Plant Based Cooking: Veggie Taco Bowl Recipe

Friday, November 13, 2020
by Jahanvi Desai

Interested in plant-based cooking but cannot think of any recipes? Want to enjoy traditional meat dishes but concerned about the environmental impacts? In need of some healthy, tasty, comfort food?

Look no further! This Veggie Taco Bowl recipe is the answer to all your questions!

Four screenshots of veggie taco bowl in preparing, from chopping the veggies, frying the Beyond Meat, assembling, and the finished product

What you will need:

  • Tomatoes
  • Lime
  • Green onions
  • Your choice of greens (this recipe uses Kale Slaw mix)
  • Garlic
  • Plant-based meat substitute (this recipe uses Beyond Meat)
  • Tomato sauce/puree/ketchup
  • Tortilla chips
  • Sour cream
  • Spices (this recipe uses Mexican seasoning)
  • Rice
  • Oil
  • Sugar
  • Salt & pepper
  • Shredded cheese (optional)

Assembled all (or most) of the ingredients? Let’s get cooking!

Instructions:

  1. PREP: Cut tomato in ¼-inch pieces. Peel and mince/grate/cut the garlic. Cut up the lime into 8 equal pieces, and juice 4 of these pieces into a small container. Slice up the green onions into small pieces (you can save the roots and propagate them in water!)
  2. COOK RICE: Heat a pot on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil, half the garlic, tomato sauce (or tomato puree/ketchup) and the rice. Cook this mixture for a couple of minutes and then add 1½ to 2 cups of water into the pot. Cover this pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, you can reduce the heat to low. The rice will be done when it is tender, and all the liquid is absorbed. This might take 12-14 minutes.
  3. COOK PLANT-BASED MEAT SUBSTITUTE: While the rice cooks, take a large pan and heat it over medium to high heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil, and your plant-based substitute. Break up the patties into small pieces, then add your choice of spices and the remaining garlic. Cook until it is slightly crispy, and you can hear it sizzling. You can also add salt and pepper to taste. This should take 5-6 mins (to be more specific, cook until the internal temperature is at 74oC/165oF).
  4. MAKE SALAD: Mix your greens, tomatoes, squeeze two lime pieces on top, ½ tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of oil in a large bowl. Toss to combine all the ingredients!
  5. MAKE TOPPING: Combine the lime juice and sour cream in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper according to your taste!
  6. FINISHING TOUCHES: Add half the spring onions to the cooked rice. You can add salt and pepper to the rice as well.
  7. ASSEMBLE: In a plate/bowl, assemble all the ingredients to make the Veggie Taco Bowl. Take the rice, add some of the cooked plant-based substitute pieces, add some salad, and top off with the sour cream topping. Sprinkle over the remaining green onions. You can crush over some tortilla chips and squeeze some lime on top if you desire. Other optional additions include a sprinkle of shredded cheese and tortilla chips on the side.
  8. ENJOY! Have fun eating the fruit of your labours that has set you on the path of incorporating more plant-based foods and meat substitutes into your diet!

Four screenshots of sour cream, Beyond Meat cooking, final product, and leftovers

UW Food Services also has a Plant-Based Guide that you can explore to get started on your plant-based eating journey! It explains nutrients you should be focusing on incorporating in your diet, and lists plant-based sources of those important nutrients!

Thank you for reading this blog post and happy cooking!