Description
Bright and herby rice, smoky black beans, fresh pico de gallo, and roasty toasty veggies – this Burrito Bowl has been a long-time family favorite and I’m excited to share the recipe with you! It’s another nutritious bowl-style meal and, though the ingredient list is long, the dish requires very little hands-on cooking. It is also absolutely perfect for early meal prepping. You can prepare each component ahead of time and combine them when you’re ready to eat.
Shortcut option – if you don’t have the time or energy for all that chopping, feel free to use store-bought Pico de Gallo. It won’t be as fresh or bright, but will work just fine.
Ingredients
For the Cilantro-Lime Rice:
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (from 1 bunch cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For the Roasted Veggies:
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potato, diced (about 1 large sweet potato)
- 1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms (about 10 oz. mushrooms)
- 2 cups kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite size pieces (about 1 bunch kale)
- 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
For the Black Beans:
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (preferably low-sodium)
- 1–2 tbsp canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (Click here for tips on using Chipotle Peppers)
- 2 teaspoons lime juice (1 lime)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Pico de Gallo:
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced small (about 1/2 red onion)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup Kumato, Roma, Vine, or Heirloom tomatoes, diced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped (1/2 a bunch cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Optional: 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
Other Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado, diced or sliced
- Optional: 1/4 cup shredded cheese
- Optional: hot sauce of choice
Instructions
- Make the Rice:
- Combine rice, water and salt in a medium pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Once water is absorbed, remove pot from heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Season with additional salt if needed.
- Roast the Veggies:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine mushrooms and sweet potato, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, and ¼ tsp salt. Toss to coat the veggies. Spread in an even layer on one sheet pan and bake until fork-tender and browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same large bowl, combine kale, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, and ¼ tsp salt. Toss to coat the kale and spread in an even layer on the second sheet pan. Bake until kale is crispy and browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the Beans:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine black beans and the chipotle peppers in adobo. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Using a potato masher (or fork), gently mash the bean mixture until mostly smooth, with small chunks of beans remaining. Stir in 2 tsp lime juice and ¼ tsp salt, remove from heat, and set aside.
- Make the Pico de Gallo:
- Combine all Pico de Gallo ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with additional salt if needed. Set aside.
- Assemble:
- Assemble the bowls with the cilantro-lime rice as the base. Top with a large spoonful (or desired amount) of sweet potato and mushrooms, kale, chipotle black beans and avocado. Top with the fresh pico de gallo and any additional toppings you are using. Serve immediately.
