Vegan Taco Bowls

overhead view of a colorful vegan taco bowl.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings:4 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Vegan Taco Bowl are like a taco salad minus the lettuce with all of your favorite fixings. With sauteed veggies, rice, beans, avocado, and your choice of taco meat. Perfect vegan meal anytime!

Gluten-free and oil-free depending on the taco meat you choose.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

Taco seasoning blend:

1½ teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the saute:

1 large onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeds removed (unless you want it spicy), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
vegetable broth or water as needed to soften the vegetables and prevent sticking
1½ cups frozen corn
3 big handfuls arugula or chopped kale, optional - Not included in photos above.
sea salt

Vegan taco meat of choice:

4 servings protein of choice such as seitan, crumbled tofu, or cooked beans or lentils - See Notes
taco seasoning blend (recipe above), to taste - Amount needed depends on the protein used.
salt or tamari, to taste

For the bowls:

3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained if using canned beans
2 ripe avocados
1 lime, cut into wedges
¾ cup sliced black olives
2 large handfuls cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
salsa
1 large handful cilantro leaves
½ batch of Oil-Free Almond Queso Fresco - Or sub other vegan cheese of choice.

Instructions

Make the taco seasoning:

In a small bowl stir together the chile powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Set aside.

Saute the vegetables:

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth as needed to help soften the onion and deglaze the pan. Add jalapeño and garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn and a generous pinch of salt, and cook until corn is hot. If including greens, add to the pan and stir. Once greens are wilted, transfer mixture to a plate.

Saute the protein:

Rinse and wipe out the pan if needed, and return it to medium heat. Chop or crumble your protein of choice into bite-size pieces. Pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until beginning to brown. Stir, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add a splash of water or broth as needed to prevent sticking. If using a pre-salted ingredient like store-bought seitan, you may not need to add any salt. For unsalted tofu, tempeh, beans, or lentils, add tamari or salt, to taste. Add about ⅔ of the taco seasoning, and stir to coat. Taste, and add more taco seasoning, if desired.

Assemble the bowls:

Warm the pre-cooked rice, and heat the beans.
Slice the avocados, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Squeeze about a tablespoon of lime juice on top, and sprinkle with salt. Mash with a fork.
Assemble the bowls, arranging rice, beans, sauteed corn mixture, seasoned taco meat, olives, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, mashed avocado, and crumbled vegan cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

For Gluten-Free - Choose a gluten-free protein such as tofu, tempeh (make sure it doesn't include grains), lentils, or extra beans. This vegan taco meat is a personal favorite! And be sure to use GF tamari instead of soy sauce for seasoning.

For Soy-Free - Choose seitan, lentils, or beans, and replace the tamari with coconut aminos and/or sea salt.

Storage and Reheating - For meal prep, store the cooked components (rice, beans, sautéed veggies, and meat) separately or together in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you're ready to eat, reheat the ingredients, then add salsa, olives, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, and avocado.

The Vegan Queso Fresco can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition