Lately I’m crazy about eating bowls! I’ve never been a breakfast girl, but I love breakfast for dinner. So, I decided to make a vegan breakfast bowl with my favorite Southwestern flavors. To create a delicious breakfast bowl, I focused on adding different colors considering the nutritional benefits of my bowl. Then choose a theme for the season and sauce the bowl. I’ve included tofu, greens, sweet potatoes, ranchero black beans, and homemade oil-free ranchero sauce for this particular vegan bowl recipe. Of course, I also added raw vegetables. The best breakfast bowls, in my opinion, are nutrient-dense and full of delicious goodness.
On Sundays, I prepare meals for the week including planning, cutting and cooking. When I plan, it makes cooking so much easier and it costs so much less at the grocery store. First, I make a list of the main meals I plan to make for the week, considering leftovers for lunch, and then I only buy ingredients for those recipes. As a result, my grocery bill is a lot lower than if I just wandered around the grocery store trying to figure out what I was going to make for the week.
How to make a vegetarian breakfast bowl
For example, when planning to make a vegan breakfast bowl, I consider taste first. I love Mexican food, so naturally, I chose sweet and savory to please my palate! Then, I decided on protein, greens, starches, raw vegetables, and finally the sauce. I’m all about the sauce.
- Select protein: Since we all know “where we get our protein” I chose egg tofu (as opposed to tofu scramble) and ranchero black beans.
- Greens: I picked raw kale, finely chopped.
- Starch: Chili lime sweet potatoes, corn tortillas
- Raw Vegetables: Jalapenos, tomatoes, red onion
- Sauce: Oil Free Ranchero Sauce
Since I always make a tofu scramble, I decided to make air fried tofu with the same “egg” flavor.
How to Make ‘Eggy’ Tofu
- Extra firm tofu
- Nutritional Scream
- yellow
- Bell pepper
- Black salt (the flavor is eggy, so it’s optional because it’s a preferred flavor
Instead of cooking the tofu in a skillet, I air-fry the tofu for a crispy exterior and soft interior. But baking or tofu or cooking in a skillet also works.
Did you know that a magical thing happens when turmeric and black pepper combine?? Curcumin in turmeric and piperine in black pepper have been shown to improve health due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and disease-fighting properties. So, whenever you add turmeric to a recipe, add some black pepper for double the benefits.
What kind of sauce is used in a vegan breakfast bowl?
For this breakfast bowl recipe, I made an oil-free ranchero sauce. This smoky, bold, and slightly spicy sauce is oil-free and easy to make. Although ranchero sauce is traditionally spicy, it’s up to you how you like it.
Not only is the sauce great for adding to bowls, I added it to black beans while cooking to make ranchero black beans.
Then, I air-fry marinated chili lime sweet potatoes and corn tortillas to add a little crunch to the bowl.
How to put together a delicious breakfast bowl
Start with a serving of egg tofu, sweet potatoes, and ranchero black beans. Then, serve with finely chopped kale and tomatoes, avocado, red onion and jalapeños, and top with ranchero sauce over the tofu and sweet potatoes. Serve with air-fried corn tortilla strips and lime.
advice
- Easily customize your bowl: 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.
- Add coriander leaves if desired.
- If desired, choose grains such as rice, farro, barley or quinoa instead of sweet potatoes.
- Add vegan nacho cheese sauce and plant-based sour cream
- Another sauce option is vegan Southwest Dressing
- Substitute greens like spinach (cooked or raw) or collard greens
- When cutting jalapeños, wear gloves to avoid irritation to hands, eyes and skin.
FAQ
What is a breakfast bowl?
- A combination of favorite breakfast foods in a bowl contains protein, vegetables and starches, both raw and cooked.
How many calories are in a breakfast bowl?
- A traditional breakfast bowl with eggs, bacon and cheese contains 700-800 calories. However, my vegan breakfast bowl only has 289 calories.
Can I make breakfast bowls ahead of time?
- Yes! Delicious breakfast bowls make ahead and heat 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 use only cooked ingredients for a quick and easy breakfast in the morning
Are you looking for healthy vegan breakfast ideas? Don’t look ahead.
📖 Recipe

Vegan Breakfast Bowl
This vegetarian breakfast bowl features air-fried tofu, chile lime sweet potatoes, ranchero black beans and raw vegetables, served with air-fried corn tortilla strips and topped with oil-free ranchero sauce.
Materials
Ranchero sauce, salsa or hot sauce
Chili lime sweet potatoes
instructions
Egg Tofu
-
Press the tofu and cut into size cubes
-
Place tofu cubes in a bowl
-
Add nutritional yeast and seasoning; coat toss
Air-fryer version
-
Place large pieces in the basket, do not touch each other.
-
Cook at 370 for 10 minutes
-
Open the basket and turn the large tofu pieces.
-
Bake for another 10 minutes
Skillet cooking
-
Heat a non-stick pan to medium.
-
Add the tofu.
-
As the tofu cooks, using a spatula, flip it over, adding a little vegetable broth if it sticks.
-
Cook until browned on all sides and the marinade has reduced.
Ranchero sauce, or salsa or hot sauce as an alternative
-
Make the ranchero sauce by following the instructions in the link provided.
-
Make ahead of time and reheat for a shortcut.
-
The sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.
Chili Lime Roast Sweet Potatoes Without Marinade
-
Cut the sweet potato into equal sized cubes (skin on).
-
Place in a pan and cover with water and 1 teaspoon salt
-
Boil for 5 minutes.
-
Drain and rinse with cold water.
-
Transfer potatoes to a refrigerator-safe bowl and add ¼ cup lime juice and 1 tablespoon chili powder.
-
Cover all the 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 the potatoes on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Ranchero Beans
-
Rinse black beans (or pinto beans substitute)
-
Place beans in a pan and add 3 tablespoons ranchero sauce or salsa.
-
Heat over medium-low and stir until heated through.
Air-Fried Corn Tortilla Strips
-
Cut the corn tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter.
-
Make sure they are equal in size.
-
Place tortilla strips on a single layer or air-fryer pan
Base of air-fryer. Do not overlap the pieces. -
Brush with lime juice and sprinkle with salt or leave plain for extra flavor.
-
Cook at 370b degrees for 6 minutes until browned and crispy.
How to assemble a breakfast bowl
-
In each bowl, serve tofu, sweet potatoes, ranchero beans, and kale. Add avocado, red onion, tomatoes and jalapeños on top of the kale. Place the tortilla strips by the beans in the corner
to dip -
Add ranchero sauce or salsa over potatoes and tofu.
-
Serve with a lime wedge.
Comment
advice
- Easily customize your own bowl: 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.
- Add coriander leaves if desired.
- If desired, choose grains such as rice, farro, barley or quinoa instead of sweet potatoes.
- Add vegan nacho cheese sauce and plant-based sour cream
- Another sauce option is vegan Southwest Dressing
- Substitute greens like spinach (cooked or raw) or collard greens
- When cutting jalapeños, wear gloves to avoid burning hands, eyes ad skin.
nutrition
Calories: 585kcalSugars: 85gProtein: 29gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 7gMonounsaturated fats: 7gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 1364mgPotassium: 2315mgFiber: 29gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 30827IUVitamin C: 196mgCalcium: 597mgIron: 9mg

Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegetarian and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegan. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂