All the credit for this mindblowingly delicious chipotle cauliflower burrito bowl idea goes to my man. He’s an omnivore and a generally adventurous eater, so he often has great ideas for turning dishes that he tries and likes at restaurants out and about into plant-based dinners that we’ll both enjoy at home. In this case, he referenced really good chipotle chicken tacos that he’d had, and thought that cauliflower would make for a perfect chicken stand-in, when roasted and stewed together with tomatoes, chipotle chilis, and adobo sauce. The cauliflower turned out so good, I knew I couldn’t not share the recipe here.
You can definitely serve this chipotle cauliflower in tacos, but we went for a burrito bowl format here, which did not disappoint. The super flavorful, spicy cauliflower goes so well with the sturdiness of brown rice, sweetness of roasted corn, the cooling, creamy vibes of avocado and cashew lime cream, and the extra substance of black beans. Top that off with a handful of cilantro and an extra squeeze of lime, and you are in for a seriously great meal.
If you’ve never tried it before, chipotle in adobo is a fairly common ingredient in American grocery stores, in my experience. The peppers come in small cans, and can usually be found either in the specialty/world food isle or near the canned vegetables, like canned tomatoes and peppers. It’s such a good little ingredient, and a shortcut to tons of flavor, as illustrated by this fairly simple cauliflower recipe. We hope you’ll give this one a try :)
- 1 head of cauliflower - cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 ears of corn (optional)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- neutral oil of choice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small yellow onion - diced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper - minced
- 1 red or orange bell pepper - sliced
- 2 chipotle chilis from a can of chipotle in adodo sauce - minced
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the can)
- 2 tablespoons cashew lime cream (recipe below)
- 1 cup cashews - soaked in purified water for 2-4 hours
- juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- sea salt - to taste
- cooked brown rice
- black beans mixed with olive oil, cilantro, and finely chopped red onion
- roasted corn (from the recipe below)
- avocado
- cilantro
- cashew lime cream (from the recipe below)
- lime wedges
- Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare two parchment paper-covered baking trays.
- Place the cauliflower florets and corn, if using, on one of the prepared trays. Place the tomatoes on the second tray. Drizzle all the vegetables with the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix everything to coat.
- Place both trays in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set them aside. Flip the corn ears and give the cauliflower a toss, place the tray back in the oven, and roast for about 15 more minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and cooked through. You might need to remove the corn a bit earlier.
- Once your vegetables are done roasting, cut the corn off the cobs (if using) and set aside to serve in the burrito bowls.
- Heat up about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper to the pan, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté for 7 minutes, until the onion and peppers are soft. Add the chipotle chilis and adobo sauce, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and break them up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the roasted cauliflower, mix everything together, and let the vegetables 'stew' for 5 more minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the cashew lime cream at the end. Serve the chipotle cauliflower with your burrito bowl components of choice (see the suggestions above).
- Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender, until very smooth. Serve the cream with the burrito bowls, and keep the leftovers refrigerated in an air-tight container.
The Modern Proper says
This looks so good! I love the flavors you put together here. That sauce paired with the cauliflower sounds incredible. Currently jotting down the ingredients to pick up tomorrow!
Anya says
Amazing! Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy the recipe, we are obsessed with it :)
Linda says
Everything looks great! I’m so excited to try some of these recipes!
Best Kitchen Utensil
kristin says
oh yum. i love cauliflower, and this looks so flavorful!
Anya says
Thank you so much Kristin!