Vegetarian Burrito Bowl

This delicious Vegetarian Burrito Bowl is loaded with flavor from cauliflower rice, seasoned pinto beans, Poblanos, and tomato-avocado salsa. And check out the option for a lower-carb meatless burrito bowl in this recipe as well.

PIN the Vegetarian Burrito Bowl to try it later.

Recently I asked on the Kalyn’s Kitchen Facebook Page about what kind of recipes they’d like to see more of, and quite a few people mentioned more plant based foods on the blog. And that inspired me to remind you about these delicious  Vegetarian Burrito Bowls that I created with my nephew Jake.

I like the challenge of creating a really flavorful meatless dish, but a high percentage of my meatless recipes include cheese, so I’m extra excited when I can create a knock-your-socks-off recipe like this one that’s also Vegan. Of course, Jake and I gobbled this up without the slightest thought of it being Vegan, but for those who do care, it’s a plus!

This meatless burrito bowl recipe is made from cauliflower rice and pinot beans, but see tips in the post for making a lower-carb vegetarian burrito bowl!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Poblano peppers (Poblanos are often called Pasilla peppers in U.S. grocery stores)
• red onion
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, or your favorite commercial Taco Seasoning
• canned Pinto beans
• medium head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (see notes)
• garlic cloves, sliced
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• avocados
• fresh-squeezed lime juice (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
• cherry tomatoes
• chopped cilantro (or use a little more finely sliced green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan)
• green onion
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• fresh cut limes to squeeze on at the table (optional)
• chopped cilantro to add at the table (optional)

What makes the Vegetarian Burrito Bowl extra flavorful?

I think you need to add ingredients with strong flavors to turn cauliflower rice into something that’s really good, and in this recipe the beans and cauliflower rice get a big flavor boost with red onion, Poblano peppers, and Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning; then the cauliflower rice and beans mixture is topped with a fresh-tasting salsa with tomatoes, avocados, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, chopped poblanos, and cumin. And this was so, so good!

How to make this Vegetarian Burrito Bowl lower in carbs:

If you don’t mind the idea of a burrito bowl without beans, you can easily turn this into a lower-carb recipe using half as many tomatoes in the salsa and replacing the can of beans with 2 cups of chopped zucchini, skipping the water if you’re not using beans. These two changes will make a vegetarian burrito bowl with about 12 net carbs per serving.

How to make this Vegetarian Burrito Bowl:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Saute the chopped Poblano peppers and red onion in a little olive oil.
2. Then add Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, the rinsed beans (or partly-cooked chopped zucchini), and a little water if you’re using beans, and let the beans cook until all the water is evaporated.
3. While that’s cooking dice avocado, toss with lime juice, tomatoes, chopped Poblano, green onion, chopped cilantro (or use more green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan), lime juice, and a little cumin.
4. Cut up a medium-sized head of cauliflower and buzz on the food processor until it’s finely chopped. (Or you can use 5 cups frozen cauliflower rice if you prefer. Take it out of the freezer a few minutes before you start the recipe.)
5. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan with high sides, add garlic, and cook just until you smell garlic, then discard garlic.
6. Add the chopped cauliflower and cook about 4 minutes, stirring often. (Check the package for cooking time if you use frozen cauliflower rice.)
7. Season with plenty of salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
8. When the cauliflower is barely tender, add the bean mixture (or zucchini mixture if you’re making the lower-carb version) and cook about a minute or two more to blend the flavors.
9. To serve Cauliflower Rice and Pinto Bean Vegetarian Burrito Bowls, put a generous amount of the cauliflower mixture into a bowl and top with a big scoop of salsa. (Chunky commercial salsa could also be used.)
10. We ate it with a generous squeeze of lime added at the table.

More Vegetarian Dinners You Might Like:

• Tofu Lettuce Wrap Tacos 
• Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini
• Cabbage Bowl with Tofu and Peanut Sauce
• Vegetarian Taco Salad
• Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles 

Weekend Food Prep:

This Vegetarian Burrito Bowl recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 4 servings

Vegetarian Burrito Bowl

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Cauliflower rice mixed with seasoned pinto beans, Poblano chiles, and red onions and topped with tomato-avocado salsa makes this a delicious vegetarian burrito bowl. And if you'd prefer a burrito bowl that's lower in carbs, see tips in the post for replacing the beans with diced zucchini.

Ingredients

Burrito Bowl Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 large Poblano peppers, chopped small (Poblanos are often called Pasilla peppers; use the other half pepper for the salsa)
• 1/2 red onion chopped small
• 2 tsp. + 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 T Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning or your favorite commercial Taco Seasoning
• one 15 oz. can Pinto beans, rinsed well and drained
• 1 medium head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (see notes)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, diced medium
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Poblano pepper (the other half from the peppers used in the bean mixture)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or use a little more finely sliced green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan)
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onion
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• salt to taste

Optional:

• fresh cut limes to squeeze on at the table
• more chopped cilantro to add at the table

Instructions

1. Put the pinto beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water (until you don’t see any more foam.) Let beans drain.
2. Heat the 2 tsp. olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped Poblano peppers and chopped red onion and saute until the vegetables are just starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, the drained beans, and 1/4 cup water, turn heat to low, and cook until all the water is evaporated.
4. Turn off heat.
5. For low-carb version, you can replace the beans with about 1 1/2 cups of either chopped red bell pepper or chopped zucchini and saute them with the vegetables. Stir in the taco seasoning and cook a minute or two more but don’t add the water if you’re not using the beans.
6. Coarsely chop up the cauliflower, including the stems. Use the steel blade of a food processor to chop the cauliflower in two batches, buzzing it until it’s chopped enough to slightly resemble rice, with some slightly larger pieces. (Or you can use 5 cups frozen cauliflower rice if you prefer. Take it out of the freezer a few minutes before you start the recipe.)
7. Heat the 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until it feels hot when you hold your hand over the pan, add the sliced garlic, and cook just until you can smell garlic. (Don’t let it brown or the oil will taste bitter instead of nicely garlicky.)
8. Remove the garlic and add the chopped cauliflower and stir-fry until the cauliflower is starting to get tender, about 4 minutes. (I used my new Green Pan Wok (affiliate link), which works perfectly for making cauliflower rice.)
9. Add the seasoned bean (or vegetable) mixture and cook about 1-2 minutes more, until the cauliflower is as soft as you like it.
10. Turn off heat.
11. Dice the avocado into medium-sized pieces, put into a plastic or glass bowl, and toss with the fresh-frozen lime juice.
12. Cut up the tomato, chop the other half of the Poblano, chop the cilantro, and slice the green onions.
13. Gently stir all the chopped vegetables and herbs into the avocados, with the olive oil, ground cumin, and a little salt.
14. To serve, put desired amount of the cauliflower rice/bean mixture into a serving bowl and top with a generous scoop of salsa.
15. Serve with cut lime and additional chopped cilantro if desired. (You can also serve this with grated cheese and/or sour cream if you don’t care if it’s vegan.)

Notes

You can use 5 cups frozen cauliflower rice instead of chopping a head of cauliflower if you prefer.

If you're calculating carbs, note that this recipe has a lot of fiber which lowers the net carbs.

This recipe created by Kalyn and Jake.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 408Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 0mgSodium 870mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 18gSugar 9gProtein 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Pinto beans are considered a “good carb” for the original South Beach Diet, and this Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with a moderate amount of beans in each serving would be approved for any phase of South Beach. Follow the directions in the recipe to substitute lower-carb zucchini for the beans and use a bit less tomato if you’re making this for Low-Carb eating plans.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Bowl Meal Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
This recipe for meatless burrito bowls with cauliflower rice was first posted April 2015. It was updated May 2020 with better instructions and the option to use frozen cauliflower rice and was last updated with more information about reducing the carbs in 2024.

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