This Southwestern Vegan Burrito Bowl with a creamy cilantro lime dressing is the perfect way to elevate your usual buddha bowl! The chili spice adds a pop of chipotle flavor and the various textures from brown rice, corn, and roasted sweet potato takes this to the next level.

And call it what you like, this Vegan Burrito Bowl can also be a Vegan Buddha Bowl, Vegan Power Bowl, or even a Vegan Grain Bowl. The idea is that these bowls are vegan friendly and filled with tons of healthy vegetables and nutrients to power you through your day!

For more vegan meal inspiration, check out this creamy and “cheesy” 6 Ingredient Vegan Alfredo Sauce or these Spicy Tahini Rice Noodles!

There are three southwestern vegan burrito bowls sitting in a diagonal line across the width of the photograph. A rumpled blue kitchen towel is spread beneath them. Each bowl has cilantro brown rice, chipotle sweet potatoes and corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado cubes, black beans, and a wedge of lime. In the area around the bowls there is a bowl with cherry tomatoe and a squeezed lime; a glass of lime water, a jar of cilantro lime sauce with a whisk inside, and small bowl with additional salt flakes. The largest bowl of vegan burrito mix has two forks laying inside of it.

Ingredients in Vegan Burrito Bowl

Cilantro Brown Rice – I love using brown rice for this vegan rice bowl because the texture is perfectly chewy yet tender and it’s higher in fiber!

Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potato & Corn – The pop of chipotle flavor from the chili powder really elevates this dish. I love the combination of sweet potato and corn for texture and that subtle sweetness to compliment the spice.

Black Beans – These are optional but add great texture and plant based protein to this Vegan Burrito Bowl. You could also make these as Spicy Black Beans or sub for any other type of bean that’d you like!

Cherry Tomatoes – Add a fresh burst of flavor and are full of great vitamins and fiber for the body.

Avocados – My favorite addition to any vegan power bowl. Avocado is the perfect fuel for the body, loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and nutrients to power us through the day.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing – While all the ingredients in this Vegan Burrito Bowl are delicious, I love adding this homemade Cilantro Lime Dressing. It’s super creamy and adds a burst of fresh flavor to this bowl!

A vegan burrito bowl filled with cilantro brown rice, chipotle roasted sweet potato and corn, cherry tomato halves, cubed avocado, black beans, a lime wedge, and fresh parsley on top plus two forks within is the focus of the photograph. In the top left and bottom right corner there is an additional glance at two more vegan burrito bowls. In the other corners and background of the photo there is another lime wedge, a plate with a jar of cilantro lime sauce, and a water glass.

How to Make a Vegan Buddha Bowl

The first step to making a delicious and nutritious Vegan Burrito Bowl is to prep your base ingredients. Then, you can build your bowl and dig in!

Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potato & Corn

Preheat the oven to 375F and line two baking pans with parchment paper.
To a large mixing bowl add cubed sweet potato, olive oil, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine and spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking tray. Move to the oven and bake at 375F for 35 minutes, or until one side of sweet potatoes has started to brown.
To the same mixing bowl, add corn kernels, diced onion, olive oil, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine and spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking tray. Move to the oven and bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Cilantro Brown Rice

To a medium saute pan, add olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion becomes translucent and just starts to brown.
Stir in cooked brown rice and salt. Cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Set aside.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Add salt, almond milk, lime juice, black pepper, and olive oil to a hand blender mixing cup. Blend on high until creamy. Stir in lime zest and cilantro.

Build Your Vegan Buddha Bowl

Assemble bowls by evenly distributing brown rice, chipotle roasted sweet potato & corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado between 3-4 bowls. Drizzle with creamy cilantro lime dressing and enjoy!

There are three southwestern vegan burrito bowls in the photo. Each bowl is filled with cilantro brown rice, chipotle roasted sweet potato and corn, halved cherry tomatoes, black beans, and avocado slices. The main bowl also has a lime wedge and two forks sitting within it. In the background there are more lime wedges, a glass of water, and an edge of a bowl of cilantro.

Best Buddha Bowl Sauce

I may be biased but I’d say that this Creamy Cilantro Lime dressing is the best buddha bowl sauce I’ve yet to try! Not only is it extremely easy but the flavor is out of this world.

I love that simple ingredients can create such a creamy and delicious sauce. And even if you’re unsure of the cilantro, the fresh lime, salt, and pepper help to unite the flavors !

Ways to Eat this Vegan Power Bowl

One of the many reason I love this Vegan Power Bowl is because of how many options there are with it.

Besides making this as a Vegan Burrito Bowl you could also use all of the ingredients as the filling for an actual burrito; whether with a wrap or lettuce cups. And for a real fun idea, you could make nachos with the toppings because who doesn’t love nachos?!

Pantry Staple Friendly Recipe

We all have those extra pantry staples glaring at us from deep within the cupboards, begging to be used. This Vegan Burrito Bowl is the perfect excuse to use up those goods!

For instance, if you don’t have black beans, simply substitute for any canned beans in your pantry. Or instead of brown rice, use any grain that you have available. This could be white rice, quinoa, farro, savory steel cut oats, or whatever else you’d like to use.

There are three southwestern vegan burrito bowls sitting in a diagonal line across the width of the photograph. Each bowl has cilantro brown rice, chipotle sweet potatoes and corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado cubes, black beans, and a wedge of lime. The middle and biggest bowl has two forks sitting within it. In the area around the bowls there is a bowl with cherry tomatoes and a squeezed lime; two glasses of lime water; a jar of cilantro lime sauce with a mini whisk inside, a small bowl of red pepper flakes, more lime slices, and a small bowl with additional salt flakes.

Other Vegan Burrito Bowl Toppings

No matter what, a great vegan buddha bowl always needs equally delicious toppings! A few of my go-to choices are homemade pico de gallo, sauteed peppers +onions, guacamole, chopped red onion, tahini sauce, roasted almonds, or for something different try these Spicy Black Beans; the options are truly endless!

Healthy Meal Prep

This is one of my favorite ways to meal prep because every part of this Vegan Burrito Bowl can be prepped ahead of time. Then, when the time comes and you’re scrambling to make something, everything will be ready to toss together in one big bowl. After all, no one wants to be hangry!

Once you prep the chipotle sweet potatoes, chipotle corn, and the cilantro brown rice, let them cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. For the creamy cilantro lime dressing, you can store it in a glass jar (or container) and shake it (or stir it) before drizzling over top.

That way lunch or dinner is all prepped and ready to go for a busy or long day when you want nothing to do with the kitchen. I love being able to grab a bowl and fill it up with food that’s delicious and nourishing.

Tips for Making a Vegan Grain Bowl

Make your own sauce! The creamy cilantro lime dressing pairs perfectly with the chipotle roasted vegetables and adds a fresh twist to your regular buddha bowl.
Make ahead for the week so you have healthy and easy lunch + dinner options all week.
Get creative with how you use the filling ingredients – if you are tired of eating this as a bowl, try making as a burrito or use the filling ingredients for a quesadilla. Get creative on what you think would taste best!

And if you’re looking for more easy meals to prep ahead of time, check out this light and fresh Tabouli Salad ~ another great make-ahead meal option.

If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Southwestern Vegan Burrito Bowl 🙂