Level up your weekly taco night by making this fiesta fajita bowl with chimichurri instead. Adding celery to your chimichurri or these bowls adds a delightful crunch that will have you going back for seconds.
This post is sponsored by Dandy® Fresh Produce.
To help cut down on the mental load of figuring out what to make for dinner every night (yes, even food bloggers/dietitians struggle with it!), we create meals based on a theme. Even though it’s unoriginal, Tuesdays are usually tacos or another southwestern inspired dish. These lentil tacos or this enchilada skillet have been our go-tos for a while, but these fiesta fajita bowls with chimichurri are the newest addition to our Tuesday routine.
One of the secret ingredients to this fajita bowl recipe is fresh celery. So I’ve partnered with Dandy® Fresh Produce and used their crispy celery to add crunch and flavor to the chimichurri sauce that brings these bowls together.
What’s more, celery is a great addition to bowls like this one since it’s also high in fiber, full of vitamins and minerals, and just overall such a great kitchen staple. Plus, Dandy® fresh-cut celery is naturally sweeter, crispier, and less stringy than other brands on the grocery store shelves!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick rundown of the key ingredients you’ll need for these vegan fajita bowls. Be sure to check out the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Red Onion, Bell Pepper: use a couple different colors for the peppers and the finished bowls turn out so pretty! Not to mention, these colorful veggies are packed with vitamins A, C, and antioxidants.
- Portobello Mushrooms: I like adding some sliced portobellos to this bowl because they add umami and “meatiness” but without the meat. I usually toss them in the seasoning separate from the red onion and bell pepper because I like plating it separately for serving, but you could mix everything together.
- Taco seasoning: use your favorite taco seasoning blend for a no-fuss way to add tons of flavor the roasted veggies for these bowls.
- Spicy Black Beans: to save an extra step, I buy pre-seasoned canned black beans. (I like the spicy ones.) however, you could also add a bit of cumin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to your beans when you reheat them if you only have plain ones.
- Brown Rice: to cut down on prep time, I buy some pre-cooked brown rice either in the pouch or the freezer. This is also a great recipe for using up leftover brown rice.
- Parsley: fresh parsley is one of the quintessential ingredients for chimichurri since it adds lots of color and a bit of flavor. It’s also a great source of antioxidants too!
- Celery: to add crunch to these bowls, I mixed some celery into the chimichurri sauce. It may sound like a wild combination but they flavors do go so well together!
Variations
- Try a Different Protein: we used black beans as the protein for this recipe, but you could replace that with another protein. Give lentils, soy curls, crumbled tofu, plant-based chicken, or plant-based steak a try!
- Swap the Grain: I love using brown rice as the base for these bowls, but my husband uses cauliflower rice instead as a lower carb option. You could also use white rice or quinoa or even wrap it all up in a burrito-size tortilla.
How to Make Fiesta Fajita Bowls
I love that these creamy parmesan beans come together in one pot with plenty of sauce for dipping some bread into. See the recipe card for the full directions.
Roast the Veggies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the red onion, bell pepper, and portobello mushrooms to a large mixing bowl with the olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss gently to coat then spread into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until softened.
Make the Chimichurri: While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, and parsley together in a bowl. Stir in the celery to coat in the chimichurri.
Assemble: To assemble the bowls, add the rice then top with the roasted veggies, corn, black beans, and chimichurri.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep: to make assembly quick and easy you can meal prep the rice, black beans, and chimichurri in advance. Just store in the fridge in airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble your bowls.
Fridge: store any leftover fiesta bowl ingredients in an airtight container in the first for up to 3 days.
Freezer: I would say to skip the freezer on this one since the cooked peppers could get soggy after thawing/reheating.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
Fiesta Fajita Bowl with Chimichurri
#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }Ingredients
For the Bowl
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 portobello mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup corn
- 2 1/2 cups black beans
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
For the Chimichurri
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1 cup celery
Instructions
For the Bowl
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the red onion, bell pepper, and portobello mushrooms to a large mixing bowl with the olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss gently to coat then spread into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until softened.
For the Chimichurri
- While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, and parsley together in a bowl. Stir in the celery to coat in the chimichurri.
Assemble
- To assemble the bowls, add the rice then top with the roasted veggies, corn, black beans, and chimichurri.
Notes
The post Fiesta Fajita Bowl with Chimichurri appeared first on Dietitian Debbie Dishes.
