Ingredients

1 cup uncooked rice (brown or white according to preference; may substitute an equal amount of uncooked quinoa)
1/2 cup salsa (I often use a hot green salsa; choose your favorite variety)
3-4 cups chopped greens of choice (I often use baby spinach, but romaine, iceberg, or even a pre-shredded cabbage mix lend more crunch)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend work well)
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (about 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed*
1 cup corn (canned, fresh cooked, or frozen and thawed**)
1 red bell pepper (or color of choice), seeded and diced (may substitute 2 Roma tomatoes)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omit or substitute parsley if not a fan)
Dressing: Chipotle Lime Crema (see recipe notes for other options ***)

Instructions

Cook the rice according to package instructions. (I find rice cooks best when using 1-3/4 cups of water to every 1 cup of rice–which is 1/4 cup less liquid than most instructions specify.) Remove from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and stir in the salsa. Cover to keep warm, and set aside. The rice may be made in advance and reheated.
To assemble, divide the greens among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter of the rice mixture and then the cheese. Follow with the chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper, avocado, and cilantro.
Serve immediately, drizzled with chipotle lime crema or dressing of choice.

* You may mix the beans, corn, and bell pepper together if desired. (I often do this, stirring in a tablespoon or two of fresh lime juice.) It’s also fun to put out individual serving bowls of the various ingredients and let people build their own burrito bowls.
** To quickly thaw frozen corn, add it to the colander with the beans when draining them and rinse altogether.
*** For a quick option to the Chipotle Lime Crema, top the burrito bowls with a mixture of equal parts ranch dressing and salsa. Or use guacamole in place of the avocado. Your favorite vinaigrette with ingredients like cilantro and lime is sure to be delicious, too.