Vegan burrito bowl

Vegan burrito bowl

vegan burrito bowl plate

Hope you guys are doing well and not suffering from cabin fever too much yet? I must say that I’m struggling a little lately, not in a big way, but I am feeling a little uprooted. Days merge into each other and I’m finding it hard to settle into a sustainable morning routine. Being a natural owl, I come to life in the evenings and have way more energy than in the morning. Duncan and I have been going on long walks after he finishes working at 5:30 pm and we managed to get a gentle yoga practice going in the evenings, but it’s moping around in the mornings that I struggle with.

I am always full of good intentions the night before. I plan to wake up early, do some morning yoga first thing, but when the time actually rolls around I bury my head under the pillow and carry on sleeping. Then, when I finally get up, I feel guilty for letting myself down yet again. I did manage to get up at 5:30 AM every morning when I lived in London in order to go to the gym before I started work at 9AM so I know it’s possible, but with no external motivator I have not managed to establish a sticking habit just yet. I’m currently trialling various tips I heard on many of my healthy living podcasts, but my lifelong owl nature keeps on getting in the way…

Foodwise, I am focused on making us eat healthily, to make up for all the test bakes we are taste testing alone, as giving food away to strangers is frowned upon right now. This simple burrito bowl is what we often have for lunch so I thought I would share it as it’s easy to make, great for batch prep – I make a big portion of black beans, quinoa and sweet potatoes in advance – and conducive to shortcuts. Store-bought guacamole is mine, for example. It’s very nutritious and filling, full of carbs, plant protein, raw veggies and good fats. It’s almost too easy to make, but sometimes that’s exactly what I need. I hope you’ll find it useful too.

vegan burrito bowl plate

vegan burrito bowl

serves
6-8
PREP
15 min
COOKING
30 min
serves
6-8
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
30 min
INGREDIENTS
SWEET POTATOES

  • 600 g / 21 oz (3 small) sweet potatoes
  • 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt, adjust to taste
  • ¾ tsp cumin
  • ¾ tsp smoked paprika

REFRIED BLACK BEANS

  • 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1½ tsp cumin
  • 1½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
  • 500 g / 3 cups cooked black beans + cooking water*
  • ¾ tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste
  • 1 lime, juice

DRESSING

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp lime juice (I use 3 to contrast with sweet potatoes)
  • hot sauce, to taste (I use Cholula Chipotle or Smoky Tabasco)
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely grated
  • salt, to taste

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

  • 180 g / 1 cup quinoa (sub with brown rice)
  • 30 cherry tomatoes, cut small (I quartered mine)
  • ½ small red onion, very finely diced
  • small bunch coriander / cilantro
  • 2 little Gem / Cos / Romaine lettuce, shredded
  • store-bought guacamole**

METHOD
SWEET POTATOES

  1. Heat up the oven to 220° C / 425° F and grab a baking tray. If baking half of the amount of sweet potato, decrease the oven temperate to 200° C / 390° F – less moisture in the oven means that they will brown quicker.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into a 2 cm / 0.8″ dice. Coat in olive oil, salt and spices.
  3. Spread on a baking tray, making sure the pieces do not touch each other. Bake for 15 minutes, flip to the other side for another 10-15 minutes – again making sure the pieces are well spread for nice charring.

REFRIED BLACK BEANS

  1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, on a low-medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until almost translucent, stirring frequently. Add finely chopped garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant.
  2. Mix all of the dry spices into the onion and garlic mixture. Allow them to fry off for a few seconds before adding cooked black beans and their cooking juices (water or stock). Adjust the amount of liquid added to your preference – more liquid will create creamier beans. Squash some (or all depending on the preference) of the beans in a pan for a creamier texture – I like to leave some beans whole.
  3. Season with salt and fresh lime juice, to taste.

QUINOA

  1. Rinse quinoa well. Place it in a pot with about ½ tsp salt (I tend to season with the dressing later) and 240 ml / 1 cup of water (ratio 1:1).
  2. Cover the pot with a see-through lid and set it on a very low heat.
  3. Allow the water to come to a gentle boil and then simmer (without taking the lid off) until all the water has been absorbed – tip the pot slightly to check if there is any excess water left. Once the water has been fully absorbed. Switch the heat off, keep the lid on and rest for about 10 minutes – quinoa will finish cooking in its own steam.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, put the lid on a give it a good shake. Adjust the amount of spice and seasoning to your taste.
  2. Place tomatoes, onion and chopped coriander in a bowl. Mix well, dress it with half of the dressing – leave the rest to drizzle over the lettuce.
  3. Divide black beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, tomatoes and lettuce between bowls. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over the lettuce and serve with some guacamole (or smashed avocado) on top.

NOTES
*1 cup raw beans or 2 x 400 g / 14 oz cans of beans.

**If you have a ripe avocado, smash it with a fork, season with grated garlic, lime juice and salt.

I used a handful of homegrown mustard micro greens for decoration, in case you are curious.

SHARE
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
493
25%
sugars
8 g
8%
fats
14 g
20%
saturates
2 g
10%
proteins
19 g
39%
carbs
75 g
29%
*per serving
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5.0
1 review, 7 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Olivia:
Adore Mex cuisine, your recipes are very good! Thank you for sharing
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure and thank you for your kind words and trust, Olivia! Ania
Anniina:
Loved this recipe, it's so quick, easy & delicious - perfect week day dinner! I loved the refried beans, never prepared them this way before, they were absolutely amazing! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure, I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Ania
Doreen Fish:
I made this recipe yesterday and we all loved it..thank you so much...however.in your cooking instructions for the refried beans it doesnt list how much onion and garlic.. ...I added 1/2 a chopped red onion and a tsp of chopped garlic
Thanks again..
Just thought you'd like to.know
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Doreen,
    Thanks so much for letting me know - I must have accidentally deleted it. I will correct now and I'm glad you enjoyed it nevertheless. Ania
Judy:
Omigosh, this recipe looks fantastic. I have everything but the quinoa (I even have fresh avocado), so I can't wait to try it. Even feeling as you do, you still manage to take good care of your blog followers and provide them with delicious, interesting meals. Hang in there. We need you and love your food.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks Judy! I hope you'll enjoy this simple yet nourishing recipe. Quinoa can be subbed with rice, cauliflower rice (if you are into this kind of thing), buckwheat, couscous - whatever you enjoy! x Ania
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