Bowl with plant-based protein, rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, corn, shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado slices.
Where this dish comes from
The rice-and-protein bowl format is deeply rooted in Mexican fondas — small lunch counters that have served rice, beans, guisado, and garnishes as a composed plate since at least the nineteenth century. The swap of Beyond Meat for traditional ground beef or picadillo reflects the contemporary movement in Mexican-American dining to offer plant-based analogues that honor the spice architecture of the cuisine rather than ignoring it. The bowl format itself became ubiquitous in fast-casual Mexican dining through the 2010s, making it a natural vehicle for plant-based proteins seeking mainstream adoption.
½ cup blended tomatillos and poblano (1 small tomatillo + ¼ poblano)
1 tbsp neutral oil
Salt to taste
*For the black beans:**
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
2 tbsp water
¼ tsp cumin
Salt to taste
*Bowl toppings:**
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 cup shredded green and purple cabbage tossed with 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp mayo, pinch of salt
½ cup store-bought tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
3 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream
¼ cup pickled red onion (thinly sliced red onion in lime juice and salt, 30 min)
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
1
**Make the arroz verde:** Blend tomatillo and poblano with broth until smooth. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add dry rice and toast, stirring, 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Pour in the blended broth mixture, season with salt, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.
2
**Warm the black beans:** Combine drained beans, water, and cumin in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes, mashing about a third of the beans with the back of a spoon until creamy but still chunky. Season with salt.
3
**Make the quick slaw:** Toss shredded cabbage with lime juice, mayo, and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until assembly.
4
**Sear the Beyond Meat:** Mix all the spices together. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the Beyond Meat and press into a flat layer. Let it sear undisturbed 2 minutes until dark and crusty on the bottom. Break apart, add the spice mix, stir-fry another 2 minutes until caramelized throughout. Remove from heat.
5
**Pickle the red onion (if not prepped):** Combine thinly sliced red onion with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
6
**Assemble the bowl:** Spoon arroz verde into one side of a wide bowl. Add black beans alongside. Pile the hot Beyond Meat crumble in the center. Spoon tomatillo salsa over the crumble. Tuck slaw at the rim.
7
**Finish and serve:** Fan avocado slices over the top, drizzle with crema, scatter pickled onion and cilantro over everything, and tuck a lime wedge on the side. Serve immediately.