Vegan Burrito Bowls with Buffalo Cauliflower

I don’t know what happened to me the other night, guys, but I wanted a burrito bowl, and I wanted one now. And it couldn’t be any burrito bowl. No, it needed an array of fancy and colourful accoutrements like buffalo cauliflower, avocado crema, purple cabbage slaw, and rainbow salsa. So what did I do? I got to work putting my vision into life,as quickly as possible because hanger, and this is the deliciously colourful result.

I love traditional burritos as much as the next person, what with the floury blanket that wraps up all the goodness. But sometimes I want to be able to eat all the components with a fork, rather than in the handheld format. Another benefit of the burrito bowl as opposed to the handheld burrito is that it’s entirely gluten-free (as long as you ensure that your hot sauce is gluten-free), so it’s celiac-friendly.

This bowl is made up of the following components:

-Roasted buffalo cauliflower (kind of like cauliflower wings minus the batter)
-Brown rice
-Orange-infused black beans
-Citrus-radish salsa
-Avocado crema
-Cabbage slaw

The bright, citrusy flavours of the refried black beans, salsa, crema, and slaw really shine in these bowls. They make the perfect spring or summer meal when served with your favourite craft beer or margarita! Bring on the season of Mexican fiestas and siestas!

I hope you love these burrito bowls. If you love bowls, check out my other recipes:

Green Goddess Pesto Power Bowls
Spring Abundance Bowls with Maple Balsamic Tempeh
Protein Power Noodle Bowls with Crispy Tofu

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Vegan Burrito Bowls with Buffalo Cauliflower

Vegan burrito bowls brimming with colour and flavour with brown rice, citrusy refried black beans, buffalo roasted cauliflower, creamy avocado sauce, and red cabbage slaw.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican, Vegan

Keyword Bowls, Burrito, Plant-based

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients

Buffalo Cauliflower

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small/medium florets
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Rice

• 1½ cups brown rice
• 2¾ cups water
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Orange-Infused Refried Black Beans

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 3 cups cooked black beans
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Orange-Radish Salsa

• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 1 cup diced watermelon radish or regular radish
• 1 medium orange, peeled, pith removed, and chopped
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Avocado Crema

• 1 medium avocado, pitted
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup yogurt of choice (coconut, soy if vegan, goat or sheep if non-vegan)

Lime Cabbage Slaw

• 4 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• First, prepare the cauilflower: Place the cauliflower florets in a medium bowl. Whisk together the hot sauce, tomato paste, paprika, garlic powder, and oil in a small bowl and pour on top of the cauliflower. Toss to coat. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure that it isn't burning.
• Meanwhile, cook the brown rice: Rinse and drain the brown rice in a fine mesh sieve. Place the rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, until all water has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
• Make the refried black beans: Add the oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, cumin, chili powder, and coriander, follwed by the black beans. Lightly mash with a potato masher, then add the aminos/tamari and orange juice. Continue stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed, then remove from heat.
• Make the salsa: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, and set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the avocado crema: Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the cabbage slaw: Place the cabbage in a medium bowl. Combine the oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and maple syrup in a mason jar, cover tightly, and shake to combine. Pour over the cabbage and massage the dressing in with your hands.
• To assemble the bowls, divide the rice, cauliflower, refried beans, salsa, avocado crema, and cabbage slaw between four bowls. You will have some extra rice and toppings, which will accommodate heartier appetites or provide for leftovers!

If you make these Vegan Burrito Bowls and post a photo to Instagram, be sure to tag #upbeetkitchen and @upbeet.kitchen so I can see!