Looking for a healthy Mexican dish that is full of flavor but won’t weigh you down? If you are saying “si señorita” then I have just the recipe for you! My Green Burrito Bowl recipe has short-grain brown rice mixed with sautéed broccoli “rice”, seasoned black beans, jalapeño, avocado, lime and cilantro. Then I top it off with pumpkin seeds and chipotle pepper flakes.
I call this dish a “green” burrito bowl because it has all the green nutrient-packed veggies ~ broccoli, peppers and cilantro. Oh and, avocado! Plus you can add one of the two green sauces I recommend (recipes below!). Or go for the Chipotle Cashew Sauce for a little bit of color and to make the bowl a little caliente.
I call this a ‘green’ burrito bowl because of all the green goodness
For the rice, I love Lundberg short-grain brown (versus a white or long-grain brown). It cooks in about 45 minutes, so if you are short on time try their Cilantro Lime rice blend that cooks in 20 minutes. Either rice should be available in most supermarkets.
Personally I prefer the chewier bite of short-grain rice, but any neutral brown or white will work here. Quinoa or millet would be good grains to sub for the rice, or if you are not gluten-averse try barley, freekeh, cous cous or wheat berries.
I like brown short-grain rice for this recipe
I like to add sautéed fresh hand-riced broccoli to the brown rice to give it extra nutrients. And it’s a good way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies for kids… or adults! Just one cup of broccoli is packed with over 100% of the RDI for both vitamins C and K.
You can also sub cauliflower rice if preferred, just give it a quick sauté per the recipe below for extra flavor.
To “rice” the broccoli you can either toss chopped florets into a food processor and pulse a few times, or mince by hand using a chef’s knife.
Add chipotle flakes to the dish for a sweet & smoky note
If you want to add a little sweet & smoky flavor to the dish you can top with urfa pepper, or crushed chipotle flakes or powder such as these. Add the chipotle and dried oregano to the black beans and the sliced avocado.
TIP: always add a little salt to sliced avocado, it brings out the flavor
Try any one of the sauces below with this burrito bowl. Or whip up all three if you are making this dish for your weekly meal prep or serving a crowd. If you don’t have time for making a sauce, just add a squeeze of fresh lime over the dish.
Avocado Crema
A fresh tasting dairy-free crema made creamy with avocado, this sauce has a fresh and creamy taste
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp extra-virign olive or avocado oil
2 tbsp or less of filtered water
*purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding water to thin to desired consistency, then season to taste with salt & pepper (serve chilled or at room temp)
Chipotle Cashew Sauce
A spicy and smoky sauce with a hint of sweetness from the smoked peppers, this sauce is for anyone who likes it hot!
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotles above)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
4 tbsp or less of filtered water
*purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding water to thin to desired consistency, then season to taste with salt & pepper (serve lightly warm or at room temp)
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
A dairy-free and nut-free pesto made with pumpkin seeds and cilantro, rich in taste and full of flavor
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, leaved and tender stems
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
*purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor, season to taste with salt & pepper (serve room temp, best not to heat)
Double the recipe and serve a crowd
Lastly, if you are looking for variations or additions to this recipe try adding any of the following:
- chopped scallion
- chopped tomatoes (when in season)
- grilled corn (when in season)
- sautéed mushrooms
- sautéed peppers and onions
- grilled protein of choice
- cotija or feta cheese (can be non-dairy/vegan)
- sour cream (can be non-dairy/vegan)
- pinto beans in place of black beans
- tortilla chip croutons (see my recipe here)
If you make this recipe be sure to comment below or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing what you come up with!
Like this recipe? You might also like…
Charred Chile Fajitas (vegan, GF)
Tortilla, Avocado & Quinoa Salad (vegan, GF)
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servings
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- 1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice *cooked with a generous pinch of salt*
- 1/2 tsp avocado oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups riced broccoli florets *see note in blog post*
- 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano optional
- 1/2 tsp crushed chipotle flakes optional
- 1 avocado sliced and salted
- 1 jalapeño pepper sliced
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
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- heat avocado oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, when hot add garlic and cook until soft, about 2 - 3 minutes
- add riced broccoli to pan and cook just until tender but still bright green, season with salt & pepper, then combine with brown rice
- optional: heat black beans in a small sauce pan, add oregano and chipotle, then season with pepper (add salt only if canned beans were not salted)
- in a large shallow serving bowl assemble ingredients as shown in picture (I like to section each ingredient for the presentation), top with pumpkin seeds, drizzle with desired amount of sauce of choice from recipes in blog post above, then serve right away
- recipe makes 2 servings
- see blog post for recipes for three sauces
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com