Cauliflower al Pastor Bowls

Deconstructed vegetarian al pastor tacos, made with cauliflower, pineapple, and cotija cheese, and served over brown rice. Great for dinner or as a make-ahead lunch option.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings bowls

Calories 343kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

For the bowls:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
½ red onion diced
2 cups pineapple chopped, can sub canned
2 cups brown rice cooked
1 cup cotija cheese crumbled
Cilantro for serving

For the al pastor sauce:

3 cloves garlic minced
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce roughly chopped, plus a little sauce
¼ cup white vinegar
1 cup pineapple chopped, can sub canned
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

If you need to prep the brown rice, do that before you make the rest of the recipe. Use quick rice or microwaveable frozen brown rice to save time.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower florets and red onion and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 15-18 minutes.
While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the sauce by combining the garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, white vinegar, pineapple, oregano, and paprika in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Once the cauliflower is tender, add the sauce to the skillet and mix well until the florets are coated. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Prepare the bowls by adding ¼ of the cooked cauliflower, ½ cup chopped pineapple, ½ cup brown rice, and ¼ cup cheese to each bowl. Serve with fresh cilantro to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

These bowls can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and are a great lunch option.
To increase the protein content, add black beans or another type of legume or shredded chicken.

Nutrition