If there exists a burrito that makes me want to hand out high-fives like Halloween candy, it’s this burrito right here. And that’s saying a lot considering I am in no way, shape or form, a high-fiver. Roasted portabella mushrooms? Shazam! Roasted chickpeas? INCREDIBLE! Cauliflower Rice? Bangarang! Chimichurri sauce? Whoooaaa nelly!
When it comes to veggie burritos, I love using hearty roasted vegetables to make the meal filling and satisfying. Making burritos meatless isn’t as difficult--the key is in the flavor! Roasting vegetables with spices flavor-blasts them and gives them great texture to sink your teeth into. Adding fun and tasty sauces or spreads, like guacamole, homemade salsa, or chimichurri sauce will surely throw your taste buds for a loopty loop.
What, pray tell, is chimichurri sauce? It's an Argentinean parsley-based sauce typically used as a marinade or topper for meat. It includes lemon or lime juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, onion, and sometimes cilantro. I like to drizzle chimichurri on vegetables, and even use it as salad dressing. It’s packed with zesty, tangy flavor--perfect for a veggie burrito!
And then there’s the cauliflower rice. Holy canoli! Confession: I eat far more cauliflower rice than regular rice. If you read Kiersten’s tutorial on How to Make Cauliflower Rice, you remember it’s easy as 1-2-3 to prepare, and it tastes amazing (in spite of the fact that it’s not reaaaaaally comparable to rice)! You can replace the cauliflower rice with regular, or leave this a veggie-dense swaddle of joy.
People pleasers beware: your family and friends will request these time and again! High-fives all around!
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt + additional to taste divided
- 4 medium-sized portabella mushrooms stems removed
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large head cauliflower
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves optional
- 4-6 medium tortillas heated according to package directions
- Chimichurri sauce see recipe below, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream and other toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Spread chickpeas over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with chili powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together using your hands. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of oil, vinegar, ½ teaspoon of cumin, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Brush each mushroom cap with the oil/vinegar mixture and place them cap-side down on a second parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place both the chickpeas and mushrooms in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes then stir the chickpeas and flip the mushrooms. Roast an additional 10 minutes, or until there are juices seeping out of the mushrooms and the chickpeas are browned and crispy. Set aside.
- While the chickpeas and mushrooms are cooking, start the cauliflower rice. Wash the cauliflower and remove the stems. Chop the head into quarters and grate each quarter using a box grater into a large bowl. You can also use a food processor and pulse the cauliflower in batches until rice-size grains are formed.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until fragrant and beginning to turn translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another 3 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Allow the cauliflower to cook, stirring often, until it cooks down and turns golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste and stir in cilantro, if using.
- Slice the mushrooms into strips. To assemble the burritos, add desired amount of portabella mushroom, chickpeas, cauliflower rice, chimichurri sauce, and other toppings to each tortilla. Roll the burritos and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons yellow onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to a small blender or food processor. Blend until thick, smooth, and creamy. (If you prefer, you can leave the sauce somewhat chunky.)
Skye says
I don't often eat burritos because I always think of them as unhealthy. This has completely disabused of that idea! Looks like it's going to burritos (and high fives) all round... x
Julia Mueller says
I tend to be the same way about burritos. I like to keep them on the veggie-packed side, even if I do love huge guacamole-sour-cream-and-cheese-filled burritos 😉 SO glad you like this one and big high-fives right back atacha! 🙂
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
I need to make burritos. I used to be obsessed few years ago. Thank you for the recipe and reminding me 🙂
Julia Mueller says
You got it, Maria! They're completely packed with flavor and are so great for you! Let me know if you end up trying them!
Tina Paymaster says
This sounds insanely delicious! So creative to roast the chickpea and use cauliflower rice! Would love to try this in some soft corn tacos or a gluten-free wrap! Thanks for sharing!
Julia Mueller says
Oh yeah, you could taco these in an instant using corn tortillas! Also love the idea of a gluten-free wrap. Thanks, Tina!
dishing up the dirt says
Julia, you are KILLING me with these burritos!!! This is just what the doctor ordered. I've been in a burrito rut for way too long. Thanks for the inspiration!
Julia Mueller says
YES YOU WILL LOVE THEEEEM! Sorry. I know how you love roasted chickpeas and I'm telling you, the chimichurri sauce is to DIE for! Hope you get these in your belly asap.
Emma says
I really really want this! Like now!
I'm still struggling to find a decent store-bought tortilla wrap here though. They almost always seem to be full of nasty ingredients 🙁
Julia Mueller says
I hear ya, Emma...I'm not a fan of the mass-produced wheat-filled tortillas. I've made burrito bowls out of this recipe too by eliminating the wrap altogether! Hope you like them and enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
Judy P says
Make your own tortillas. They are sooooo much better than the store bought ones! You can buy bags of tortilla mix or go from scratch with Masa flour. Most call for lard but you could use vegetable shortening.
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
Oh these are makin' me hungry! I love a good meaty portabella. I don't know that I've tried chimichurri sauce before but it sounds perfect on these burritos. Yum!
Julia Mueller says
These are right up your alley, Sarah! You'll go bonkers over them and you MUST try chimichurri sauce! Real game changer!
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
I adore burritos and am always looking for new combos of things that I can stuff in a wrap. This is a fabulous option! I love the use of portabellas to give some heft and the soft crunch of the roasted chickpeas = perfection!
Julia Mueller says
Oh if you love burritos, you must try these! They're super easy to make and nothing but healthy for you! It's as though all of the ingredients were made for each other awwww! 😉 Let me know if you try them.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love protabellas, this would make such a tasty lunch!
Julia Mueller says
Dern right! Whaddya say we open a vegetarian burrito joint and have these be our signature 'rito? Sound like a deal? Deal!
Joanne says
Will THESE be the burritos that get me to like shrooms...that is the question. I sure hope so! I love all the other components of these...especially the chimichurri for refreshing happy flavor.
Julia Mueller says
Hmmmm..that's a toughy. The shroomages are definitely shroomy in this burrito, but the other flavors and textures definitely soften the shroominess a bit. If nothing else, you could try them and feed them to the.boy! 😉 Men are garbage disposals, right?
Ronnie Fein says
Oh yes, high fives for these. Dinner!
Julia says
Thanks so much, Ronnie! Enjoy!
Meredith Live Local Greens says
I'm high-fiving you from London! These look great! Haven't tried chimichurri sauce so will have to give it a go. Thanks!
Julia says
London's the farthest distance from which I have been high-fived before! I feel honored! 😉 So glad you're excited about the recipe and let me know if you give it a go! 🙂
Rachel says
I made these on the weekend and they were delish! For some reason there was a shortage of flat leaf parsley so had to go curley leaf and cilantro, but it was still a winner,
I am loving this site, although everything is out of season for me here in NZ! Thank you!
Monica says
These were outstanding! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Julia Mueller says
Awwww, you got it, Monica! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them. My girl friends and I couldn't get enough of them either, and now it's all I ever hear about when I see them, haha! 😉 Must make round two soon!
Tessa says
Just made these for dinner....Seriously delicious. I am not even exaggerating when I say these were one of the most delicious things I've ever made. Definitely the best burrito I've had in ages. My meat loving boyfriend was over the moon about them too. This is a definite keeper! I loved all the different textures: the meaty mushrooms, the crunch from the beans...
Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Julia Mueller says
Tessa! I'm so glad to hear you loved the burritos! I keep telling myself I need to hold out a little longer before I make them again, to ensure I don't over-do it on them and get sick of the recipe 🙂 I'm a big fan of the meaty mushrooms and crunchy chickpeas, too. For me, the real deal maker is the chimichurri sauce. SO good! Thanks so much for the feedback and enjoy your week!
Tessa says
Julia - You are totally right, the chimichurri sauce is the definite pièce de résistance! I had never made it before and it was so good. Made the burritos truly something special.
Maggie says
Wow oh wow...I saved this recipe when I saw it, and have been holding out until barbecue season so that I could BBQ the portabellas...we just ate these, and wowwwwwww! Love the sauce, the textures, and this was my first time usig cauliflower rice...I am a convert! Of course, any excuse for roasted chickpeas is welcome in my kitchen. I am going to feed this to every dinner guest this spring!
Thanks for the excellent dinner.
Nicki Escudero says
Hi, Julia, I made this last night, and it was delicious! Thanks so much for the great recipe! Nicki
Julia says
Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed them, Nicki! This is one of those recipes that looks kind of outlandish and strange, but it's SO good with all the flavors and textures. Thanks so much for your sweet note 🙂
Diane says
I made this 2 days ago and they were delicious. The mushrooms tasted so good and the chimichurri sauce was perfect. I made up some of the leftovers for my daughter and her boyfriend. they through the whole thing in the microwave to heat up and they loved them. I didn't rice the cauliflower, just used brown rice. Also roasted some extra broccoli with the mushrooms and added those to the burrito too. Final addition was avocado. The whole thing was wonderful. Will definitely be making again.
megan says
I have these on the menu for an upcoming wine + food dinner we host with friends.
I think it will pair perfectly with the cab sav selected for the course! Wondering if I could prepare all ingredients, wrap and freeze a few days out so I can eliminate some prep work?? Have you tried that before?? I get a little nervous with the mushrooms and cauliflower rice as sometimes those might not freeze and re-heat the best??? If anything I could make the mixture and rice a day or so out, then wrap and serve that night?
Your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Kara says
Just made this for dinner. So good! Used cilantro for the chimmichurri since that's what I had. Yum!
Su says
This recipe was a godsend! Thank you so very much for sharing how to make heavenly food. The chimichurri sauce with the mushrooms and cauliflower rice were an absolute bomb!