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These vegan taco bowls are loaded with walnut lentil taco meat, cilantro lime brown rice, your favorite toppings, and cashew lime crema! They’re even oil-free, plant-based, and gluten-free (if you use tamari instead of soy sauce) to make these delicious and nourishing bowls. They remind me of giant taco salads, but with rice!
The recipes for walnut lentil taco meat, cilantro brown rice, and cashew lime crema are already on my blog but combine them all and now we have a taco-inspired rice bowl. Instead of switching back and forth between the recipes, I thought it would be easier to have them all in one spot to make this dish.
Plain brown rice would be fine in this dish, but it doesn’t take much work to really amp up the flavor with lime juice, garlic powder, and finely chopped cilantro. The walnut lentil taco meat is hearty and filling; the spices give that unmistakable taco seasoning taste. The fresh veggies brighten up the dish and we can all use more veggies in our life, right?
Tips
- To make the vegan taco bowl recipe go a little faster, make the lentils ahead of time or use canned ones. For more information on cooking lentils check out the post for lentil walnut taco meat.
- The cashew lime crema can be made ahead of time. The cashews will thicken as they chill in the refrigerator; so if you prefer a thinner consistency add a tablespoon of water at a time and mix into the crema to thin it out when you’re ready to use it.
Meal Prep
The vegan taco bowls work great for meal prepping too. Store the brown rice and taco meat separately from the toppings and add them to the bowl after you heat up the rice and lentils.
Tips for Cashew Lime Crema
Soak the cashews overnight or for a couple of hours in hot water. If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, then you probably won’t need to soak your cashews. A smooth crema will depend on the power of your blender and how long your cashews are soaked for.
Ideas to Customize Taco Bowls
These vegan deconstructed taco-inspired rice bowls are simple to put together and easy to customize.
Add....
- Fresh or thawed frozen corn
- Roasted bell peppers
- Diced red onions
- Slice and bake some tortillas to make strips for a crunchy topping
- Grilled veggies
- Pickled jalapeños
- Quick pickled radishes
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- Vegan sour cream or cashew lime crema
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
For More Vegan Nourishing Bowl Recipes
- Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl
- Burrito Bowl
- Vegan Sushi Bowl
- Roasted Sweet Potato Bowl
- Chickpea Vegetable Rice Bowl
The vegan taco salad bowl is perfect when you need something delicious, filling, and healthy. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Originally published on January 13, 2020, updated on July 9, 2021.
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Vegan Taco Bowl
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- + Cooking the lentils if needed: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The vegan taco bowls are loaded with walnut lentil taco meat, cilantro lime brown rice, your favorite toppings, and cashew lime crema to make these delicious nourishing bowls. They’re even oil-free, plant-based, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
CILANTRO BROWN RICE
- 2 cups uncooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons packed of chopped cilantro
WALNUT LENTIL TACO MEAT
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked brown lentils
- ¾ cup raw walnuts, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup low sodium or salt-free vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
- salt to taste, if needed
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
CASHEW LIME CREMA
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed)
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
TOPPINGS
- 1 avocado (deseeded and diced) or guacamole
- Diced tomatoes
- Your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
- Your favorite greens (kale, spinach, lettuce)
Instructions
Cilantro Brown Rice
- Cook the brown rice according to the package.
- When the rice is done and still warm, add the lime juice, garlic powder, salt, and chopped cilantro.
- Stir to combine.
Walnut Lentil Taco Meat
- While the rice is cooking, (for oil-free cooking) sauté the onion with a pinch of salt in a large preheated skillet on medium, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent. Add water as needed if the onion is sticking, about a tablespoon at a time. (Or use a neutral-tasting oil)
- Turn down the heat and add the chopped walnuts and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Then add chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder and coat the onions and walnuts with the seasonings, cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Add the cooked lentils, ½ vegetable broth, and tamari.
- Simmer on low (no need to bring to a boil) and cook covered for 10 minutes.
- Stir occasionally and check on the liquid, the liquid should be cooking out, but if the mixture gets too dry before the time is done add a little more vegetable broth to hydrate the lentils. Everything is already cooked, so 10 minutes just gives the mixture time for all of the flavors to blend together.
- If the liquid has not cooked out after 10 minutes, remove the lid, and stir frequently until the excess liquid is gone.
- When 10 minutes are up and the excess liquid is gone, taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Mash some of the lentils for a creamier texture and stir in the fresh lime juice.
Cashew Lime Crema
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Assembly
- Add the rice, taco meat, and any toppings to a bowl. Then top with a dollop of lime crema.
Equipment
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Notes
Soak the raw cashews overnight or place the cashews in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 1 hour.
I use a salt-free chili powder and make my own using this recipe, chili powder.
I use salt-free vegetable broth, or I make my own salt-free version using this method, slow cooker vegetable broth.
If cooking lentils from scratch, old lentils may take longer to cook.
- Category: Main Course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keywords: vegan taco bowls, lentil taco meat
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