Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with Avocado Crema

A Healthy Burrito Bowl So Delicious You’ll Never Miss the Meat

Ideal for meal-preppers, vegetarians, or even just meatless Monday devotees who’d like to mix things up, there’s so much to love about this delicious, simple homemade burrito bowl. It’s even really easy to adapt for vegans—there’s only one non-vegan ingredient, and it can easily be swapped for a vegan version. We take advantage of a few store-bought ingredients—like jarred salsa—to add ease to your prep process, as well as huge flavor for very little effort.

The Best Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Starts With Super-Flavorful Ingredients

While you could keep your veggie burrito bowl as basic as some roasted veggies and canned beans served over a bed of rice, a few extra steps and ingredients will really pay off and turn a somewhat boring-healthy dinner into a meal that everyone begs for (that also happens to be very healthy). To make these easy burrito bowls, you’ll need:

• Cauliflower.
• Bell peppers. We like to use a combo of red and green, jto make this burrito bowl as colorful as possible.
• Onions.
• Olive oil.
• Limes. You’ll need these for the burrito bowl toppings, and for the avocado crema (more on that later.)
• Taco seasoning. Homemade, or store bought in a pinch.
• Beans. Pinto or black—either work great.
• Jarred salsa. Or homemade! Whatever is easy—you’ll mostly be using this to flavor the beans.
• Romaine lettuce.
• Cilantro-lime rice. Of course, you can use plain or brown rice if that’s what you’ve got. Or, you’ve got leftover rice, just jazz it up a little with some cilantro, lime juice and zest! Yum!

Make It Restaurant-Worthy: DIY Avocado Crema

All of the components of this colorful, hearty vegetarian burrito bowl are seasoned in various ways, so it’s not that the burrito bowl isn’t crazy flavorful and delicious without this crema drizzled on top. It’s just that sometimes it’s nice to go that extra mile, you know? And that’s what this lovely avocado crema does—it takes a perfectly lovely burrito bowl and makes it a little snazzy. It also ties all of the ingredients together into a nice little burrito bowl bow and brings a sense of real coherence to the meal. Anyway, if you don’t want to fuss with it, you’ll still have a delicious dinner. But if you do, here’s all you’ll need to make your dinner a little something special:

• Avocado
• Garlic
• Sour cream (or, if you want to keep your burrito bowl vegan, just use a vegan sour cream—they’re easy to find at the store, usually close to the traditional dairy sour cream, or near the tofu.)
• Lime juice
• Cilantro

How To Make a Burrito Bowl

Making a burrito bowl is mostly an effort of assemblage. You can prep most of this bowl way ahead of time, too, and in doing so, make it a meal that comes together in minutes. Here’s how we like to approach this burrito bowl recipe:

1. Make the cilantro-lime rice. Burrito bowls are always a great use for leftover rice—either from takeout or from a homemade meal—so you can also just season some leftover rice with a little cilantro and lime juice.
2. Roast the veggies! Roast cauliflower florets, peppers and onions—all seasoned with a little taco seasoning—for about 30 minutes. This can be done at least 2-3 days ahead of time, if you’re meal-prepping.
3. Buckle up for one of our very best tips, ever! Season your beans by simmering them for a few minutes with some salsa. Voila! Instantly delicious beans! You could do this ahead, we supposed, but it takes only a couple minutes, and the burrito bowl is best if the beans are freshly warmed, so this is a step we reserve for the day-of.
4. Avocado crema time! Mix this up while the beans simmer—yeah, it’s that fast to make.
5. Assemble! Have everyone assemble their burrito bowls however they see fit, and ta da! A super-healthy dinner loaded with fiber, vitamins, and whole grains that everyone will love.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Sheet pan.
• Small pot.
• Food processor.
• Skillet.
• Sharp knife.

More Healthy, Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

Meatless also means veggie-full, and who doesn’t love that? Here are a few vegetarian recipes that have earned a spot in our regular rotations:

• Braised Chickpeas with Chard
• Broccoli Pesto Pasta
• Coconut Curry Ramen
• Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

Is Burrito Bowl Night The New Taco Night?

Or maybe Mexican food is popular enough in your home that there’s room for BOTH in a week? Either way, we hope you try and love this burrito bowl recipe! If you do, we’d love to know! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!