I love grabbing Chipotle every once in a while. While traveling it is often one of the only vegan options I can find. However, I am not a fan of the portions and excessive salt of food that is served in fast casual dining. My better than Chipotle bowl delivers flavor without all of the sodium. You can also control the size of the bowl based on your dietary needs. I actually think this bowl is better than the vegan option at Chipotle thus the name of the recipe.
This bowl begins with my burrito bowl rice recipe that I use as a base for many of my Mexican-inspired bowl recipes. Next, my no-soak black bean recipe adds a smokey element. The key to the bold taste is not soaking the beans because you lose a lot of the great flavor in the soaking and draining process. You can add whatever toppings you like to your burrito bowl. I used black olives, romaine lettuce, black olives, and vegan cheese. To finish the bowl off you top it with my green poblano sauce which is a great mix of salsa and pesto!

Better than Chipotle Bowl
Equipment
- stock pot
- Food processor
- medium sauce pan
- cutting board
- Chef's Knife
Ingredients
Black Bean Ingredients
- 16 oz dried black beans rinsed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
- 6 bay leaves
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Taco Rice Ingredients
- 1 cup brown jasmine rice rinsed and drained
- 3 cups water
- 2 Tbsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ground black pepper to taste
Green Poblano Sauce Ingredients
- 1 large poblano pepper seeded and chopped
- ⅓ cup ½ Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- juice from one lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Bowl Ingredients
- 8 sweet peppers sliced
- ½ cup black olives
- 1 romaine heart shredded
- ½ cup vegan shredded cheese
Instructions
To Make the Black Beans
- Rinse and drain black beans
- Add in bay leaves, garlic, green onions, vinegar, salt, and water
- Bring mixture to a boil over high heat
- Once boiling reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Check beans occasionally to see if they need more liquid
- Adjust seasoning to taste before serving
To Make the Burrito Bowl Rice
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan
- Bring mixture to a boil over high heat
- Once boiling reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer until water is absorbed; about 20 minutes
- Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan for 10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb all liquid
To Make the Green Poblano Sauce
- Heat ½ Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and sautee the poblano until soft; about 5 minutes
- Place the poblano and the remaining ingredients in a food processor
- Pulse until the sauce is combined but not completely smooth. You want to keep some texture
- Taste for additional seasoning
- Serve on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc.
To Assemble the Bowls
- Divide the rice between four bowls
- Place ½ cup of black beans over rice
- Top bowls with sweet peppers, olives, vegan cheese, and romaine
- Drizzle desired amount of green poblano sauce over each bowl and serve
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @anothervegan.foodblog on Instagram and hashtag it #anothervegan.foodblog.