Veggie Burrito Bowls
These veggie burrito bowls are the perfect easy Tex-Mex dinner – especially when they’re piled up with your favourite toppings!
Can anything beat a bit of Tex-Mex? Give me anything with beans, rice, veggies and cheese, in any combination, and I’m more than happy. These veggie burrito bowls are the perfect example – they’re nothing fancy, just everything piled up in one big, beautiful heap – but my word, they’re good.
What is a burrito bowl?
A burrito bowl is essentially a burrito – but un-burritoed.
It’s all the stuff you would usually find wrapped up in a big tortilla to make an amazing vegetarian burrito, but served in a bowl instead. Rice, beans, and plenty of veggies.
I love a good burrito as much as the next person, but sometimes I fancy something a bit lighter, or (more likely) I just don’t have any tortillas to hand – and a burrito bowl is a great alternative.
Black bean burrito bowls
These veggie burrito bowls are really, really straightforward to make. Start by cooking off some veggies in a pan – I went for spring onions, peppers and tomatoes – and add some black beans.
I know I go on about black beans all the time, but it’s only because they’re the ultimate bean – they’re little and soft, with a lovely deep flavour. They go perfectly in these burrito bowls, and hold up really well against the other smoky, spicy flavours.
Brown rice
Next, add some cooked rice. I used brown rice, because it’s got a nice nutty flavour that works really well, and a lovely chewy texture. It makes these burrito bowls feel extra hearty.
White rice would work just fine too, of course!
Just mix it all together, and you’re basically done! A good splash of your favourite hot sauce ties everything in together and makes your lovely bowlful really tasty.
But don’t forget one of the most important parts of these burrito bowls…
The toppings!
A meal like this is just crying out for a few toppings. I say this every time I post this type of Tex-Mex recipe, but it’s true – Tex-Mex food is just perfect for topping with all sorts of tasty extras:
- grated cheese (I melted mine in the microwave)
- chopped spring onions
- salsa
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
- sour cream
- avocado or guacamole
Really, just go mad with toppings. Every topping you add will lift these veggie burrito bowls further and further into deliciousness!
Can I make a vegan burrito bowl?
Absolutely! The main recipe of these veggie burrito bowls is actually vegan anyway. I added some cheese on top of mine, but you could easily swap it for vegan cheese, or just choose a few vegan toppings from the list above instead.
Alternatively, if you fancy something a bit different, you might also like my quinoa and roasted chickpea vegan burrito bowls!
It’s really hard to go wrong with these veggie burrito bowls.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Veggie Burrito Bowls
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Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 150 g (~ 3/4 cup) brown rice
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (I used yellow)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ~ 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 100 ml (~ 1/3 cup) vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (however hot you like it)
- Your choice of toppings, to serve, e.g. grated cheese, sour cream, guacamole, fresh coriander (cilantro), etc.
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice according to the instructions on the packet – I boil mine in plenty of water until it's just soft (around 20 minutes), then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat a dash of oil in a large, deep frying pan, and add the spring onions, diced pepper and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes, black beans, paprika, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes more, until the tomatoes are just softened. You can squish them a little to release their juice if you like.
- When the rice is cooked, add it to the vegetables, along with a little vegetable stock and a dash of hot sauce. Mix well to combine. Check the seasoning (you might want a little more hot sauce!), and serve with your choice of toppings.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
I made this for my family today and they loved it! We added a little lime to the rice and a sprinkle of cayenne on top and it was wonderful. I never would have thought to add cherry tomatoes but I have tons from our garden and it was a great addition. Thanks for the recipe! Even my toddler ate it :)
Yay I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for letting me know! :)
Becca you do not need to *churn* your own butter. Dump some heavy cream into a food processor and whirl til it’s butter. Pour off butter “milk”. (My cat loves that stuff.) I add some crunchy sea salt to mine at this stage to make sel du mer beurre. You could probably add any flavorings you want. So much better than store bought. Keep in the fridge but it won’t last long you’ll eat it on everything.
Could you substitute coconut oil for the sunflower oil?
I’ve never used coconut oil so I can’t say for sure, but if that’s your usual cooking oil then have a go and let me know how it works! :)
An acidity regulator is an additive they would use to keep the acidity of the tinned tomatoes high enough so they are safe to be stored in a can. So when I can my own tomatoes, I may add lemon juice to boost the acidity of low acid tomatoes. It could be that they added acetic acid (vinegar is about 5% acetic acid). However, I understand why this unspecific ingredient would turn you off. Try looking at other brands of tinned tomatoes. Some will specifically list the acid (citric acid is common, which is what is in lemon juice), and some will be canned without additional acids at all.
This burrito bowl looks great! Healthy and yummy. I would definitely add some avocado and (homemade) salsa! Maybe a bit of Greek yogurt, too!
Ah, good to know! Thanks Sharon! :)
It looks delicious, and much reminiscent of my veggie chilli. My stalwart carnivore husband loves the veggie chilli, and to both of our surprise, it turns out he prefers brown rice and whole grain pasta to the refined version. Result! This goes to show: taste, test. Delicious things will out themselves.
One thing I will suggest:
With your lovely concoction, mix in light lettuce leaves, sliced fine. Little Gem, Romaine, Oak Leaf, even Iceberg or Napa cabbage– anything. don’t worry if your beans are still hot. Steamed lettuce is absolutely lovely. This is a great thing to do with leftovers, or for a pack lunch.
Ooh that’s an interesting idea! I don’t often cook lettuce but it actually sounds like it could work :)
It totally does! In China, vegetables are rarely eaten raw. Try cooking all kinds of things you wouldn’t normally cook. Stir-fried cucumbers with black beans is amazing.
Definitely going to try this recipe – delicious AND guilt-free! I look forward to trying it…I’m currently attempting to eat a better, cleaner diet and struggling to find interesting meals. This will help motivate me a lot!
I absolutely love this. I’m glad I found your post because I’ve recently been altering my diet as well, but for a more permanent life style change, and not just a week. Like you, I’m still trying to figure out what is clean and what isn’t. Sometimes it almost feels like nothing is 100% okay to eat. Just today I was reading that there are fruits, like apples, that if not bought organic will introduce at least 3-5 different types of toxins into your body. I live in a country where Organic food is not as readily available (especially when it’s imported, like apples) as it is in the states, so certain lifestyle changes can be really challenging.
But I love Mexican and Mexican inspired food and although some diets denounce grains and legumes, I am in love with Mexican cuisine simply because it utilises it so much. So I look forward to trying this burrito bowl, I’m sure it’ll be good.
Yum, these look lovely! I’ve never eaten clean, but I’ve toyed around with the idea. For me that would mean cutting out foods with unrecognizable ingredients, just like you. I can’t think of a food that would serve as an “acidity regulator”, so that would probably be out for me too.
I went into major diet mode about a month before our wedding and really cleaned it up. Now if I eat any sort of processed foods I feel absolutely disgusting. Love these burrito bowls, they sound delicious :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
good luck on your clean quest! let us know how it goes!