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Black Bean & Veggie Enchiladas

So, the Trader Joe’s grocery store makes these frozen microwavable enchiladas with black beans and corn and tofu. Of course, I would never partake in these type of things, but I heard from a “friend” that they taste pretty decent. Even better, the ingredient list is completely vegan and contains only real foods, which made my “friend” quite happy.

Seriously though, after trying these Trader Joe’s enchiladas, I was inspired to make my own (even better ones!) from scratch, so here we are… It starts with a homemade enchilada sauce, which is surprisingly easy to make and so much fresher than anything you can buy. Then, we make a hearty filling with sautéed veggies, black beans, and a few other classic enchilada ingredients. All of this is rolled into corn tortillas, drizzled with more sauce, and baked to perfection. To take it over the top, we serve them with cashew sour cream and sliced avocado. Oh yes.

Vegan-Enchiladas

Makes 8-9 enchiladas

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
Enchilada Filling

  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 small zucchini
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 can black beans (drained)
  • 1/4 cup sliced olives
  • 3 green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 8+ corn tortillas

Vegan-Enchiladas-Top

1. Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Making homemade enchilada sauce is super easy, and once you taste the deep and complex flavors, you’ll never want to use the bottled stuff again.

  • In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until warm (but not scalding).
  • Add 2 tablespoons of flour into the pan and whisk until no clumps remain.
  • Slowly add all the spices (chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, and salt) as well as the tomato paste. Whisk to combine (it will be very thick).
  • Pour in the vegetable broth slowly, in thirds, whisking to incorporate the spices and remove any lumps.
  • Turn the heat down and let this simmer for 15 minutes to thicken slightly. At this point, give it a taste and feel free to adjust any spices as necessary.

2. The Filling

This filling, made with black beans, sautéed veggies, olives, and cilantro is the perfect, healthy compliment to the corn tortillas and fresh enchilada sauce. Here’s how to do it:

  • Chop half a white onion and add to a skillet with a splash of water and allow it to cook and soften for several minutes.
  • Meanwhile, loosely chop 1 bell pepper (any color) and 1 small zucchini squash into bite-sized pieces and throw them into the pan as well.
  • Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper and allow to cook until fully softened (but not browned) for about 6-8 more minutes.
  • Drain the can of black beans and add them into the pan, just until warmed, then remove from the heat and get ready to assemble the enchiladas.
  • Also, chop the black olives, slice the green onions, and chop the cilantro.

3. Assemble & Bake

Vegan-Enchilada-Sauce

Assembling enchiladas can be tricky, as the corn tortillas have a tendency to break apart if not softened… Getting just the right amount of filling into each tortilla, rolling them, and adding into the pan takes some practice, but don’t worry if they fall apart: they’ll still taste just as good!

  • First, preheat the oven to 350º and spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce along the bottom of a large casserole dish (this will help the enchiladas stick after being rolled).
  • Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds to make them much softer and less likely to crack in half.
  • The easiest way to assemble the enchiladas is by pouring a generous amount of sauce into a skillet (not heated) and then dip one side into the sauce and flip it over so that both sides are coated with a little sauce (as shown above).
  • While still in the skillet, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the veggies and black beans along with a few olives, green onions, and a sprinkling of cilantro.
  • From there, gently roll the enchilada around the filling and carefully place it into the casserole dish, with the seam towards the bottom so it stays rolled.
  • Repeat for all the enchiladas, then cover the dish with foil and bake at 350º for around 20 minutes until the sauce turns slightly darker and begins bubbling around the edges.

Garnish options: Top with a drizzle of cashew cream by simply blending equal parts raw cashews and water with a pinch of salt. Also, avocado slices make an excellent pairing.

Vegan-Enchiladas-Dish

36 Comments

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  1. Can you believe I’ve never made enchiladas?! This recipe looks simple and delicious. Sharing over on fbook 🙂

    • Secretly, I had never made enchiladas either before I started experimenting with this recipe. I figured it was about time! Thanks so much for sharing, Emma! 🙂

  2. The coolest= you. The best= your recipes. The recipes that will feed my in-laws= yours!

    Thank you, One Ingredient Chef. Your creativity is my dinner/desert/snack stuffs.

    • Aw, thank you Jessica! I’m so glad you like my recipes (and I hope the in-laws do too! haha) 😀

  3. These enchiladas look amazing!!!! I seriously cannot wait to make them 🙂 Pinned!!

  4. Hey Andrew ! So I cannot have wheat flour what would be a gluten free replacement flour that will work for this recipe ?
    Thanks for being awesome ,
    Jen

    • Hi Jennifer! Probably any GF flour you normally use would be fine, it’s not hugely important here, just adds more thickness to the sauce.

  5. I made these yesterday (had leftovers for breakfast this morning). Thanks for sharing the recipe – all your recipes for that matter! They’re always inspiring, simple, and healthful.

    I subbed out the wheat flour for 1 tablespoon of coconut flour and it worked great. I also cheated and made this into a enchilada lasagna by layering everything in a deep pie dish, thereby avoiding broken corn tortilla. Easy and yummy. I also sprinkled some nooch on top.

    • Thanks, Sabine! I’m so happy you liked it! You know, I debated for days whether to make this recipes as “enchilada lasagna” but ultimately went with the classic rolled tortillas. I’m glad to hear that it works well in that format too – I’ll have to try that next 🙂

  6. Yup, over the top.

    You took this from Trader Joe to Gourmet Joe! You make this look so easy that i (almost) think i could make this. lol using the oven seems kind of an advanced level

    • Haha, Gourmet Joe, I love it. Yeah using the oven is a pretty advanced level, you might need some practice first 😉

  7. You should really stop using canned beans if you’re trying to be healthy. They have been linked to many diseases and they’re absolutely not fesh.

  8. These Are the yummiest enchiladas I ever tasted!!
    Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes! These Are enriching my life!

  9. Another hit with my fiancé, toddler, and myself! We all LOVED them! I didn’t quite fold them well enough and my sauce didn’t brown as much.. but the flavor was just so complex. I did sub a few things including the GF all purpose flour to make it work for us. My fiancé said it tasted just like any restaurant enchilada! No need for vegan “cheese” and I love that!

    • Hi Molly, it kind of made my day to hear this 🙂 So glad you guys liked it and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!

  10. Wow! I made these for my family last night and they were a huge fit! The sauce has an amazing authentic Mexican flavor. I topped with the cashew sauce, as recommended, and it was a perfect combination. I experimented with the tortillas and found they rolled and held shape best if I browned them for a few seconds in a hot skillet prior to rolling.

    These are certainly going into our rotation of favorites!

  11. Hi Andrew. I made these and my husband and I loved them. They were quick and easy and so delicious. I love your website! Even though I can get your recipes here, I would still by a cookbook.

    • Hi Peggy! Thanks so much for the feedback – I’m glad you both liked this recipe.

      That’s very nice of you! I’d love to work on a cookbook someday soon 🙂

  12. Mmmmmm! Drooling looking at this. Thanks for this recipe that I am about to make & sure to love! You have not failed me yet.

  13. I was really excited to try this recipe, but when I made it it ended up verry spicy and pretty dry like it needed more sauce and a lot less chili powder!

  14. I made these tonight and honestly by the end result I was a bit sceptical as they didn’t look very appetizing, but they were delicious!

    I didn’t have tin foil so I baked them uncovered for 20 minutes and then broiled them at the end to get them slightly crispy on top. I also skipped the olives and parsley but added spinach in the bean/onion mixture.

    I will make this again for sure, though I may make it with half the amount of chilli powder as it’s slightly too spice for my lowing but topped with tofutti sour cream helped with the spiciness.

    • Thanks, Kayla! Yes, I remember I had a hard time getting them to look good for pictures because they weren’t so pretty in the pan, but I’m glad you thought they were tasty anyways 🙂

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