These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls are topped with a flavorful cilantro lime pesto, and they’re so delicious! They’re packed with healthy ingredients and make a fabulous vegan meal prep option.
We’re finally getting some cold weather here! Right now, I’m lying on the couch under a blanket and a cat with the (fake) fireplace crackling away. I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty perfect 🙂
It’s supposed to reach 80 by next Monday, but right now it’s only 57, so that’s what I’m going to focus on. As much as I complain about the desert heat, I’m not so sure I could live in a place that gets really cold during the winter. It’s 57, and I’m freezing right now, but I do kind of love it at the same time.
I’ve been focusing on healthy vegetarian meal prep this month, and this is my last meal prep lunch recipe for January. I’m still going to post them throughout the other months because meal prep has been a lifesaver lately, so I hope you all enjoy them too!
Vegan Meal Prep Bowl Recipe Ingredients
- Sweet potato – I peeled and cubed one large sweet potato.
- Olive oil – Or the oil of your choice.
- Spices – This recipe calls for ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Dried quinoa – You can substitute your favorite grain if desired.
- Black beans – I drained and rinsed one can of black beans.
- Salad greens – You can use your favorite mix, or whatever greens look fresh and appetizing to you.
- Avocado – This is optional, but I sliced an avocado for serving.
- Cilantro Lime Pesto – I made this pesto with baby spinach leaves, cilantro, chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut), nutritional yeast, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and olive oil.
- Liquid aminos – I like to drizzle some on before serving.
Why Your Body Will Love This Meal Prep Bowl
- Digestive Health – Beans are high in insoluble fiber, which helps bulk up the digestive system and prevent constipation. The fiber in beans also acts as a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in the large intestine and carries out toxins in the system.
- Immune System Support – Sweet potatoes contain a good amount of Vitamin A, which helps the body fight infections and keeps the immune system healthy. Alongside Vitamin A, sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene and carotenoids to protect our eyes and muscles. Broccoli has many antioxidants that further support the immune system.
- Protein – Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, vital for muscle health and satiety. It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Black beans also a great source of protein, making these bowls a great, filling lunch option.
How To Make These Vegan Meal Prep Bowls
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a large sheet pan, toss together the sweet potato, olive oil, and spices. Bake the sweet potato until it’s fork-tender, about 35 minutes.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Add all pesto ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until combined.
- Assemble bowls: I like to use glass meal prep containers, but you could also use plastic. In each container, add 1/4 of the quinoa, 1/4 of the sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup of black beans, one large spoonful of pesto (you may have some left over), and a handful of greens (1/2 to 1 cup)*.
- For serving, I like to add some avocado and drizzle on some liquid aminos.
- I feel like I have a lot of recipes that use sweet potatoes and black beans, but I wanted to make an easy meal prep lunch with them. I wanted to add a fresh and fun element to these bowls, so I made the cilantro lime pesto, and it’s so good! It adds a lot of flavor and ties everything together.
- As much as I love traditional basil pesto, I also enjoy making my own pesto and experimenting with different flavors. I make a kale pesto all the time, and now I’m hooked on this Cilantro Lime version.
- These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls with Cilantro Lime Pesto are perfect for a delicious and healthy vegan meal prep lunch! You could also make them as one big salad, or they could be an easy weeknight dinner 🙂 Enjoy!
- This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
- Store these bowls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Vegan Meal Prep Ideas?
Chickpea and Lentil Taco Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Enchilada Meal Prep Bowls with Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Rice {Freezer Friendly}
Roasted Beet, Chickpea, and Black Rice Meal Prep Salads
Sweet Potato, Lentil; Kale Meal Prep Salads with Curry Tahini Dressing
Chickpea Fajita Meal-Prep Bowls with Cilantro Lime Pesto
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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls with Cilantro Lime Pesto
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A healthy and delicious vegan meal prep lunch recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, or oil of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cups dried quinoa, or your favorite grain
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
- 2–4 cups favorite salad greens*
- Sliced avocado for serving, if desired
Cilantro Lime Pesto:
- 2 cup baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, or your favorite nut
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. On a large sheet pan, toss together the sweet potato, olive oil and spices. Bake sweet potato until fork tender, about 35 minutes.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Add all pesto ingredients to a food processor, or blender, and blend until combined.
- Assemble bowls: I like to use glass meal prep containers, but you could also use plastic. In each container add 1/4 of the quinoa, 1/4 of the sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup of black beans, 1 large spoonful of pesto (you may have some leftover) and a handful of greens (1/2-1 cup)*.
- For serving: I like to add some avocado and drizzle some liquid aminos over.
Notes
*If using a non-hearty salad green, like mixed greens, you will want to add that on the morning of, rather than when prepping all the bowls. If the greens aren’t super hearty they may get wilted over the course of 4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Lunch, Meal Prep, Vegan, Gluten Free
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Love everything about this! Great hot and cold. Sweet potatoes are so that I sometimes just make them on there own. And the pesto is magical ✨
This was the first of creation I’ve tried and I’ll be back for more!!!
That’s so nice to hear!!
Hello! Can you provide macros for this recipe please? Mainly the carbs and protein 🙂
Just added the info in the recipe card! The fat is a little high but that is only if you use all of the pesto.
Thought I’d give a little feedback since I have made this maybe 20 times so far. This is my absolute favorite thing to make! It is so delicious and works perfectly with my restricting emilination diet. The sauce is to DIE for. I always keep a jar in the fridge for whenever I may need it. Thank you so much for sharing! ? will be looking for other ideas from you!!
Awww, thank you SO much! That’s really nice to hear!
This sounds so good, I can’t wait to make this recipe! Is the nutritional yeast necessary for the pesto or could I leave it out without too big of a change? Thanks!
It does make it creamier, like dairy pesto, but you can leave it out, it would just give it a different taste 🙂
This looks like a great food prep option. When you eat it for lunch, do you warm it up, or eat it cold like a salad?
I just eat it cold!
This was my first time trying meal prepping, I’m a college student on my own for the first time over the summer and I need to make lunches for myself otherwise I’ll go hungry. I tried this one because I’m a huge fan of sweet potatoes and the pesto sounded so good. So glad I tried this for my first time, I definitely think I’ll be making this again in the future. Couple of notes, I have a pretty big appetite so it didn’t look like the 1 sweet potato was going to cut it. Used 3 fairly decently sized sweet potatoes instead and doubled the amount of spices. Also added a bit of cinnamon to them, and glad I did, it really helps the sweetness of the potatoes pop out amidst the rest of the flavors from the pesto. I couldn’t stop eating the potatoes by themselves, so tasty! I ended up using brown rice since that was what I had, and ended up using 2 cans of black beans. Also, can I just say, I really loved that pesto??. I’ve only tried making basil pesto in the past and this was such a tasty, tangy alternative. I’d never used nutritional yeast before and it made the whole thing smell kind of different the first day I made it but I ended up not being able to tell the taste apart once it was combined with everything. Overall, super delicious recipe and easy to make (I’m a slow chopper so that one’s on me) and I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! The pesto is one of my favorites too 🙂
Is the nutritional yeast the braggs seasoning? or is it actual yeast?
The braggs seasoning 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s so easy, healthy and delicious to put together for the week. Do you have any suggestions for mixing up this recipe for when you’d like a change?
I’m so glad to hear you like it!! For mixing it up, you could use any other herb rather than cilantro to make a different flavor pesto, you could use a different kind of bean and grain. You could do sautéed tofu instead of sweet potato. Add some chunky salsa! I hope those help! I’ll let you know if I think of more!
Saw this and made it for dinner. It was quick and easy, and the cilantro lime pesto was amazing. What an incredible combination of taste.
Awesome! So glad to hear you liked it! 🙂
yum! definitely going to save this to make for workweek lunches. also love that your pesto recipe uses spinach instead of basil (i often have a hard time finding basil in a large enough quantity to make pesto!). thank you!
I have a hard time finding lots of basil too and it can be so expensive! Spinach is cheap and combines nicely with any other herbs you want to throw in! I hope you enjoy 🙂
You know I LOVE me some sweet potatoes + black beans … and with that cilantro pesto! Yas! This sounds delicious!
You are on a role with your meal prep bowls, Izzy! I love you cilantro pesto especially. I make something similar with pepita seeds, but I can see how walnuts would go really well with the other flavors. Glad you’re getting a little bit of winter.