Chipotle roasted cauliflower, quinoa, fresh veggies and THE BEST Creamy Chipotle Sauce are combined in this scrumptious vegan taco bowl! I guarantee that it will be love at first bite, as soon as you dig into these healthy plant based bowls!
They're easy to whip up in just 30 minutes and great for lunch, dinner or meal prep! They're gluten free and can be made low carb by ditching the quinoa and turning the bowl into a delicious vegan taco salad!
These vegan taco bowls are filled with flavor and loaded with vitamins! They're so easy to whip up, with only about 5 minutes of prep time.
I guarantee they'll become your new go-to bowl, when you're looking for something easy and delicious to make!
Jump to:
How to make vegan taco bowls
- Start with the quinoa base. If you don't already have cooked quinoa on hand, check out this post for 3 easy ways to make quinoa. I prefer the Instant Pot method because it's the fastest and easiest, but you can also make quinoa on the stove or in a rice cooker. For an extra burst of fresh flavor, try using this recipe for Cilantro Lime Quinoa as the base of the bowl.
- Note: brown rice or white rice can be substituted for the quinoa, if you'd like.
- Once the quinoa is cooking, prepare the cauliflower for roasting. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, chipotle chili powder, cumin and salt.
- Roast the cauliflower. Spread the seasoned cauliflower out in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and into a 450°F oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Prepare the bowls. Divide the cooked quinoa between two bowls. Add the roasted cauliflower, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and sliced avocado. Drizzle creamy chipotle sauce over the bowls, or serve it on the side.
What else can I add to the bowls?
The great thing about taco bowls is that you can fill them up however you'd like! Try some of the options below or add your favorite taco toppings to make them your own!
- Black Beans - you can add the beans straight to the bowl, drained and rinsed from a can.
- Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing - while I highly recommend serving this bowl with creamy chipotle sauce, if you'd like to try something different, this avocado dressing is also always a win!
- Chunky Avocado Salsa - the diced tomatoes and avocado on top of this bowl can be substituted with this delicious avocado salsa instead!
- Corn Salsa
- Fresh Pico De Gallo
- Shredded Lettuce
- Sliced Red Onions
- Diced Bell Peppers
- Hot Sauce
How to make it low carb
- Substitute the quinoa with shredded lettuce. Turning this taco bowl into a delicious taco salad will cut the carbs down from 60 grams per bowl, to 20 grams per bowl.
How to meal prep it
- For storage: Roast the cauliflower and cook the quinoa, then divide it between two large plastic storage containers. Place the diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and creamy chipotle sauce in separate small containers, then add them to the larger container. Wrap slices of avocado tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the larger container.
- To reheat and eat: Remove the tomatoes, jalapenos, chipotle sauce and avocado from the larger container. Heat the cauliflower and quinoa in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and top with the tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado and creamy chipotle sauce.
Add a protein to the bowls
- For a plant based protein option, add black beans to the bowl. Adding ½ cup black beans to each bowl will add 7 grams of protein to each bowl, for a total of 22 grams of protein per bowl. Black beans can be drained and rinsed from a can and added directly to the bowl.
- For a meat based protein option, add roasted chicken breasts to the bowl. Adding 8 oz (½ pound) of chicken to each bowl will add 50 grams of protein to each bowl for a total of 65 grams of protein per bowl. The chicken can be roasted along with the cauliflower in the oven, for an easy addition to the bowl. Simply follow the steps below to add chicken to the bowls.
- Pound 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to 1" thickness. This will allow them to cook at the same time as the cauliflower. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, then season with chipotle powder, cumin and salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast at the same time and temperature as the cauliflower. Dice the chicken and divide it between the two bowls.
More delicious plant based bowls to try
- Sweet Potato Vegan Burrito Bowl
- Crispy Asian Brussels Sprouts Bowl
- Roasted Broccoli Bowls with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Vegan Cobb Salad with Poblano Ranch Dressing
- Indian Cauliflower Bowl with Roasted Chickpeas
Recipe
Chipotle Cauliflower Vegan Taco Bowl
I guarantee that it will be love at first bite, as soon as you dig into these healthy plant based bowls! Vegan Taco Bowls are easy to whip up in just 30 minutes and great for lunch, dinner or meal prep!
Servings 2 bowls
Calories 564kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ½ cup tomato diced
- ¼ cup jalapenos sliced
- ½ avocado thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup creamy chipotle sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, chipotle powder, cumin and salt.
- Spread the cauliflower out in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Divide the cooked quinoa between two bowls.
- Top with the roasted cauliflower, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and avocado.
- Garnish with the fresh cilantro and serve the creamy chipotle sauce on the side or drizzle it over the bowls.
Notes
- Low Carb: replace the quinoa with shredded lettuce to make a low carb taco bowl.
- Quinoa can be substituted with brown rice or white rice, if you'd like.
Nutrition
Calories: 564kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 905mg | Potassium: 1337mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1061mg | Vitamin C: 122mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5mg
Made this recipe & loved it?Mention @BowlsAreTheNewPlates or tag #BowlsNotPlates on Instagram!
Comment Here!