Oaxacan Mole Mexican Vegan Buddha Bowl

This spicy vegan Buddha bowl has Mexican flavor with Oaxacan Mole sauce.  With oil-free roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, and black forbidden rice.  A delicious, plant-based meal!

Recipe Inspiration for a Vegan Mole Mexican Buddha Bowl

In August 2019, I had the privilege to spend a week diving into the world of Mexican cooking. Staying in Mexico City, I immersed myself in the local cuisine. I tasted some of the most amazing Vegan Restaurants in Mexico City. Plus, I took a food market tour with a local and spent a day at a Oaxacan festival in the Federal Plaza.

However, the highlight of my trip was a one-on-one cooking class with a local Mexican chef. Chef Eduardo shared some of his family’s traditional recipes, adapted to my vegan tastes. He taught me how to make fresh tortillas and some of the tastiest smoky black beans. The best dish of the night? Mole.

Eduardo brought his signature red mole paste to the cooking class. It had more peppers than I can remember — from tiny Cascabel to big Ancho. While making your own mole from scratch, Eduardo advised, “Unless you have hours to spend in the kitchen, find a good-quality paste”. Then, all you have to do is reheat it with water.

What is Oaxacan Mole?

Describing Mole sauce is a bit like describing the family recipe for secret barbecue sauce or curry sauce. A delicious mole comes from a combination of chili peppers, nuts, seeds, and spices. Recipes for authentic Mexican mole can vary region-to-region, and even household-to-household. Some versions will add dried fruit for sweetness. Chocolate is commonly used to add bitter, sweet flavor.

Oaxaca is the region of Mexico most known for its mole sauces. There, you will find mole in a variety of different colors and flavors. Green mole will include green chili peppers and cilantro. However, red mole will have red Ancho chilies and almonds. Plus, a dark Oaxacan mole negro will often have mulato chilies, pecans, and even hazelnuts.

This recipe calls for a Red Almond Mole Paste. I love the Don Pancho brand. When I was in Mexico City, this was the brand the locals at the market recommended. Plus, you can order it in the US — much simpler than making your own mole from scratch.

However, feel free to use your own favorite mole. You can make your own mole. Or, use mole from your favorite local Mexican restaurant or grocery.

Is Mole Gluten-Free?

Some varieties of mole paste contain wheat. It can be added to help make the sauce thick. However, if you’re concerned about gluten, it’s always a good idea to double-check the ingredients. For a delicious, gluten-free mole paste, check out Mi Mole Rojo Oaxaqueno, Red Mole Paste

How to Make Mole Sauce from a Mexican Mole Paste

Once you find a good quality mole paste, it’s pretty easy to prepare it so it’s ready to serve. First, place the mole paste in a small pot. Then, add about 3 times as much liquid to the paste. You can use water or stock. Stir and gently bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.

However, be careful not to boil, or it may burn your mole paste. That’s it! Drizzle it on roasted potatoes, pour over Red Quinoa Enchiladas, or use in these Mexican Mole Buddha Bowls.

Tips for Making Mole Sauce from Mole Paste:

• Ratio of Mole : Liquid is 1 : 3
• Use water or vegetable stock
• Stir often
• Don’t let mole boil! It will burn the cocoa and nuts in the paste
• 1 cup mole paste: yields about 4 cups sauce
• Store for up to 5 days in the fridge — Freeze for longer

Perfect Vegan Recipe for Weekend Meal-Prep

One of the tricks to having success with Vegan Buddha Bowls is doing some meal prep in advance. On the weekend (or whenever you have some extra time to cook), prepare all of your Buddha bowl components. Steam your rice, roast the sweet potatoes, sautee the vegetables and beans, and make your dressing. Then, healthy eating is a simple as reheating and assembly.

Meal Prep will help you be prepared for making healthy eating choices all week. Plus, it gives you the freedom to customize the bowls each day to fit your tastes. Add extra veggies, use less dressing, or add in leftovers from a pasta dish. A plant-based diet is easy when you’re prepared!

Mix and Match with other Grains, Beans, and Veggies

Vegan Buddha bowls offer lots of room for adding variety with whole foods, plant-based ingredients. You can mix and match with what you have on hand. Or, simply use it as an opportunity to try new things.

Instead of the black forbidden rice in this recipe, try it with quinoa, farro, pink rice, or fonio. The black beans can be swapped out for chickpeas or red kidney beans. Or, use another starchy carbohydrate like corn or peas.

The oil-free roasted sweet potatoes add a nice sweet flavor to balance the spicy heat of the Mole sauce. However, you can use roasted Asian yams, Japanese purple potatoes, or even Yukon Golds.

And, there’s lots of room to play with different vegetables. First of all, use any variety of mushrooms. Cremini and white button mushrooms are great. But, you can also oil-free saute some fancy Trumpet, Nameko, or Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

Second, you can swap out the zucchini or just add more sauté-friendly vegetables. Onions, bell pepper, asparagus, and spinach all cook quickly without oil. Or, add leftover steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Make this healthy plant-based Buddha bowl your own unique creation!

Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:

Why is it called Black “Forbidden” Rice: You can find black forbidden rice in most health foods stores or online. It is higher in protein and fiber than brown rice.  The Chinese emperors prized this black rice for its extra nutrition, giving it the name “forbidden”.  You can also substitute with brown basmati rice or quinoa. 

Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This Buddha bowl doesn’t use any oil. The mole sauce has nuts to give it rich, satisfying flavor.

Want a Spicy Vegan Dessert?

Make these Mexican Spiced Black-Bean Brownies:

Oil-Free, Plant-Based Mexican Mole Buddha Bowl

Use your mole skills to make this delicious, plant-based Mexican Buddha Bowl. Naturally oil-free, the nuts and seeds in mole add richness in a whole foods, plant-based way.

If you like this recipe, you should also check out: Quinoa Kale Buddha Bowl with Crunchy Chickpeas and Spiced Tahini Dressing, 10 Minute Asian Shiitake Power Bowl, 10-Minute Italian Lentil Bowl, and Quinoa Fiesta Bowl

• Medium
• Ready in: 40 minutes
• Servings: 4

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Oaxacan Mole Mexican Vegan Buddha Bowl

This spicy vegan Buddha bowl has Mexican flavor with Oaxacan Mole sauce. With oil-free roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, and black forbidden rice. A delicious, plant-based meal!

Course Bowl, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Healthy, Mexican, oaxacan, Oil-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword beans, bowl, gluten-free, hearty, Mexican, mole, Oaxacan, oil-free, plant-based, rice, satisfying, spicy, vegan, vegan bowl, vegetables, vegetarian, wfpb

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 415kcal

Ingredients

For the Black Forbidden Rice:

• 1 cup black forbidden rice

For the Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into bite-sized wedges

For the Zucchini, Mushrooms and Black Beans:

• 8- ounces white mushrooms cut in half
• 2 zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

For the Mole Sauce:

• ½ cup good quality Mole mix about 50g
• 1 ½ cup water

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375F.
• To cook the Rice: Place the rice in a small pot with 2 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and set aside until ready to assemble the bowls.
• To Roast the Sweet Potatoes, Oil-Free: Spread the sweet potato wedges onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Be sure they are in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. When tender and brown around the edges, remove from the oven. Keep warm until ready to assemble bowls.
• To make the Oaxacan Mole Sauce: Whisk together the mole mix and water in a small pot. Gently warm over medium heat to a low simmer. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Be sure not to let the mole burn! When ready, cover and keep warm until ready to use.
• To Saute the Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Black Beans Oil-Free: Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and zucchini. Saute, stirring often, until the mushrooms are brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until hot, 2-3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Keep warm until ready to assemble the bowls.
• To Assemble the Oaxacan Mole Mexican Bowls: In a large bowl, place ¼ of the black rice, ¼ of the sweet potatoes, and ¼ of the zucchini bean mixture. Pour on about ¼ cup of the mole sauce. Repeat for a total of 4 bowls. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Medium
Ready in: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Nutrition Fact

Shopping and Gear List

• Lotus Foods Gourmet Heirloom Forbidden Rice
• Mole Don Pancho – Rojo Almendrado en Polvo Red Almond in Powder
• Mi Mole Rojo Oaxaqueno, Red Mole Paste (Gluten-Free)
• AmazonBasics Silicone, Non-Stick, Food Safe Baking Mat

Please follow and like us:

41

20

20

20

Related posts:

Southwestern Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers Curry Black Forbidden Rice Salad with Mango and Coconut Black Forbidden Rice Asian Bowl with Tofu and Miso Cashew Sauce Quinoa Kale Buddha Bowl with Crunchy Chickpeas and Spiced Tahini Dressing