This vegan breakfast bowl recipe is loaded with air-fried tofu, chili lime sweet potatoes, ranchero black beans, and raw vegetables, served with air-fried corn tortilla strips and topped with ranchero sauce.
Lately, I'm crazy over bowl meals! I've never been a breakfast kind of girl, but I love breakfast for dinner. So, I decided to make a vegan breakfast bowl with my favorite southwestern flavors. To make a savory vegan breakfast bowl recipe, I focused on adding various colors, considering the nutritional benefit of my bowl. Then choose a theme to season and sauce up the bowl. I included tofu, greens, sweet potatoes, ranchero black beans, and homemade oil-free ranchero sauce for this particular vegan bowl recipe. Of course, I added raw veggies as well. The best breakfast bowls, in my opinion, are nutrient-dense and full of savory goodness.
Jump to:
On Sundays, I meal prep for the week, including planning, chopping, and cooking. When I plan, it makes cooking so much easier, and it costs much less at the grocery store. First, I make a list of the core meals I plan to make for the week, considering leftovers for lunches, and then I only buy the ingredients for those recipes. As a result, my grocery bill is much lower than if I wander around the grocery store trying to figure out what I'm going to make for the week.
How to Make a Vegan Breakfast Bowl
For example, I first consider flavor when planning to make a vegan breakfast bowl. I love Mexican food, so naturally, I chose sweet and savory to make my palate happy! Then, I decided on proteins, greens, starches, raw vegetables, and, last but not least, the sauce. I'm all about the sauce.
- Choose Proteins: Since we all know "where we get our protein," I chose eggy tofu (unlike a tofu scramble) and ranchero black beans.
- Greens: I picked raw kale, finely chopped.
- Starches: Chili lime sweet potatoes, corn tortillas
- Raw Vegetables: Jalapenos, tomatoes, red onion
- Sauce: Oil-free Ranchero sauce
Because I always make a tofu scramble, I decided to make air-fried tofu with the same "eggy" taste.
"Eggy" Tofu Ingredients
- Extra-Firm Tofu: The texture of extra firm tofu has the most chew, making this the tofu best suited to heartier dishes. It's my tofu of choice for making crispy tofu worth eating.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast—sometimes called "nooch," is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein like animal products. Complete proteins are essential nutrients that assist tissue repair and absorption. They may also prevent muscle loss. Did I mention it's cheesy?
- Turmeric: Turmeric is a bright yellow spice typically used for flavor and color in Asian cuisine. It has an earthy aroma, and its flavor profile is slightly peppery and bitter, with a subtle ginger taste. Turmeric contains three naturally occurring phytochemicals called curcuminoids, the most notable and researched of which is curcumin.
- Black Pepper: Black pepper is delicious and brings various flavors to the table that can be truly bangin' when applied to food.
- Black Salt: Black salt tastes eggy, so this is optional as it's a preferred taste.
Instead of cooking the tofu in a skillet, I air-fried the tofu for a crispy exterior and soft interior. But baking the tofu or cooking it in a skillet works as well.
Did you know that a magical thing happens when you combine turmeric and black pepper? Curcumin in turmeric and piperine in black pepper has improved health due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and disease-fighting qualities.
So, whenever you add turmeric to a recipe, add some black pepper for twice the benefit.
Sauce for the Vegan Breakfast Bowl
For this breakfast bowl recipe, I made a ranchero sauce. This smokey, bold, slightly spicy sauce is oil-free and easy to make. Although ranchero sauce is traditionally spicy, you decide how spicy you like it.
The sauce is excellent to add to the top of the bowl, and I also added it to the black beans while cooking them to make ranchero black beans.
Then, I air-fried the marinated chili lime sweet potatoes and corn tortillas to add a little crunch to the bowl.
How to Assemble the Vegan Breakfast Bowl Recipe
Add eggy tofu, sweet potatoes, and ranchero black beans to the base of a large bowl.
Then, add a serving of finely chopped kale and top with tomatoes, avocado, red onions, and jalapenos, and add ranchero sauce on top of the tofu and sweet potatoes.
Serve with air-fried corn tortilla strips and lime.
Recipe FAQs
A breakfast bowl combines favorite breakfast foods in one bowl, including protein, vegetables, and raw and cooked starch.
A traditional breakfast bowl with eggs, bacon, and cheese contains 700-800 calories. However, my vegan breakfast bowl has only 289 calories.
Yes! Make savory breakfast bowls in advance and heats up quickly on the go. Then, add the raw ingredients after the rest of the prepared bowl is cooked. Or skip the raw ingredients and only use cooked ingredients for a quick and easy breakfast in the morning.
TIPS
- Customize your bowl by making it simple: air-fry tofu and sweet potatoes together, cook ahead of time and reheat when ready to serve.
- Instead of ranchero sauce, choose salsa or hot sauce as an alternative if you're in a hurry.
- Cilantro is a great garnish for this Mexican-themed vegan breakfast bowl recipe.
- Choose a grain such as rice, farro, barley, or quinoa instead of sweet potatoes if desired.
- Add vegan nacho cheese sauce and plant-based sour cream
- Another sauce option is vegan Southwest dressing
- Substitute greens such as spinach (cooked or raw), or collard greens
- When cutting jalapenos, wear gloves to avoid burning hands, eyes, and skin.
Prep this vegan breakfast bowl recipe to reheat and enjoy all week long for a quick and easy vegan breakfast.
Great Vegan Breakfast Ideas
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
Eggy Tofu
- 14 ounce extra firm tofu Drained and pressed. Cut into equal-sized cubes.
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon black salt
Ranchero Sauce, Salsa or Hot Sauce
- 1 cup Ranchero sauce recipe
Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes
- 1 large sweet potato The skin on cut into cubes
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
Ranchero Black Beans
- 15 ounce black beans rinsed and drained (1 can)
- 3 Tablespoons ranchero sauce or serve black beans heated without sauce
AIr-fried Corn tortillas
- 4 small corn tortillas cut into strips
Other Ingredients
- 10 cups finely chopped kale
- 1 pint grape tomatoes cut in half
- ¼ red onion diced
- 1 avocado cut into cubes
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and deveined, cut into thin slices
- 1 limes cut into wedges
Instructions
Eggy Tofu
- Press tofu and cut into sized cubes.
- Place tofu cubes into a bowl.
- Add nutritional yeast and seasonings; toss to coat.
Baked
- Follow the exact directions for preparing the tofu.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Place tofu pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; I used my copper crisper pan.
Air Frying
- Place seasoned tofu pieces into the basket, not touching each other.
- Cook on 370 for 10 minutes.
- Open the basket and turn the tofu pieces over.
- Air fry for 10 more minutes
Skillet
- Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat.
- Add the tofu pieces.
- As the tofu cooks, turn it over using a spatula and add a little vegetable broth if sticking.
- Cook until brown on all sides and the marinade has diminished.
Ranchero Sauce, or Salsa or Hot sauce as a substitute
- Make ranchero sauce following the directions in the link provided.
- Make ahead of time and reheat for a shortcut.
- The sauce will last in the refrigerator for 7-10 days covered.
Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes or Roast without Marinade
- Cut the sweet potato into equal-sized cubes (skin on).
- Place in a pan and cover with water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Parboil for 5 minutes.
- Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Transfer potatoes to a refrigerator-safe container and add ¼ cup lime juice and 1 tablespoon chili powder.
- Cover and shake to cover all potatoes. Allow to marinate overnight or at least a few hours.
- Air-fry potatoes in a single layer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes; check as larger-sized cubes may take a few minutes longer.
- Or, roast potatoes on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Ranchero Beans
- Rinse and drain black beans (or substitute pinto beans)
- Place beans in a pan and add 3 Tablespoons of ranchero sauce or salsa.
- Heat on medium-low and stir until heated through.
Air-fried Corn Tortilla Strips
- Cut corn tortillas in strips using a pizza cutting,
- Make sure they are equal in size.
- Place tortillas strips on the air-fryer pan in a single layer or the base of the airfryer. Do not overlap pieces.
- Brush with lime juice and sprinkle with salt or leave plain for extra flavor.
- Cook at 370b degrees for 6 minutes until brown and crispy.
How to Assemble the Vegan Breakfast Bowl
- Add a serving of tofu, sweet potatoes, ranchero beans, and kale in each bowl. Add avocado, red onion, tomatoes, and jalapenos to the kale. Place the tortilla strips by the beans in the corner for dipping.
- Add ranchero sauce or salsa on top of the potatoes and tofu.
- Serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
- Customize your own bowl by making it simple: air-fry tofu and sweet potatoes together, cook ahead of time, and reheat when ready to serve.
- Instead of ranchero sauce, if you're in a hurry, choose salsa or hot sauce as an alternative.
- Add cilantro if desired.
- Choose a grain such as rice, farro, barley, or quinoa instead of sweet potatoes if desired.
- Add Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce and Plant-Based Sour Cream
- Another sauce option is Vegan Southwest Dressing
- Substitute greens such as spinach (cooked or raw), or collard greens
- When cutting jalapenos, wear gloves to avoid burning hands, eyes and skin.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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