Burrito Bowl with Creamy Refried Beans

By Judi Bushala | December 20, 2020

Makes 1 bowl

Who doesn't love a burrito? Burritos are one of my favorite foods, but sometimes I want something lighter, with all of the same flavors. Burrito bowls are the answer! My daughter and I love these bowls and make them all the time, especially when we have leftover Creamy Refried Beans and Nacho Crema. So yummy!

Ingredients

Nacho Crema Cilantro Lime Rice Creamy Refried Beans 1 cup Romaine lettuce, shredded

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 avocado, sliced

1 tablespoon scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon black olives, sliced

Directions

First, prepare your Nacho Crema, Cilantro Lime Rice and Creamy Refried Beans according to the recipes and instructions below.
For building your Burrito Bowls—make a cozy little nest in the bottom of your serving bowl with the shredded Romaine. On top of the Romaine, add the rice first, then a scoop of the beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, scallions and black olives. Drizzle everything with the Nacho Crama.
If you’d like, add jalapeno slices, your favorites salsa or anything else you like in burritos!

Recipe Notes

Tip: Make the Creamy Refried Beans and the Nacho Crema ahead of time and then you can put these together really quickly! Keep any leftovers in the fridge to eat all week in bowls, tacos, tostadas and wraps!

For the Nacho Crema:

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 20 minutes

1 Roma tomato, ripe, diced

6 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, plus 2 teaspoons

8 slices pickled jalapeños

Directions

In a high-speed blender, combine the water, cashews, tomato, nutritional yeast, salt, smoked paprika, onion, garlic, cumin, scallions, and vinegar. Don’t add the jalapeños just yet.
Blend until everything is really smooth and there aren’t any bits of cashews left.
Now add the pickled jalapeños and blend about 5 seconds more. You want to leave some jalapeño bits!
Adjust the seasonings to taste.

For the Cilantro Lime Rice:

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice, rinsed well and drained

2 cups water

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about 1/2 of a lime

Directions

Place the rice into a pot with a tight fitting lid and add the 2 cups of water. Bring this to a boil, stir, and then turn the heat to low and put the lid on the pot.
Cook for 25-35 minutes. After 25 minutes, check to see if there is still water in the pot. If so, keep cooking until all of it absorbs and the rice looks nice and fluffy.
When this happens, remove your rice from the heat, add the cilantro, salt, and lime, and stir to combine.

For the Creamy Refried Beans:

Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked for at least 6 hours

2 cups yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste

Directions

Put all of the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the beans are soft, stirring every so often to prevent sticking. When the beans are soft, continue to cook uncovered, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Once most of the water is absorbed, remove the pot from the heat. If they still look a little watery, that's fine. They will eventually absorb the liquid. Mash the beans down with a potato masher. It’s kind of a workout smashing those beans down! Allow the beans to sit, and they will thicken up. Adjust salt to taste.

Recipe Notes

Store your leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. You may even have to add some water before serving again because they really thicken up as they sit!