These Santa Cruz Beach Veggie Burritos remind me of being a teenager, grabbing a burrito with my friends on the way to or from the beach. The secret to these burritos is that they celebrate simplicity – nothing too fancy with seasonings. Salt, lime, maybe a few fajita spices for the grains and really letting the textures and flavors of the plant ingredients shine through.

The other secret to these burritos: cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, I have an option for you, but the way I add cilantro to these burritos is unique and it is my favorite signature thing about this recipe. So who is up for a vegan burrito night?

Avocado..

Spicy tomato stuff (salsa and/or hot sauce)

All the good stuff… beans, rice, cilantro..

Wrap it up..

If you want to add vegan seitan strips, go for it..

Veggie burrito bliss.

Grab one of these and dinner is done. (Ps. I add plentiful amounts of Cholula hot sauce or a spicy salsa as I eat…)

Maybe a Mango Margarita or Watermelon Frosty alongside these..

Then you can plop on the couch after a very satisfying summer meal.. (This is Sochi’s ‘tired’ face even when he just napped all day. He was doing this while I was cooking + photoshooting + working. #Kitties..)

The inspiration from these burritos is from a tiny hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that my friends and I used to go to. I cannot remember the name of it and it has since been replaced with something else, but while it was there, a few blocks from the ocean, it thrived! It could fit about four small tables inside and had a bunch of picnic tables scattered all around the back. Or you just grabbed your meal to go and ate it in the car or brought it home. It was across from the Seabright Brewery (I think .. this was twenty years ago…). So if anyone knows the name, feel free to comment!

Another spot that inspired my with an epic Vegetarian Burrito was a spot called Sofia’s Taqueria. We went there soooooo many times I could not even count. Probably once a week. The veggie burrito was giant and had loads of crunchy cabbage and giant, tender pinto beans. I remember, as a kid, it was one of the first times I felt really cool ordering the vegetarian option on the menu.

The Secret Ingredient. For me, the secret ingredient was the cilantro! It was finely chopped up (leaves AND stems) and large amounts of it were placed in the burrito, just as you might add lettuce to a wrap. So these veggie burritos had copious amounts of fluffy, green cilantro leaves and crunchy green cilantro stems. So the burrito never felt too heavy when devouring the whole thing. Some people think of burritos as being ‘hearty’ fare, which is generally true. But I felt just right after eating a big one of these and a small side salad + a few Siete chips and additional guac and salsa for dinner.

The rest of the veggie burrito at that restaurant: simple pinto beans, rice, guacamole (it may have been an extra charge) and very fresh pico de gallo.

Cilantro has a weird reputation. I think that is because some people don’t like it, aka hate it. “It tastes like soap.” I have heard cilantro-hating people say. While others (like me) think it tastes dreamy and fragrant and is the perfect aromatic accent to spicy salsas, rich guacamole and hearty beans and rice. I literally cannot get enough cilantro in my Mexican meals. So this trick is perfect for me. Lots and lots of it!

Cilantro vs Coriander. A fun fact about what Americans call ‘cilantro.’ So here in the US we call the leaves and stalks of the plant ‘cilantro’ and the seeds, coriander seeds. While in the UK they call everything coriander and the word cilantro doesn’t exist. In India they call it “dhania.”

Health Benefits of Cilantro. As a leafy green herb, cilantro is naturally quite good for you. It contains antioxidants, most notably vitamins A and C) and fiber.

Economical. The great thing about this recipe is that you get to buy a big bunch of cilantro, and actually use up the entire bunch (stalks and leaves) as your ‘leafy green’ filling for your burrito! Not just the leaves as many people do for guacamole accents. Plus a bunch of cilantro tends to be reasonably priced. Economical way to add a dark leafy green herb to your meal.

I also love thinly shredded green cabbage for this recipe, but you can skip that ingredient or sub with red cabbage.

I hate cilantro, now what? If you are not into cilantro, you can omit it and still make these simple and fresh-tasting burritos. I would sub with cabbage or some diced tomatoes or maybe even just some shredded spinach or romaine. If you want something with a more fragrant aroma, you could try flat leaf parsley.

More basics:

– Pinto beans, warmed up and very lightly seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper.
– Pico de gallo. You can make this yourself, use a store-bought brand or you can even use a bottled salsa or hot sauce if needed.
– Avocado. The ‘guacamole’ I used for this was again, very simple. Mashed avocado with a tiny bit of salt and lime juice.
– Rice. Rice or quinoa can be fancy or super simple. I used a very simple spanish rice boxed mix that I had on hand. This added nice flavor without being too much of a time sink for ‘simple burrito night.’ If you want to DIY your red rice, I have a recipe here. Or you could also just cook up some white or brown rice or quinoa and toss it with a teaspoon of fajita spices and use that. Or keep it unseasoned! Totally fine too.
– Veg. Cilantro leaves and stems and shredded cabbage are my picks.
– Tortilla. For the tortilla, I love the half-baked flour tortillas you can find in store. My brand was by Cabo Chips. I place my tortillas over an open gas burner flame for a few seconds on each side, until blackened bubbles for along the edges. (Use extreme caution if warming your tortillas over a gas flame!) The safer way is to just warm up a skillet and heat them in the skillet. This takes a few minutes longer, but you still get great results. Alternatives: make tacos and use small corn tortillas. You could also use a larger spinach wrap and make a super ‘Chipotle-sized’ burrito. Or make a burrito bowl and omit the tortillas and just crush some corn chips over top!

Simple avocado mash. Avocado + salt + lime.

Cilantro, stems and leaves. Chop as fine as you want. The stems get nice and crunchy while the leaves stay fluffy..

Simple salsa.

Fluffy fluffy shredded green cabbage adds such lovely light crunch to any burrito, taco or burrito bowl. I think it is a very underrated veggie to add to salads to give some crunch!

So! Those are my Santa Cruz Beach Veggie Burritos. I hope you love making this simple and healthy meal as much as I do! Let me know if you love the cilantro stems trick!

Vegan seitan version..

Rainbow Sangria is always a good idea too..

ps. Don’t miss this $290 Veestro Giveaway! And also don’t miss snagging my Sweet Potato Chili for the month of June! Watch me taste test it here..

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