic taco night. Prepare black beans, refried beans, or pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, and/or Mexican street corn salad to serve on the side. Set out bowls of toppings, and let everyone build their own tacos.
Yum!
- 1 small cauliflower, outer leaves and core discarded, cut into small florets
- 1 pound red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1/2 small red cabbage or 6 cups sliced)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For Serving
- 1 recipe Avocado Sauce
- 12 corn tortillas, warmed
- Thinly sliced radishes, optional
- Sliced serrano peppers, optional
- Avocado slices, optional
- Cilantro, optional
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Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Place the cauliflower and cabbage on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin, coriander, and salt. Use your hands to mix everything together and spread it out into an even layer. Roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and browned in spots, about 45 minutes. (I roasted my cabbage and cauliflower on two separate sheet pans. I cooked the cauliflower for 25 minutes and the cabbage for 10 minutes. Both ways work!)
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Evenly divide the Avocado Sauce and roasted vegetables among the tortillas. Serve immediately with the radishes, serranos, avocado slices, and cilantro, if using.
Jan 31, 2023 | Dinner, Recipes, Vegetarian
Gnocchi can typically be found in two varieties at the grocery store. The type that is shelf-stable and can be found near the boiled dry pasta, as well as the type that can be found in the refrigerated section near the ravioli and tortellini. Gnocchi that have been refrigerated can be baked in the oven or simply heated through in a pan with this straightforward recipe.
One of our favorite ways to make gnocchi is this way. While maintaining a pillowy, chewy interior, roasting gives the pasta a slightly browned exterior. We are employing the flavors of caprese to accompany the gnocchi without relying on the seasonality of the tomatoes. Let’s take a look at bell peppers, which are stunningly sweet.
Roasting the peppers with the gnocchi, some minced garlic, and olive oil could be a delicious meal on its own; however, we add some fresh basil and balsamic glaze to give the dish some acidity and herbaceousness. We could have used just regular mozzarella, but we think burrata gives the dish a creamy richness that is unmatched.
You’ll be making this recipe at least once a week because of the de facto sauce made from the peppers’ juices, olive oil, balsamic, and burrata.
Who made it? In the comments section below, let us know how it turned out!
Ingredients
- 4red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 1(12-oz.) package fresh gnocchi
- 3cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 oz.burrata, torn into pieces
- 1/2 c.fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 1/2 tbsp.balsamic glaze (1/4 c. balsamic vinegar simmered for about 10 minutes)
Directions
Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425º. Add bell peppers, gnocchi, and garlic to a large sheet pan and toss to coat with 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes.
Step 2
Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until peppers are totally softened and gnocchi have started to brown.
Step 3
Top with burrata and basil and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and balsamic glaze.
Nov 17, 2022 | Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian
We’re equipped to claim that this mashed potatoes recipe produces the fluffiest and creamiest facet dish around. Opt for Yukon Golds (or russets, however in no way crimson potatoes), which might be the quality potatoes for mashing, and feature a wealthy buttery taste and creamy mouthfeel. The secret’s to now no longer waterlog the spuds: Boil potatoes over low warmth in well-salted water with their skins on, which enables them take in much less moisture, yielding a silky texture, now no longer a gummy or gluey one. As for the ones skins, the ricer or meals mill will trap them—remarkable information for lazy chefs everywhere. (Want all of the seasoned tips? Watch Andy lead them to here!) And higher still, all of it takes place at the stovetop, leaving your oven absolutely free.
If you’re tight on time on Thanksgiving, or every other day you propose to serve this consolation meals conventional, you may make this recipe an afternoon earlier and tuck it into the refrigerator. And even as you’re at it, you can get a head begin with this gravy recipe, which is going remarkable with the potatoes, doesn’t rely upon turkey drippings, and may be made as much as 5 days ahead. (A dollop of bitter cream and a few thinly sliced inexperienced onions or a touch greater melted butter in no way harm either.)
If you opt for garlic mashed potatoes crowned with a few crispy, crunchy bits, or ones made with baked potatoes and completed with a conventional chive garnish, we’d understand.
Ingredients
8 servings
4 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 sprigs rosemary
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
A potato ricer or food mill fitted with fine disk
Preparation
Step 1
Place potatoes in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 1″. Add a large handful of salt (water should taste briny, like the ocean) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender but not crumbly, 30–35 minutes. Drain, briefly rinse with cool water to remove any excess starch, and return potatoes to warm pot (off heat) to dry while you heat the milk mixture.
Step 2
Warm milk, cream, garlic, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Step 3
Pass hot potatoes through ricer or food mill into a large bowl (cold potatoes will become gummy). Add butter and 4 tsp. salt and stir until butter is completely incorporated. Strain warm milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass. Pour into potatoes ½-cupful at a time, stirring after each addition until liquid is fully incorporated and mixture is smooth before adding more.
Step 4
Serve mashed potatoes topped with a few grinds of pepper.
Do Ahead:
Mashed potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium, stirring often and adding ¼ cup milk or stock to thin out if needed.
Nov 15, 2022 | Main Course, Recipes, Vegetarian
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 35 minutes
For many, no Thanksgiving is complete without a classic green bean casserole. According to Campbell’s Soup Company, which is responsible for the original recipe, it’s served at 20 million tables every year. There are many variations of this perfect side dish out there, including ones made with canned soup and canned green beans, some made in slow cookers, those finished with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs, and, of course, the one known as French’s Green Bean Casserole, which is topped with the brand’s signature Crispy Fried Onions.
In 2016, our own Chris Morocco set out to develop his version of the ideal homemade green bean casserole recipe. He swapped out Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup for fresh, sliced criminis and a béchamel finished with Parmesan, which captures the intensity of just-seared mushrooms as well as all the umami potential of the nutty aged cheese. Well-browned mushrooms are crucial for building flavor here, so make sure not to salt them until they’ve reached a dark brown hue (salting them too soon will lead to soggy, steamed ’shrooms instead). Chris’s recipe also calls for fresh green beans instead of canned to maintain a crisp-tender (never mushy) texture.
As for the crunchy finish on top of the bean mixture that everyone is vying for at the Thanksgiving table? You can make your own with fried shallots, but those bottled crispy fried onions from French’s are famous for a reason: They are astonishingly delicious and practically define this recipe, so we didn’t mess with them here.
While many a casserole dish can be made ahead of time, this one is best made the day of, so plan accordingly and use the bake time to work on other classic holiday side dishes, like mashed potatoes, and putting the finishing touches on a savory sweet potato casserole.
Ingredients:
8 servings
2 lb. green beans
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, divided
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
4 large sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1¼ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup French’s fried onions
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°. Working in batches, cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain and let cool; trim stem ends.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms, without stirring, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 thyme sprigs to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until butter browns and mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. butter, salt, and remaining oil, mushrooms, and thyme.
Step 3
Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in garlic and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Arrange green beans and mushrooms in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over (it may not look like enough, but it will get saucier as it bakes). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned on top and around the edges, 15–20 minutes longer. Top with fried onions and continue to bake just until onions are slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes to set before serving.
