This mexican inspired vegan burrito bowl is an easy, nourishing meal to keep you full and satisfied. Perfect to be enjoyed on its own or served with your favourite dairy free sour cream or yoghurt!

This vegan tofu burrito bowl is a fun spin on your classic mexican burrito bowl. It’s refreshing, uses wholesome ingredients and is my new favourite lunch.

Burrito bowls are easily one of my favourite menu items at Mexican restaurants. They are versatile, filling and great to make ahead of time for a quick and healthy lunch.

What is a burrito bowl?

A burrito bowl is all you would typically expect to get from a mexican burrito, without the tortilla. Common fillings including guacamole, tomato salsa, red onion, spicy black beans, pulled pork, beef or chicken, are placed in a bowl over a layer of rice at the base.

In this recipe, I have swapped pulled pork for crispy tofu which adds a nice twist to the classic mexican burrito bowl.

What is so good about this recipe?

This recipe is naturally vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and high in protein!
It is packed with flavour. The combinations of spiced tofu, black beans, black rice, smooth and creamy guacamole and fresh tomato salsa are what give this dish incredible flavour!
This dish is so simple to make and only requires a bit of preparation before assembling.
Perfect as a simple lunch, dinner and easy meal prep idea.
Great meal to prepare ahead of time for a quick and tasty lunch!

How to make a Vegan Burrito Bowl

To start off, I would recommend beginning by preparing the guacamole and pico de gallo first, followed by the rice, black beans and tofu. This will ensure they retain maximum heat for serving.

Prepare the guacamole by mashing the avocado using a fork and combine the mashed avocado in a bowl with the diced red onion, tomato, jalapeno, salt, coriander and lime juice.

To make the pico de gallo, add the finely chopped brown onion, garlic jalapeno, tomatoes, vinegar, lime juice, salt and coriander to a small bowl, and stir to combine.

In a large pot of water, bring the rice to the boil for 30 minutes or until the rice has a firm, fluffy texture. Drain off the remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Add the lime juice and stir to combine. Cover the pot and let the rice rest, off the heat, for 10 minutes. Set aside.

To make the blackbeans, add the oil, garlic and chopped red onion to a saucepan and simmer on medium heat until just softened. Add in the cumin, salt and water and stir for 1-2 minutes or until just combined and the black beans are coated in the spices.

Add the oil to a saucepan and cook the tofu on medium to high heat until golden brown on one side. Turn the tofu and repeat this process for the other side. Add the cajun spice to the tofu and toss until evenly coated.

Remove the tofu from the heat and serve in a bowl along with the black beans, rice, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Tips and Variations

I recommend using firm tofu for this recipe. The firmer the tofu, the less moisture you will need to press out prior to cooking the tofu.
Use a non-stick fry pan to cook the tofu and coat the pan generously with oil to prevent the tofu from sticking. Alternatively, you can bake in the oven at 200 degrees celcius for 25 – 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway.
Prepare the guacamole, pico de gallo before the rice, beans and tofu, to ensure they retain maximum heat for serving.
I used wild black rice here, but you are welcome to use brown rice as an alternative.
This burrito bowl has only a mild level of spice, but if you can’t handle the heat, I would suggest leaving out the jalapenos.

Mexican Inspired Vegan Burrito Bowl

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Lucy | Gluten Free Essence Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This Mexican inspired vegan burrito bowl is an easy, nourishing meal to keep you full and satisfied. Perfect to be enjoyed on its own or served with your favourite dairy free sour cream or yoghurt!

Ingredients

Guacamole
1 1/2 cups haas avocado
3/8 cup red onion
3/8 roma tomato
1 tsp jalapeno diced (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coriander
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
Pico de Gallo
1 cup brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tblsp apple cider vinegar
1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (about 8 small or 4 large), chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander (about 1 bunch)
Blackbean mixture
2 cans Black beans
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Coriander lime black rice
2 cups black rice
470ml water
Bunch of coriander
Juice of 1/2 lime
Spicy tofu
400g of firm tofu*
1 tblsp cajun spice
1 tblsp vegetable oil

Directions

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the avocados into a small bowl, discarding any browned and bruised areas.
Using a fork, mash up the avocado until it reaches your desired consistency (I stop mashing when there are a few small bumps remaining as I like my guacamole to have some texture).
Add the red onion, tomato, jalapeno, salt, coriander and lime juice to the avocado mash and stir to combine.
In another bowl, add the onion, garlic, vinegar, jalapeno, lime juice, tomatoes and coriander. Stir to combine and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rice and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes (or cook according to the packet instructions). Drain off the remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Add the lime juice and stir to combine. Cover the pot and let the rice rest, off the heat, for 10 minutes. Set aside.
To make the blackbeans, add the oil, garlic and chopped red onion to a saucepan and simmer on medium heat until just softened. Add in the cumin, salt and water and stir for 1-2 minutes or until just combined and the black beans are coated in the spices.
Add the oil to a saucepan and cook the tofu on medium to high heat until golden brown on one side. Turn the tofu and repeat this process for the other side. Add the cajun spice to the tofu and toss until evenly coated.
Remove the tofu from the heat and add to a bowl along with the black beans, rice, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Serve immediately.

Notes

It is important to use firm tofu for this recipe. The firmer the tofu, the less moisture you will need to press out before browning.
Use a non-stick fry pan to cook the tofu and coat the pan generously with oil to prevent the tofu from sticking. Alternatively, the tofu can be baked in the oven at 200 degrees celcius for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway.

Did you make this recipe?

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