Mexican Veggie Bowl
This mexican veggie bowl covers of all of your bases- healthy whole grains, fats, greens and beans. Oh, and it tastes fantastic too!
Hello friends, I’m back! Thank you for your patience during my little blog hiatus, I have missed you! The last 6 weeks have been totally bonkers adjusting to life with a newborn. As it turns out, babies are a lot of work, and sometimes you just can’t reason with them… However, I am happy to report that our little James is gorgeous, healthy and thriving. Thank you for all of your well wishes 🙂
Somewhere in the blur of early parenthood I have managed to find time to cook and even develop a couple of great recipes. I can’t wait to share them with you! I’m starting with this lovely mexican veggie bowl, it is packed full of good for you stuff, vegan, and makes for fabulous leftovers. There are five components: lime-marinated kale, brown rice, roasted sweet potatoes, stewed black beans and a big dollop of guacamole.
I love it because you are covering so many bases in one meal- whole grains, healthy fats, protein, iron, greens. Plus it is super filling! Kirk and I have eaten this every week for the past month, we are pretty obsessed. I’m thinking of branching out into other themed veggie bowls, Med bowl? Indian Bowl? Japanese bowl? Any takers?!
Hope you enjoy this one! So happy to be back!
- For the kale:
- 1 large bunch of kale (I like lacinato in salads)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of sea salt
- Chili flakes (optional)
- For the rice:
- 1 cup brown rice
- For the sweet potatoes:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- For the black beans:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tin of black beans or 1¾ cups of prepared black beans
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp water
- For the guacamole:
- 2 medium avocados
- juice of 1 lime
- sea salt to taste
- Prepare the kale: rinse kale well, destem, and then cut the leaves into thin strips. Place into a large bowl, and set aside. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and sea salt in a cup and pour over the kale leaves. Using your fingers, massage the dressing into the leaves for about a minute until the leaves are evenly coated in oil and dark green in colour. Set aside in the fridge to marinate while you prepare the rest of the bowl.
- Prepare the rice: cook rice according to package instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes: preheat the oven to 425F/220C. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks. Lay them in a large baking dish ensuring that there is space between each chunk (use a second baking dish if necessary). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake for about 25 minutes until tender.
- Cook the black beans: Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add onions and saute for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the black beans, spices, tomato paste and water. Simmer gently while the rice and sweet potatoes finishing cooking.
- Prepare the guacamole: Cut the avocados in half lengthways. Remove the stone, and scoop out the filling of each fruit into a bowl. Add the lime juice and salt, and using a fork, roughly mash the avocado until you have reached your desired consistency.
- Assemble bowl: When the rice and sweet potatoes are ready, divide each component of the veggie bowl into four, and serve in large shallow bowls.
Notes:
Another reason I love this is that it is very easily adaptable, change your grains, greens or beans if you don’t have the specific ingredients to hand!
You may also like my Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchillada Bake, my Tofu Racheros, or my Black Bean Quinoa Chili.
Congratulations, Emma!! I’m so happy for you! That certainly must be an adjustment, I can’t even imagine! This looks like the perfect dish to give you some energy but is also easy to make! Definitely something I would make!
Thanks Isadora!
Yum! I love me a good meal bowl, and there are so many of my favourite things up in this one. Lime marinated kale? Yes please! And I love that all of the components could be made in advance and then you could just throw the bowl together when you’re ready to eat. Perfect! And you’re doing all of this with a newborn? You’re amazing!
Thanks Katie!
Welcome back, Emma! I’m so glad to hear James is doing well! It’s quite a feat that you’ve been able to create such a delicious-looking recipe with a newborn. I love the look of this dish, especially with the creamy guacamole and sweet potatoes. I could see how this has become a staple in your house!
Thanks Julia!
This looks amazing!! Can’t believe you pulled this together with a newborn – well done lady!
I love black beans, so much so that I end up consuming the entire portion and have non for leftovers. Happened last night when I had something a bit similar that was meant for 2 people – I ended up having it all. Oops!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
Ha! Thanks Teffy, black beans are the bomb diggity 🙂
I defo want to see more bowl meals! LOVE!
So glad to hear momma and baby are doing great!! And I’m in AWE of the fact that you’re cooking already. Such a rockstar!
So glad to have you back and to hear you guys are adjusting to life with James! The bowl looks delicious, and positively bursting with nutrition. Thank you!
You are AWESOME for cooking with a newborn! Especially, cooking something so wholesome and delicious. Bowl meals are my absolute fav – and this looks ridiculously good. I love the addition of guac – uh yum!
Welcome back Emma! 🙂 happy to hear that you are the little one are doing well! I love this veggie bowl..it has all of my favorite things especially those sweet potatoes and guacamole is making me drool! Yum!
These kinds of bowls really are the best – I’ve seen them described as “abundance bowls” where they basically have everything you could ever want from a certain staple cuisine (like Mexican 🙂 )
Welcome back , Mama!
This looks like just my kind of meal! I love that you added kale to it – I’m always trying to find new ways to enjoy kale.
Congratulations on your little one! The first few weeks are a huge adjustment. I just had my number three last week and things are so crazy in my house right now. 🙂
Kristine, thanks for stopping by! The lime marinated kale is magical, let me know if you try it!
Love this one, Emma! I’ve been having it all week for lunch. 🙂
Thanks Lea! This is one of Kirks all time faves!