Easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Vegetarian burrito bowls are a delicious and nutritious meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. It’s so easy to customize and is packed with flavor. Gluten + dairy free!
Veggie burrito bowls are a great way to get a balanced meal all in one bowl. The combination of rice, beans, and vegetables provides a good amount of plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamins.
Plus, the ingredients are easily available at most grocery stores so you don’t have to worry about finding specialty ingredients. This is a great recipe for a quick and healthy dinner any night of the week!
Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy (optional), casein (optional), eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
In my house, these are known as “Laura Taco Bowls” for how often I ate them when going to grad school! Years later I still love to make these for dinner and then days of leftovers for lunch.
Making vegetarian burrito bowls are an easy and fun way to enjoy meal prep. Use the ingredients you have on hand to make some delicious flavors. No matter if you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch, a hearty dinner, or a delicious meal prep, the vegetarian burrito bowl is the answer!
Want more Tex Mex inspired foods? Check out my black bean chili and black bean vegan enchiladas.
Why You’ll Love This Burrito Bowl
- Easy dinner idea that everyone will love
- Not expensive to make because it uses beans, rice, and corn
- Top with your favorite flavors and toppings
- Perfect for meal prep! This recipe doubles (even triples!) easily making lunch or dinner for the whole family for a few days.
Ingredients
There are 3 parts to my vegetarian burrito bowl: The rice, the beans, and the toppings.
Rice: This is the base of the bowl. You can use your favorite white rice or brown rice. If you have limes and cilantro you can make easy cilantro lime rice by mixing in a few squeezes of lime juice into the rice with some chopped cilantro. I love to use my rice cooker for this recipe, but an instant pot or on the stove top all make good rice.
Beans: The main component of the bowl! It’s packed with healthy black beans, frozen corn, and a can of diced tomatoes with peppers for flavor. You can cook this as is, or add spices like cumin, garlic and onion powder, and chili powder to jazz it up. If you have a favorite taco seasoning, you can totally use that as well. Check out my gluten free chili seasoning for a homemade spice blend.
Toppings: The sky’s the limit for this burrito bowl! I always add greens like romaine lettuce or baby spinach to help round out the bowl. Then things like salsa or fresh pico de gallo, avocado slices, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, sour cream (dairy or dairy free), pickled onion, pickled jalapeno, or cheese on top. I love to serve it with lime wedges and vegan sour cream.
Allergy Substitutions
If you are avoiding corn, you can still make this. Just omit the corn in the veggie mix and replace with some of your favorite vegetables. A sliced red pepper or green bell pepper would be awesome in this.
Instructions
This is a quick rundown of how to make this recipe. For the full instructions, complete with recipe measurements, please see the recipe card below. You can also use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page.
First: Cook the rice.
Cook your rice in the manner you prefer and according to package directions. When the rice is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your bowls. Finally, add in some lime juice and chopped cilantro if you like.
Second: Make the beans.
In a medium pot, mix together the frozen corn, rinsed and drained black beans, and the entire can of tomatoes complete with juice. Add the spices. I also add about a half cup of water to help things come together.
Cook this over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until most of the water has cooked off.
Finally: Make the bowls.
Scoop some rice into your bowl. Add a good spoonful of the bean mixture. Then, add your greens and any toppings that you like! Enjoy!
Variations
There are endless ways to customize this vegetarian burrito bowl recipe! Here are a few ideas:
- Make it spicy! Add sliced jalapeno peppers to the bean mix, top with your favorite hot sauce.
- Add more veggies! Add red and green bell peppers, zucchini slices, or more onions to the bean mix.
- Make it a breakfast! Add a fried egg or scrambled egg on top with some hot sauce for a protein packed breakfast.
- Serve with tortilla chips for a yummy dip recipe
- Want to make it cheesey? Add your favorite shredded cheese or vegan cheese for a yummy addition.
FAQs
Yes! You can use quinoa, riced cauliflower, or polenta. It won’t quite be the same but will still be delicious. I’ve even served the bean mix and toppings over baked potatoes and sweet potatoes before.
Yes! Burrito bowls are a great healthy meal. It’s high in protein thanks to the beans. This bowl is full of veggies thanks to the tomatoes, corn, and greens. All the salsa and extra toppings each are full of vitamins and minerals. Avocados are a good source of healthy fats. And when mixed all together this is a good balance of carbs, fats, and proteins.
No, you can use other beans that you like, including pinto beans, red kidney beans, or even white beans.
No worries! You can use fresh parsley in place of fresh cilantro in the cooked rice. Or leave It out entirely.
How to Store
It’s best to store the different parts of the bowl separately in their own airtight container in the fridge. This goes the same for meal prep. Try to keep the rice, beans, and toppings in separate containers until ready to mix up and eat. This will keep for up to 4 days.
Top Tips
Adjust to your preferred heat level! You can leave out peppers all together. Use a jalapeno for moderate heat, or a serrano pepper for extra spicy.
- Don’t skip rinsing the rice! It’s really important to remove that extra starch so the rice can cook up properly.
- More protein options: Feel free to add things like taco ground beef, shredded chicken, or scrambled tofu on top for extra protein.
More Easy Meals to Enjoy
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Equipment
- mixing spoons
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Pots
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice white, brown, or a different swap like cauliflower rice
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz diced tomatoes with green peppers
- 1 cup corn frozen
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup salsa
- ¼ avocado sliced
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
- ¼ cup cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Make the rice. Make the rice according to package directions. After the rice has finished cooking, you can add 2 tablespoons lime juice and some of the chopped cilantro for garnish.
- Make the beans. In a medium pot on the stove over medium heat, combine the rinsed and drained black beans with frozen corn and the diced tomatoes. Add the spices. Mix well and add ½ cup water. Let cook, stirring occasionally for 20 to 25 minutes or until the water has mostly evaporated.
- Assemble the bowls. Into a bowl or on a plate, first place a scoop of rice. Add a large scoop of the bean mixture. Add the lettuce or other greens and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store
- It’s best to store the different parts of the bowl separately in their own airtight container in the fridge. This goes the same for meal prep. Try to keep the rice, beans, and toppings in separate containers until ready to mix up and eat. This will keep for up to 4 days.
- Allergy Substitutions
- If you are avoiding corn, you can still make this. Just omit the corn in the veggie mix and replace with some of your favorite vegetables. A sliced red pepper or green bell pepper would be awesome in this.
- Variations
- Make it spicy! Add sliced jalapeno peppers to the bean mix, top with your favorite hot sauce.
- Add more veggies! Add red and green bell peppers, zucchini slices, or more onions to the bean mix.
- Make it a breakfast! Add a fried egg or scrambled egg on top with some hot sauce for a protein packed breakfast.
- Serve with tortilla chips for a yummy dip recipe
- Want to make it cheesey? Add your favorite shredded cheese or vegan cheese for a yummy addition.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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