Vegan Taco Bowl

This vegan taco bowl is SO delicious, healthy, filling and loaded with amazing textures. It is somewhere in between vegan tacos and buddha bowls, how amazing! It features a Mexican-flavored tofu taco meat with fresh vegetables, black beans and the BEST creamy avocado lime sauce. Perfect easy weeknight meal and 100% plant-based, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bowl, dinner, easy, healthy, lunch, plant-based, salad, Vegan, vegetarian

Servings: bowls

Calories: 562kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Ingredients

For the vegan tofu taco meat

454 g extra-firm tofu drained and patted dry
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tbsp chili powder
½ tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ lime juiced
⅓ cup water
salt to taste

For the taco bowl

2-3 cups cooked rice or enough for 3-4 bowls
15 oz black beans
1 cup corn fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh tomatoes chopped
¼ red onion diced
1 cup romaine lettuce finely sliced
½ cup salsa or to taste
1 batch vegan avocado crema find the avocado crema recipe here

Instructions

If not already done, start by cooking the rice. I like cooking brown rice using my Instant Pot, but you can cook your rice on the stove. Swap for quinoa for a quicker version or use already cooked frozen brown rice or pantry-friendly cooked rice for convenience.
Make the vegan avocado lime crema and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve so it has some time to chill.
Then, make the tofu taco meat: warm up some oil in a large non-stick pan (I like using oil spray, can be done oil-free), then crumble the tofu using your hand and fingers right over the pan. Then, add the garlic, spices (paprika, chili, oregano and cumin), tomato paste, lime juice and water. Stir well to combine and cook on medium-high heat until the moisture is mostly gone and the tofu is slightly browned and roasted, about 10-15 minutes. Stir often and scrape the bottom of the pan often to remove all the caramelized bits.
Meanwhile, clean and prepare the other fresh ingredients. You can warm up the black beans in the microwave until heated through. If using frozen corn, simply warm up in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and if using fresh corn, then remove the kernel from the cob and cook in a pan (with a little oil if desired) stirring often for a few minutes or until the corn is tender and roasted.
When ready to serve, place some lettuce at the bottom of a large bowl and then top it with rice, tomatoes, black beans, corn, taco meat and red onion. Add a dollop of salsa and drizzle the vegan avocado lime cream over. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage tips: keep the leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Once the taco bowl is assembled, then enjoy right away.
If you don't want to use an avocado crema sauce, then you can swap for chipotle mayo, protein guacamole, harissa dressing, pico de Gallo, etc.
This taco bowl is super versatile! You can include your favorite vegetables or taco filling ingredients you like, such as cooked red pepper and onion, black olives, marinated jalapeño, etc. Check out the blog post for more ideas!
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition