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    Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Vegan Cilantro Ranch

    February 6, 2019 By Rene 58 Comments

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner!

    Jump to Recipe
    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl

    How to make Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Vegan Cilantro Ranch

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls are LOADED with all kinds of good stuff. Cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, brown rice, black beans...the list goes on and on. Well, not really, that's pretty much it.

    BUT, even though the ingredient list is slightly long, don't worry. This recipe is still super simple. We're chopping, we're seasoning and we're roasting.

    First thing to do is roast the veggies. Get it all on a baking sheet and toss with some olive oil and taco seasoning.

    Next, make the sauce and prep the brown rice and beans.

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl
    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl

    How to serve Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Vegan Cilantro Ranch

    Throw it all in a bowl with your favorite leafy greens and top it off with the vegan cilantro ranch. I like to add lots of cilantro to top it off!

    You can easily make these ahead of time for lunch on the go. Just keep the warm and cold ingredients separate, then assemble right before eating.

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl
    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl

    These are my favorite types of dinners. You get TONS of veggies, fiber-packed beans, and a tasty sauce in one bowl.

    Filling, tasty and makes for the BEST leftovers. Doesn't get any better than that.

    SHOP THE POST

    Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:

    • Brown Rice Chickpea Taco Bowls with Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
    • Vegan Cilantro Ranch Dressing
    • Healthy Cauliflower Taco Bowls
    • Baked Fries with Vegan Cilantro Ranch
    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl
    Print Pin
    4.93 from 27 votes

    Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Keyword black beans, cauliflower, quick dinner, taco bowls
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 4 bowls
    Calories 597kcal

    Ingredients

    FOR THE CAULIFLOWER

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cups cauliflower roughly chopped
    • ½ red bell pepper chopped
    • ½ red onion chopped
    • 2 tablespoon taco seasoning

    FOR THE BROWN RICE

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ red bell pepper chopped
    • ½ red onion chopped
    • 1 jalapeño chopped
    • 2 cups brown rice cooked
    • 1 cup frozen corn
    • 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
    • 1 4-ounce can green chilis
    • 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
    • ¼ cup salsa*

    FOR THE CILANTRO RANCH

    • ½ cup vegan mayo
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar plus more to taste
    • ½ bunch cilantro
    • 4 cloves garlic peeled
    • 5 basil leaves
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • water as needed

    FOR THE SALAD

    • 5 cups leafy greens
    • 1 avocado chopped
    • cilantro, lime wedges for topping

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
    • Add all of the cauliflower ingredients to the baking sheet and toss to coat evenly. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.
    • While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the rice mixture.
    • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and jalapeño to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the remaining rice ingredients and toss to combine. Turn heat to low and stir occasionally until you are ready to eat.
    • To prepare the cilantro ranch add all of the ingredients (except the water) to a food processor. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and vinegar to taste. Thin with water until desired consistency is reached. 
    • To assemble, layer greens, rice mixture and cauliflower in each bowl.** Top with avocado and cilantro. Drizzle with cilantro ranch and serve with lime wedges!

    Notes

    *Use your favorite - I used a spicy chunky salsa.
    **For leftovers, keep greens, rice/cauliflower and dressing separate until serving. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 6g | Iron: 4mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!

    These Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Creamy Vegan Cilantro Ranch are filled with brown rice, bell peppers, onion & beans. A healthy & tasty vegan dinner | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #tacobowl
    « Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #49
    Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #50 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sophia

      October 02, 2022 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      Just made this dish for Sunday dinner. OMG it is bursting with flavor. If you are not into spicy foods, I would not suggest the jalapeno and green chiles. This one will definitely be in the rotation. The cilantro ranch added a great touch.

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 10, 2022 at 9:51 am

        Thanks so much Sophia!

        Reply
    2. Heather Ferguson

      May 29, 2021 at 4:44 am

      These look so good! Question, do you drain and rinse the black beans or just throw it in? Making today!

      Reply
      • Rene

        May 29, 2021 at 10:47 am

        Hi Heather - Yes! I've updated the recipe!

        Reply
      • Deb D

        December 23, 2021 at 4:01 pm

        5 stars
        Just had this for dinner. Fantastic!

        Reply
        • Rene

          December 25, 2021 at 9:36 am

          Yayyyyy - so glad you liked it Deb!

          Reply
    3. Sofia

      January 16, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Great recipe!! Didn’t make a lot of cauliflower though so next time I might just use the whole bag. Good with olives and Siracusa as well!

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 19, 2021 at 8:44 am

        Yum - those sound like great additions!

        Reply
    4. April

      October 17, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      This was amazing! I made it as is, except I didn't have any hot pepper. My hubby ended up stuffing everything in a hard taco shell for his second helping. Can't wait to have more for leftovers tomorrow😋

      Reply
    5. Vanessa

      September 17, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks for sharing! does the ranch keep long?

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 29, 2020 at 8:44 am

        I would say 2-3 days, just because of the fresh herbs. You could use dry and it would last longer.

        Reply
    6. Suzanne

      September 17, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      This looks so good! Do you use the ranach in any other recipes?

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 29, 2020 at 8:45 am

        Yes! Here are a couple others:
        https://www.thissavoryvegan.com/bbq-chickpea-lettuce-wraps/
        https://www.thissavoryvegan.com/vegan-blt-summer-rolls/

        Reply
    7. Paige

      August 10, 2020 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      This was really good! Whole family found something in thus recipe they loved. My kiddo “helped” me to make it so she knew what was in it. Then hubby and I had the bowl version. Kiddos had it compartmentalized on plates. It was a little time consuming to make since I didn’t have already made rice. Plus I’m cooking inside our RV. Changed the heat a bit for kiddos. Smoked paprika, garlic and onion spice with salt in the rice mix. Otherwise this meal was very delectable.

      Reply
      • Rene

        August 11, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        So glad you and your family liked this - and that that you had lots of "help" in the kitchen 😂❤️️

        Reply
    8. Nancy @ NY Foodie Family

      July 22, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      A bit time consuming to make but so good!

      Reply
    9. Jessy

      July 21, 2020 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      This is SO good. It takes a little bit longer to prepare than i'm used to but it is so worth it. We eat it about once a week!

      Reply
      • Rene

        July 21, 2020 at 7:29 pm

        Yay - so glad you liked it. It is a few steps, but if you have time to prep a little beforehand, that would speed up the actual cooking process. Making the dressing ahead of time is always a good starting point 🙂

        Reply
    10. Laurie

      May 03, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      This recipe is wonderful. I was hesitant at first but it's delicious. We will be making it again. The Cilantro Mayo makes the whole dish. We are definitely not vegan but we are cauliflower lovers so this will be added to our menu.

      Reply
      • Rene

        May 04, 2020 at 10:36 am

        Awesome! So glad it was a hit. And yes, the sauce is my favorite part too 🙂

        Reply
    11. Amy

      April 21, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was amazing! A big hit to my vegetarian kiddo and myself! Thanks for posting

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 24, 2020 at 10:42 am

        Yay! So glad it was hit with everyone!

        Reply
    12. Hildy

      March 31, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      This was soooo delicious! Even my husband who doesn't particularly care for cauliflower loved it! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 01, 2020 at 8:29 am

        So glad it was a hit for both of you! Cauliflower is one of my faves 🙂

        Reply
    13. Lindsay

      February 16, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      4 stars
      This is delicious... BUT— the dressing should have maybe 1 clove of garlic with this ratio of the rest of the ingredients. We were gagging on how garlicky the dressing was! The rest? SOOOOO delicious. I’ll definitely make it again, but hooooweeee will I make it less garlicky 🙂

      Reply
    14. Jessica

      February 12, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious!!! The dressing recipe is incredible, definitely using it for other things as well! I’m usually hesitant about black bean based recipes but the corn really balanced out the texture. So yummy!!!

      Reply
    15. Scud

      January 28, 2020 at 6:54 pm

      4 stars
      I made this tonight with a few tweaks to the bowl. The cilantro dressing is so good! I added black beans and farro to this and fresh pico de gayo. Yum!

      Reply
    16. Christine

      January 20, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      We are new to plant based diets and will try to eat vegan when possible. We are trying out many recipes and this one, by far, is our favourite! Our friends, who aren’t vegan also loved it.
      The dressing adds so much flavour. I made a bunch to put on other things too

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 21, 2020 at 3:18 pm

        Awesome! So glad you are finding recipes that are making your plant-based transition easier. And I agree, I could put that dressing on everything 🙂

        Reply
    17. Deb

      January 07, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is an amazing vegan recipe that the whole family will love! My 12 and 16 year old non-vegan daughters love it. The Cilantro dressing really adds a great finishing touch and makes the dish over the top delicious. I personally double up on the cauliflower recipe to make the recipe "meatier:" This will definitely be a keeper recipe in our household. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 08, 2020 at 10:56 am

        Yay! So glad it was a hit with everyone! And that dressing is one of my faves too 🙂

        Reply
    18. Jennifer

      December 30, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      My son and I loved this recipe. We followed it almost exactly, just left out the jalapeno, because we accidentally left it off our shopping list. It is absolutely worth the effort and will definitely be on regular rotation in our house. Delicious!

      Reply
    19. Tiffanie Tuttle

      November 22, 2019 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      This dish was delicious! Most days I am just a plant-based eater but love to incorporate vegan dishes as often as possible. Let me tell you this is one of my favorites I have ever made. It rivals some of my favorite non-vegan/super fatty southwest or taco-style salads from various restaurants. Awesome recipe!

      Reply
    20. Teri

      October 08, 2019 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Incredible flavor - I'm just starting to eat vegan regularly, and this encourages me that I'm going to enjoy it. Simple to assemble and flexible for swapping for what's in the fridge.

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 09, 2019 at 5:04 pm

        So glad you liked it Teri! And yes, I love a meal that allows me to make swaps for whatever is in the fridge 🙂

        Reply
      • Danielle

        December 28, 2019 at 7:13 am

        5 stars
        Wow! This was delicious. Salads don't always have to be cold. This hit the spot and my boyfriend even took the leftovers for lunch. The cilantro dressing was amazing!

        Reply
        • Rene

          December 28, 2019 at 7:31 am

          Ya! So glad you and your boyfriend liked it! And yes, I love a warm salad - especially in these cold months 🙂

          Reply
      • Melissa

        March 14, 2020 at 6:06 pm

        One of my absolute favorite recipes! DELICIOUS!!!!

        Reply
    21. Brenda

      September 13, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      This is a fantastic recipe, even my carnivore husband loved it, will definitely make it again. Only change I made was I didn’t mix the rice and bean mixture together.

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 17, 2019 at 7:27 am

        So glad you both liked it!

        Reply
    22. Faye

      June 08, 2019 at 4:19 am

      Looks good. I'm low carb. What can I use in place of the rice?

      Reply
      • Anne

        October 02, 2019 at 4:11 pm

        “Riced” cauliflower. You can hardly taste the cauliflower in this recipe, so I don’t think it would be overwhelming.

        Reply
    23. donna niemi

      May 05, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      Looks great do you know how many calories this is?

      Reply
    24. Crissy

      May 05, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious and so colorful! I used a bottled cilantro cotija dressing for the ranch. Loved everything about this!

      Reply
      • Rene

        May 07, 2019 at 8:07 pm

        Yay! So happy it was a hit!

        Reply
    25. Chelsea

      February 27, 2019 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight and it came out absolutely amazing. Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely be adding this into the rotation.

      Reply
      • Rene

        February 28, 2019 at 10:34 pm

        Awesome! So glad you liked it!

        Reply
        • Dana

          July 10, 2019 at 2:05 pm

          5 stars
          Made this last night and it was a huge hit! Entire family loved it. The creamy vegan dressing was the best. Most colorful dish too. Left overs did not last long today. Even super yummy cold! Delicious and a new staple in my dinner plans.

          Reply
          • Rene

            July 10, 2019 at 2:59 pm

            Awesome Dana! So glad it was a hit!

            Reply
            • Jennifer

              September 06, 2019 at 7:03 pm

              How many calories per serving? And what is they serving size?

    26. Wani

      February 08, 2019 at 6:13 am

      5 stars
      I just tried this recipe last night and my family really enjoyed it. The flavors in this was amazing, thank you for sharing!

      Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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