Easy, Nourishing Taco Bowl Recipe (Plant-Based)
This simple-to-make Taco Bowl is the ultimate comfort food that’s bursting with colour and flavour. It’s a customizable meal that’s perfect for an easy dinner any night of the week too. With a focus on plant-based foods each bowl you make will be brimming with nutrients.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
Currently, only 6.5% of the adult population in Australia meet their required daily vegetable intake. That’s a tiny percentage of people, which means putting plant-based meals on the menu is more important than ever before. With busier lives has come the increased consumption of processed and convenience foods because they feel easier to reach for when time and energy are lacking. However, recipes like these taco bowls make it just as simple to get an easy weeknight meal on the table without the fuss.
The combination of legumes and other vegetables in a taco bowl create a well-rounded, satisfying meal. Not only do they provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but they also contribute plenty of fibre. A bowl for lunch or dinner will significantly increase your veg intake which, studies have shown, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and improves long-term health outcomes.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
These taco bowls create a rainbow-on-a-plate meal, which will give taco night at home a big nutrient boost. This is not a definitive list of ingredients, and anything can be replaced with any other fresh toppings of your choosing. Use up any leftover veg in the fridge so nothing goes to waste.
- Black Beans – a hearty protein source that adds a creamy texture and earthy flavor. Kidney beans are a great replacement in need.
- Bell Peppers/Capsicum – provide vibrant colour to the taco bowls in addition to some sweetness, and a little crunch.
- Red Onion – add a sharp, tangy flavor that complements the other ingredients. Or try pickled radish instead!
- Cherry tomatoes/grape tomatoes – add another colour of the rainbow while giving the bowls a burst of juicy sweetness.
- Sour Cream – a creamy, tangy topping that adds richness and balances the spiciness of the taco seasoning.
- Romaine Lettuce/Cos – contributes a crisp, refreshing texture and a mildly bitter flavor that cuts through the richness of the other ingredients.
- Green Onion/Shallot – largely to add colour but it delivers a mild onion flavor with a hint of sweetness too.
- Feta Cheese – adds a salty, tangy flavour and a creamy texture. This can be replaced with cheddar cheese or or any other you have on hand.
- Garlic Cloves – used with other spices to flavour to the beans.
- Homemade Taco Seasoning – A combination of garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, and paprika, sea salt and black pepper that gives the taco bowl its signature flavor profile.
- Sauce of your choosing – pico de gallo, cilantro chimichurri, mango habanero salsa, or mango chilli sauce a simple store-bought taco sauce all complement these bowls well.
While the list of ingredients seems long, just consider them a guide to creating your own personalised taco bowl. If you don’t have something on this list, simply pull together any leftovers you have in the fridge to mix and match.
How To Make A Taco Bowl
The ingredients in these taco bowls will deliver a delicious dish that covers every colour of the rainbow. While it is long, very little requires cooking. It’s largely chopping and adding to bowls. If you’re missing ingredients simply replace them with something you have in the fridge. You can’t go wrong!
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC.
- Drain the black beans and add to an ovenproof saucepan for which you have a lid. Drizzle over 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil and half the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper and stir gently to completely coat the beans. Place the lid on the pot and set aside briefly.
- Peel and chop the sweet potato into bite-sized pieces. Toss with the remaining olive oil, the rest of the taco seasoning and a little more salt and pepper. Toss to coat then add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Place the beans and sweet potato into the oven and cook for 20-25 mins or until the sweet potato is cooked through and the beans are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and assemble your taco bowls. Add the sweet potato, lettuce, and beans in separate sections, then follow on with all the remaining ingredients.
- Dollop on one or two of your favourite sauces, then sprinkle over the feta. Add lime wedges and a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro/coriander to each bowl then serve.
For some added texture, serve these bowls with a small side of tortilla chips. They add crunch and fibre in addition to giving you something to scoop the ingredients up with.
Substitutions And Variations
There are lots of different ways to enjoy a taco bowl! For the meat lovers, swap out some of the beans for lean ground beef, and make beef taco bowls instead. Ground chicken or turkey is also great or try it with the pork from this Instant Pot Carnitas recipe.
Bake other veg to include along with the sweet potatoes. Cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, beets, radishes and Brussels sprouts are all delicious in these bowls.
Turn this into burrito bowls by including some cauliflower rice, or your rice of choice. Red rice, brown rice or white rice all work perfectly. Even wild rice to add some extra texture.
Tips For Success
Double or triple the spice mix you’ll have your taco seasoning ready to go next time!
Don’t limit yourself to the suggested ingredients in this recipe. Create a personalised taco bowl by including one protein, an array of brightly coloured veg, one or two sauces and some pickles. Add your favorite taco toppings or utilise what you have in your fridge, so nothing goes to waste. Taco bowls are an extension of the meal principles you’ll find in my Quick and Easy Meal Ideas eBook. Check the Free Downloads Page to get your copy.
Storing/Make Ahead
Store any leftover ingredients for your taco bowl in airtight containers in the fridge. To ensure they last as long as possible store any wet ingredients like tomato, cucumber, salsas etc. in a separate container to drier ingredients like the beans. If adding rice, store this in its own container too.
Taco bowls are fantastic for weekly meal prep too. Prepare the volume of ingredients you need based on the number of serves required for the week. Once everything is ready store in separate containers and prep your bowl in minutes when you’re ready to have it or add to containers at night to take to work. It’s like having a taco bar in your fridge! Keep any dressings or salsas on the side and pour over when you’re ready to enjoy your meal.
FAQ
Lots of sauces to dollop on top, some creme fraiche or sour cream and some corn chips are great accompaniments for these bowls. They are a meal in themselves and don’t need many added extras.
The main difference is the inclusion of rice in a burrito bowl. Taco bowls focus on the fresh ingredients you’d generally fill tacos with – just using lots more and adding them to a bowl instead.
Yes! Rather than serving corn chips on the side, add all the ingredients straight into a taco bowl shell and break off bits to enjoy with your meal. Just remember to keep them separate if meal prepping and only add the taco fillings when you’re ready to dig in.
More Plant Based Recipe
- Chickpea Spinach Curry
- Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
- Skillet Spanakopita (Cheese and Spinach Pie)
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Easy, Nourishing Taco Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans
- 2 cups lettuce
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh cooked, or canned is fine)
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb/500g)
- 1 large red bell pepper/capsicum
- 1 large avocado
- 1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes,
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 2 green onions/shallots
- ⅓ cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, optional
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Chunky salsas and sauces to dollop over the top, optional
- Lime wedges and cilantro/coriander to serve
- Corn chips for serving (optional)
Taco Seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp chilli powder, optional (add more or less to your tastes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC.
- Drain the black beans and add to an ovenproof saucepan for which you have a lid. Drizzle over 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil, half the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper and stir gently to completely coat the beans. Place the lid on the pot and set aside briefly (see note 1).
- Peel and chop the sweet potato into ½-inch/1.5cm pieces. Toss with the remaining olive oil, the rest of the taco seasoning and a little more salt and pepper. Toss to coat then add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Place the beans and sweet potato into the oven and cook for 20-25 mins or until the sweet potato is cooked through and the beans are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and assemble your taco bowls. Add the sweet potato, lettuce, and beans in separate sections, then follow on with all the remaining ingredients around the bowl. See pics throughout the post for inspiration.
- Dollop on one or two of your favourite sauces (see note 2), then sprinkle over the feta.
- Add lime wedges and a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro/coriander to each bowl then serve.
- For some added texture, serve these bowls with a small side of tortilla chips. They add crunch and fibre in addition to giving you something to scoop the ingredients up with.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY