Simple Vegetarian Taco Bowl for the Win

Photo Credit: Kiian Oksana/Shutterstock

As a plant-based family, we are all about quick, budget-friendly, and — of course — healthy, protein-packed meals. We eat some variation of this taco bowl at least once a week because it's so fast and adaptable to what we happen to have in the fridge.

It can be adjusted easily to your family’s preferences, because everyone assembles their own bowl at serving time. Plus, it's a great way to get kids excited about food and helping in the kitchen. If you are cooking for just yourself, the ingredients can be prepared and eaten over several meals.

The base of this taco bowl is a handful of crumbled corn chips. I always add beans, plant-based beef substitute, and salsa. The rest is improvised based on what we have around.

Simple Vegetarian Taco Bowl

Core Ingredients

• Corn chips
• 1 Can of black, pinto, or kidney beans
• 1 Package of plant-based ground beef substitute
• Hot sauce and/or salsa of choice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Onion salt
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder

Improvised Ingredients

• Cooked brown rice, farro, quinoa, or other grain
• Sautéed or steamed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes, etc. (whatever you have on hand)
• 1 Cup of shredded lettuce, kale, or other greens
• 1 Sliced avocado

Drain and rinse your canned beans and transfer them into a pan. Canned beans are already cooked, so you just need to warm them for a few minutes and add your seasonings. I like to add a little onion salt and chili powder to mine.

Lightly brown your plant-based ground beef substitute in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with garlic powder and onion salt. If you are adding sautéed or steamed vegetables, prepare them simultaneously to your liking. Olive oil and onion salt are my preferred sautéing ingredients. Shred your lettuce and cut up your avocado.

This is a build-your-own kind of recipe so it’s easy to personalize. I like to start with a handful or two of crumbled corn chips at the bottom of my bowl. Then, I add beans and beef substitute, vegetables, shredded lettuce, and a few avocado slices — in that order. A big spoonful of salsa and a dash of hot sauce go on top. Then I stir it all up, and serve.