Living in California, I just crave a delicious healthy burrito bowl, filled with spicy brown rice, savory black beans, crunchy veggies, velvety avocado slices, and creamy cashew cheese. It’s one of my favorite things to order on the menu of restaurants, but burrito bowls are also an easy meal to prepare at home. All you have to do is mix up some Spanish brown rice (you can find it in premade pouches, boxes to make it home, or make it from scratch with my easy recipe), open a can of black beans (or black soybeans), and chop an assortment of veggies (lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, radishes, onions, cilantro). Then start creating these beautiful gluten-free Vegan California Burrito Bowls by layering in the ingredients and topping with plant-based cheese, cashew cream, limes, and crunchy tortilla chips. Yummy! This recipe is kind of like a copycat chipotle burrito bowl (which you can get vegan at Chipotle’s, too), but much better!
This recipe makes four entree-sized burrito bowls, the perfectly balanced meal in one. This Vegan California Burrito Bowl recipe is great for meal prep during the week–just create your bowls in individual glass storage containerswith lids and refrigerate for up to 4 days. For best results, Add avocado and cashew cream immediately before eating. I also love to serve this recipe as an interactive meal when guests come. I just prepare all the toppings, pile on a platter and in serving bowls, and let people make their burrito bowls just the way they like them. Easy peasy!
Step by Step Guide
Here’s all you need to make this recipe.Make your own home-made healthy Spanish Brown Rice for this recipe here.Just prep your veggies, rice, and toppings.Then assemble your bowls by layering in the rice, beans, veggies, cashew cream, plant-based cheese, and toppings. Dig in!
Line the bottom of four individual-sized bowls (about 3 cups capacity each) with 1 cup chopped lettuce per bowl.
Arrange ½ cup prepared Spanish rice in each bowl (may use cooled rice or warm rice—for best results, do not use hot rice, as vegetables will wilt quickly).
Arrange one-fourth of the black beans or black soy beans (about ½ cup each) into each bowl.
Arrange ¼ of the avocado slices into each bowl.
Arrange ¼ of the tomato slices into each bowl.
Arrange 1 sliced radish into each bowl.
Arrange ¼ of the sliced red onion into each bowl.
Top each bowl with: ¼ of the sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons shredded plant-based Mexican cheese, 2 tablespoons cashew cream, and 1 quarter of the lime.
Serve each bowl with 1 ounce corn tortilla chips.
Serve immediately. Makes four entrée-sized individual bowls. Alternatively, meal prep these burrito bowls by adding ingredients as directed to individual glass dishes with lids.
Notes
Substitute pinto or red beans instead of canned black beans or black soybeans.
Add your other favorite toppings, such as jalapenos, black olives, sprouts, and cabbage.
May swap out corn tortilla chips with corn tortillas.
Try serving this recipe in large individual serving bowls, similar to the ones featured here. I used hand-made pottery from my local town of Ojai in this photo shoot, but you can use these rustic stoneware bowls here for inspiration.
