Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl - an easy Mexican-inspired + plant-based black bean bowl with the perfect balance of smoky black beans, fresh tomato salsa and creamy avocado crema. Great for meal prep!
I have been loving bowl meals lately. They are versatile, quick and simple. When creating a meal in a bowl, pick a grain, a lean protein, lots of veggies and a healthy fat. And voila, you’ve got yourself a simple, balanced meal that comes together in a snap!
This Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl is a well-balanced healthy meal. Made with fresh cilantro, rice, smoky black beans, and lots of veggies - spinach, thinly sliced radishes, tomato salsa, and an avocado crema. This bowl is packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a week of meal prepping!
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Ready to make these Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowls? Let’s go!
1 - Prepare the rice. Combine 1 cup long grain brown rice with 2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer 45-50 minutes or until the rice is tender. You may need to add a little extra water if it gets too dry. Once cooked, add ¼ teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
2 - Prepare the salsa: In a small bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves minced garlic and ¼ of an onion, diced. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3 - Prepare the smoky black beans: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add olive oil. Then add remaining 3 cloves minced garlic and remaining ½ of the onion, diced. Saute for about 10 minutes - you want the onions to be translucent and garlic fragrant. Then add the black beans, smoked paprika, cumin and chili powder and saute for another 5 minutes.
4 - Prepare the avocado crema: Cut the avocado in half around the pit and twist the two halves apart. Carefully remove the pit by hand or with a knife. Scoop out the flesh and place in a small bowl, then mash until smooth. Add greek yogurt, and lime juice and whip until fluffy and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
5 - Build your burrito bowls. Add cilantro rice, smoky black beans, a small handful of spinach, radishes, smoky black beans, salsa, a dollop of avocado crema, a lime wedge and a sprinkle of queso fresco (optional). Enjoy as is or with a handful of tortilla chips!
Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl: Tips, Tricks, and Tools
You don’t need many tools for this recipe, but a couple tools include: eco-friendly cookware for the rice and beans. I love my All-Clad stainless steel skillet and my All-Clad stainless steel pot. You’ll also need a couple small mixing bowls.
To save some time, prepare the rice ahead of time and you’ll have a meal that comes together in minutes.
To make extra creamy beans, don’t drain and rinse them, simply add the whole can to the skillet and let it reduce until the beans are creamy. But make sure to get the low sodium or not salt added versions.
High quality ingredients - local and fresh tomatoes make the best salsa. I try to get my tomatoes from the local farmer’s market. Most tomato varieties will work for this salsa, but my favorites are cherry or heirloom tomatoes.
We hope you love this Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl!
- Easy enough for a quick weeknight meal and great for lunches the next day
- Packed with plant-based protein and high in fiber
- Bursting with flavor from the smoky black beans, fresh tomato salsa and super creamy avocado crema!
Love this simple plant-based dinner recipe? Check out our other delicious plant-based recipes like this One-Skillet Lemon Mediterranean Orzo or our Black Bean Tofu Bowl.
Did you enjoy this Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl as much as we do?
Comment below! And rate the recipe to let us know how it turned out! Not cooking today? Save this Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl recipe for later by pinning it to your Vegetarian Recipes Board and make sure to tag us at The Crooked Carrot Instagram to show us your Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl creations!
"You cannot change your future, but, you can change your habits, and surely your habits will change your future." - Abdul Kalam
Smoky Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, + more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced, divided
- ¾ onion diced, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 lime cut into wedges, reserve two wedges for avocado crema
- salt + pepper to taste
- queso fresco for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare rice: Combine rice with 2 cups water, bring to a boil and let simmer for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Add Himalayan salt and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
- Prepare salsa: In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, ¼ small onion, salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare smoky black beans: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once olive oil is warm, add remaining garlic and onion and sauté 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add beans, smoked paprika, cumin and chili powder and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Prepare avocado crema: Remove flesh from avocado and place in a small bowl and mash until smooth. Add greek yogurt and juice of 2 lime wedges, salt and pepper to taste, whip to combine.
- Assemble burrito bowls: Divide cilantro rice, a small handful of spinach, smoky black beans, salsa, radishes, avocado crema, additional cilantro and a lime wedge between 4-6 bowls. Enjoy on its own or with tortilla chips!
Notes
Nutrition
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