Veggie Burrito Bowl with Black Beans

A super flavourful Veggie Burrito Bowl with Black Beans recipe made vegan and gluten-free makes for a tasty dinner or make-ahead lunch all week long. Packed with flavourful spiced brown rice, lots of veggies and the best black beans, this burrito bowl is good.

Hi! Welcome to my latest and greatest dinner (and make-ahead lunch!!) obsession.

Seriously.

This Veggie Burrito Bowl is the answer to all my Mexican-flavour cravings. The rice, the beans and the veggies all topped with lots of guac. As if we’d have it another way. And all made completely vegan and gluten-free with simple ingredients before we start getting crazy with toppings.

MORE ABOUT THIS VEGGIE BURRITO BOWL RECIPE…

There may seem like a lot of ingredients and a lot of work that goes into this recipe, but we are using a lot of the same ingredients over and over again just in different places (take the oil, spices or taco seasoning and cilantro). Trust me, it’s not that bad!!

Because brown rice does take a little while to cook… and when I say little while I mean about 35 minutes, the veggies and black bean will be done and ready with time to spare by the time the rice is finished. In order to time everything just right, I cut the veggies and get all of the cilantro and garlic that I will need prep just while the rice starts to simmer away.

I upped the flavour in this bowl by adding some taco spices and cilantro to the rice. Huuuuge flavour addition here which I think adds a nice little something-something to these burrito bowls. You can definitely skip the flavour additions here if you’d like and stick with the classic brown rice (or use a quicker cooking grain like quinoa if you prefer) instead but I think spicy, flavourful rice is my new JAM!!

I think the veggies fit in better with a nice char or caramelization to them. It’s more authentic or something. This is easily done by not stirring the veggies at all… Or at least for a couple minutes or so while they’re in that hot pan.

And the black beans!! Quite possibly my favourite part of this dish. These black beans are similar to the black beans used in these cheesy black bean quesadillas. They were good then and they are really, really good now. It may seem weird to add the juices of the black beans to the pan but do it. The black bean juice (is it weird to call it juice?) makes the black beans so thick and flavourful in a way that would never be achieved by water or stock.

In the end, these bowls are really easily put together and can be topped with only your favourite burrito-ey toppings. The rice, the beans and the veggies all go into the bowl and then go crazy with toppings. Guacamole and salsa are a must for me!! But cheese, sour cream (or even better – plain greek yogurt), more cilantro, jalapeños, extra veggies like lettuce or diced tomatoes all work perfectly!!

It’s perfect for dinner during the week or a nutritious and delicious lunch all week long!!

Veggie Burrito Bowl with Black Beans

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• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4

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Description

A super flavourful Veggie Burrito Bowl with Black Beans recipe made vegan and gluten free makes for a tasty dinner or make-ahead lunch for all week long. Packed with flavourful spiced brown rice, lots of veggies and the best black beans, this burrito bowl is good.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Rice:

• 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 teaspoon (each) ground cumin, chili powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon (each) ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, salt*
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice**
• 2 cups water or stock
• Handful roughly chopped cilantro (about 1/4 cup), optional

For the Veggies:

• 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
• 2–3 bell peppers (any colour; mine were small so I used 3)
• 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
• 1 onion

For the Black Beans:

• 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 teaspoon (each) cumin, chili powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 19 oz can no salt added black beans with their juices
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

For the Burrito Bowl:

• Avocado or guacamole, salsa, chopped crunchy lettuce, sliced jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, fresh lime, cheese, plain yogurt or sour cream (as toppings)

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Instructions

For the Rice:

1. In a medium-large pot over medium-high heat add the oil. Add the spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder and salt) and the rice and stir everything together until the rice is evenly coated.
2. Add the water or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce rice to low heat and cover with a tight fitting lid and allow the rice to simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the water is all absorbed.
3. Stir in roughly chopped cilantro, if using.

For the Veggies:

1. While the rice is simmering, slice 2-3 bell peppers as well as 1 jalapeño pepper (if using) being sure to remove any seeds and ribs. Then halve a peeled onion, and slice each half fairly thin. Set aside.
2. Over medium-high heat add oil to a large, stainless steel or cast iron skillet. When the pan is hot add the peppers. Stir to coat the peppers in the oil and then let the peppers cook for 2-3 minutes without stirring so they start to brown and caramelize.
3. When the peppers develop their colour, add the onions and stir to incorporate. Let cook untouched for another 2 minutes or so until the onions just start to soften and develop some colour.
4. Remove pan from heat and transfer peppers to a bowl covered with foil.

For the Black Beans:

1. Reduce the heat on the stove to medium.
2. In the same skillet the veggies were cooked (no need to clean it out), add oil, garlic, cumin chili powder, salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook until very fragrant, about 20 seconds.
3. Add the black beans and their juices and cilantro. Stir well.
4. Let the black beans gently bubble away, stirring frequently so they don’t stick until the rice has finished cooking.

For the Burrito Bowls:

1. In a bowl, add rice then topped with black beans, veggies and any toppings you’d like – guacamole, salsa and lime juice are my favourites.

Notes

Or you can use an equal amount of your favourite taco or fajita seasoning (about 1 heaping tablespoon for the rice and 2 teaspoons for the black beans). If your taco seasoning does not contain salt be sure to add some to the rice. You could also opt for plain, unseasoned rice instead and skip the seasoning there if you’d like.

*I like brown rice here the best but brown rice does take about 35 minutes to cook up. If you are in a hurry, you can substitute quinoa or a quicker cooking whole grain instead.

This recipe makes enough for 4 good-sized bowls. When assembling a bowl use 1/4 of each component (1/4 of the rice, 1/4 of the black beans and 1/4 of the veggies).

Black Beans inspired from Easy Cheesy Black Bean Quesadillas.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes