I don’t know about you, but I could eat enchiladas and/or any Mexican food for the rest of my life and be SO HAPPY. That being said, I’ve tried many different enchilada recipes over the years and none of them came out “right.”
Word to the wise – please never buy enchilada sauce in a can. The maker of that stuff must live somewhere in the midwest and has never tasted real Mexican food before.
My friend Lini over at SunshineandClementines.com blogged recently about these plant-based enchiladas. And, OMG, they’re the best things I’ve ever tried. Disclaimer: I have to say that I use recipes “loosely” and just use whatever I have on hand, and tweaking/increasing spices as I go. That being said, the original recipe can be found on her site!
So without further ado… here we go!
Enchilada Filling:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3-5 garlic cloves
- 1 small white onion
- 3 tbsp cilantro
- 1 small zuchinni, diced (sometimes I do 1/2 green and 1/2 yellow)
- 1 bell pepper (I did a mix of yellow and green, but anything works)
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 12 flour tortillas
Optional:
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (I usually swap out the black beans for this)
- 8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Enchilada Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Enchilada filling:
- Saute the onion, garlic, and cilantro in a large pan with olive oil until onions become translucent (3-5 minutes).
- Add bell pepper and zuchinni. Cook for another 5 or so minutes.
- Add in the corn and black beans (or chicken)
- Set aside the filling and preheat the oven to 350.
Enchilada Sauce:
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside (flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano).
- In a medium sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the spices sizzles on contact
- Pour in the flour/spice mixture and whisk constantly for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the tomato paste and then the broth until there are no lumps.
- Lower the heat down to a simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened (it will thicken more once it cools).
Assembly:
- Ladle enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. (usually I have enough for that, plus a 8×8 dish)
- Add about 2 Tbsp of filling to a tortilla, top with cilantro (or cheese), and roll up tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish and repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
- Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas, making sure to cover everything well.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling around the edges
- Top with slices of avocado and cilantro before serving
Pro Tip: Get some Herdez Guacamole Salsa from the grocery store and drizzle it on top, then cry all the happy tears.
Tell me, tell me, TELL ME once you’ve tried this recipe!
