Meet Alex Caspero
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
Vegetable Fajita Bowls with Creamy Cilantro Sauce! Roasted summer vegetables, cilantro rice, avocado and a creamy, dairy-free cilantro sauce. Vegan and Gluten-free.
Hooray for summer vegetables! I’ve been waiting on you for months. Yes, I get excited about pumpkin and butternut and every other squash, but there is nothing like the rich, robust offerings of summer produce.
So, I’ve combined them all into this delicious fajita bowl. I’m kinda playing fast and loose with the title (per usual), but this bowl has everything that I want in a fajita: seasoned roasted vegetables, avocado, the most incredibly silky cilantro sauce and rice. Because, I always want rice.
Ironically, I’m supposed to hate cilantro. At least according to my genes. I did the 23&Me testing a few months ago and found out that I’m a subset of the population that thinks cilantro tastes like soap. Can you change gene expression? I wouldn’t touch cilantro with a 10 foot poll when I was a kid, but now I want to put it in just about everything.
Exhibit A, this bowl. Cilantro rice, cilantro sauce, cilantro garnish.
This sauce. Wow. I forgot how delicious cashew sauces can be and was quickly reminded of their magical powers after tasting this sauce. I knew I wanted some type of cilantro sauce and almost went with my usual stand-by- the avocado– when I realized that my stash had taken a turn for the worse. So, I threw in some cashews instead and was completely blown away.
It’s so simple yet so flavorful. I’ve been pouring the leftovers on giant slices of tomatoes, pasta and cucumber chunks ever since.
I can’t wait for you to try this fajita bowl; it’s the perfect meal for summer when you want a lot of flavor without a lot of fuss. All of the ingredients will keep for a few days in the fridge, so do like I do: make a batch of the rice, vegetables and sauce on Sunday. Place all in individual containers to assemble bowls as needed throughout the week.
Then drizzle, baby, drizzle all of that delicious cilantro goodness on top.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
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Vegetable Fajita Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 bowls 1x
Description
Vegetable Fajita Bowls with Creamy Cilantro Sauce! Roasted summer vegetables, cilantro rice, avocado and a creamy, dairy-free cilantro sauce. Vegan and Gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 bowls 1x
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 bowls 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- Vegetable Ingredients:
- 1 medium-small eggplant
- 2 medium green zucchini
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt/pepper
- Cilantro Rice:
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large lime, juice and zest
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- salt/pepper
- Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large lime, juice and zest
- salt/pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the vegetables into bite size pieces and toss with olive oil, lime juice, cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (you will likely need two) and place in the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized.
- While the vegetables are cooking, make the rice. Rinse the basmati rice and place in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Toss cooked rice with olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt/pepper.
- Place the soaked and drained cashews, cilantro, almond milk, lime juice/zest and salt/pepper into a blender or food processor and combine until creamy and thick. Depending on the power of your blender, this may take up to 5 minutes. Season to taste, if needed, with salt and pepper.
- Divide the rice among bowls, top with vegetables, avocado slices and creamy cilantro sauce.
did you make this?
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(2 comments) leave a comment
The sauce, the veggies, the rice! That bowl just looks perfect to me!