Savory plant-based breakfasts that don’t rely on soy products or grains can be particularly difficult to find.

The mainstream Western diet seems to have a preference for breads, sweets, and—of course—eggs for the morning meal. Our most common breakfasts are loaded with animal proteins, and vegan options are usually soy based or too heavily focused on grain-based starches.

I wanted an easy, go-to plant-based breakfast that I could make for my family. None of us like eggs, and I personally try to keep the soy in my diet to a minimum because I have thyroid disease, so that rules out a daily tofu scramble. Grains like cereals, breads, and even oatmeal leave me feeling hungry soon after I eat them—and on top of that, they make me bloated and prone to weight gain. I still eat them, but I try not to go overboard.

With all of these restrictions, I needed a new, creative option that my whole family would love, and I turned to our favorite cuisine, Mexican food, for flavor inspiration. I decided to think outside of the box and into the bowl for breakfast, and I’m glad I did, because my vegan breakfast bowls are so good that when I go to bed, I’m already looking forward to waking up just so I can eat.

Here’s what you’ll need:

>> Roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, or a mix of the two. (I roast them in olive oil ahead of time and keep them in the fridge to warm up when I need them. If you, like I often am, are feeling too totally lazy to make your own roasted potatoes, then take a shortcut and use Trader Joe’s hash browns or Whole Foods 365 Tater Puffs. Cook them ahead of time and reheat in the morning, or cook them to order if you have enough time.)

>> 1 Diced Avocado

>> 1 Diced Tomato 

>> A little chopped cilantro, if you like it.

>> Beans. Whatever you have on hand. It doesn’t matter, so use what you like best. I use canned black beans heated in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil, and a lot of my favorite hot sauce. You can season them however you like.

>> A squeeze of lime.

These are the basic ingredients. Start with your potatoes in the bottom of a bowl. Top with the beans, avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime and some hot sauce if you like it spicy (I do).

You can either enjoy it like this, which is amazing, or you can customize it even further. I like to add in whatever leftovers I have. My favorite extras are: caramelized onions, roasted zucchini and squash, roasted peppers, toasted pumpkin seeds, diced mango, chopped jicama, minced raw jalapenos, sautéed spinach, or a dollop of vegan yogurt.

If you do the prep at the beginning of the week and have all the ingredients ready to go, you can whip this up fairly quickly on a busy weekday morning, and it will keep you full and nourished for several hours. Obviously, this meal doesn’t just make a great breakfast. It’s perfect any time of day. I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it as much as my family does!

 

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Author: Victoria Fedden
Image: Flickr/Katherine; Flickr/woodleywonderworks
Editor: Yoli Ramazzina