These vegan black bean enchiladas are made with a homemade enchilada sauce and a creamy cashew "cheese" sauce! Packed full of vegetables and loaded with flavor, these are the best vegan enchiladas you'll find!
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One thing that I can always look forward to after a long day of work is a wholesome, flavorful dinner. Especially when it's cold and gloomy outside, it always makes me happy.
Plus, cooking is such a great stress-relief! I love playing some good music and just letting my mind relax while I whip up some deliciousness.
Recently, I can't stop making enchiladas. The flavors are incredible, and there are so many filling options.
The ones I'm sharing today are made with black beans, which is a popular plant based option that's loaded with protein.
Paired up with the fluffy wraps, the homemade sauce, and the vegan cheese on top - this is some serious comfort food.
Speaking of the homemade enchilada sauce, you won't be able to get enough of it! I certainly can't.
Rich and savory, it contrasts super well with the tangy 'cheese' sauce and absorbs super well into the tortilla.
Overall, I would definitely recommend making extra enchiladas to enjoy the next day (or go back for seconds)!
How to make black bean enchiladas
As you can see, there are three different components to the recipe - the black bean filling, the homemade enchilada sauce, and the 'cheese' sauce.
But don't worry, because each one requires just a handful of ingredients and it's way easier than it looks!
Make the black bean filling
Firstly, heat some olive oil a large pan and garlic and a red chilli pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then add onion and cook for 2 minutes more.
Now add carrots and bell pepper, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
Add the black beans, tamari and apple cider vinegar and cook for around 5 minutes, until the black beans soften. Set aside to prepare the enchilada sauce and the 'cheese'.
Make the vegan enchilada sauce
This sauce is absolutely delicious, and really easy to make!
Firstly, heat olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. When the spices are fragrant (around 2-3 minutes), add the tomato paste, garlic, and sriracha. Stir for a few minutes more.
Now add the gluten-free flour and gradually pour in the vegetable broth, around ¼ cup at a time, whisking until the sauce thickens.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside while you make the cheese sauce.
Make the vegan 'cheese' sauce
The great thing about this vegan cheese sauce is that it's super versatile. If you have any left over, you can save it to use for other recipes. Like nachos!
Simply add soaked cashews, plant based milk, cumin, turmeric, nutritional yeast and cornstarch to a blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth.
Transfer to a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Assemble and bake the enchiladas
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) while you make the enchilada sauce and the cheese.
Add around ½ of the enchilada sauce to the base of a rectangular baking dish.
Next, add ¼-1/3 cup of the black bean filling to the base of a tortilla. Wrap it up tightly, tucking in the edges, and then arrange in the baking dish over the enchilada sauce.
Add the rest of the sauce on top, followed by the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
Recipe tips and substitutions
You can add bite sized roasted sweet potato to the black bean filling. It makes a delicious addition!
This recipe is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free tortillas.
You can add other vegetables of your choice to the filling. For instance, zucchini and leafy greens work well.
When making the sauce, do not turn the heat up too high as this can make the sauce become too thick very quickly.
Storing and freezing black bean enchiladas
These vegan enchiladas will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. However, I would recommend eating them straight away for the best flavor and texture.
They are also freezer-friendly. You can freeze them for up to 2 months, and allow to thaw in the fridge. Then, reheat in the oven at 180 degrees C (350 F) for around 15 minutes.
Other comforting dinner recipes
For more delicious vegan meal ideas, check out these tasty recipes:
- BBQ pulled jackfruit
- Red lentil cauliflower Dahl
- Sweet potato soup
- Simple broccoli stir-fry
- One pot lemon pasta
Let me know in the comments: what's a dinner that you always look forward to? If you give these vegan black bean enchiladas a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Conventional oven
Ingredients
Black bean filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 red chilli pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (8 oz)
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Enchilada sauce
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon sriracha
- ⅓ cup gluten-free flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Vegan cheese sauce
- 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
- 1 ½ cup plant based milk
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Make the black bean filling
- Heat the olive oil a large pan, adding the garlic and a red chilli pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then add onion and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add carrots and bell pepper, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Add the black beans, tamari and apple cider vinegar and cook for around 5 minutes, until the black beans soften. Set aside to prepare the enchilada sauce and the 'cheese'.
Make the enchilada sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. When the spices are fragrant (around 2-3 minutes), add the tomato paste, garlic, and sriracha. Stir for a few minutes more.
- Now add the gluten-free flour and gradually pour in the vegetable broth, around ¼ cup at a time, whisking until the sauce thickens. Transfer to a bowl and set aside while you make the cheese sauce.
Make the vegan cheese sauce
- While you make the cheese sauce, you can preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).
- Add the soaked cashews, plant based milk, cumin, turmeric, nutritional yeast and cornstarch to a blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth.
- Transfer to a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Assemble the enchiladas
- Add around ½ of the enchilada sauce to the base of a rectangular baking dish.
- Next, add ¼-1/3 cup of the black bean filling to the base of a tortilla. Wrap it up tightly, tucking in the edges, and then arrange in the baking dish over the enchilada sauce.
- Add the rest of the sauce on top, followed by the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Barb says
This is an absolutely delicious recipe, but that said there are some mistakes and omissions in the instructions here. Also, I will comment on very minor changes that I would advise. Number one, know when you start this one that it is labor intensive.
You will be making two sauces: an enchilada sauce and a cheese sauce. I think it would be possible to make both of these the day before and have them ready when you assemble the tortillas with their filling. You will thank me for this suggestion.
Black bean filling. 1) the instructions here are nebulous. “2 cans black beans drained and rinsed 8 oz” What it should be is: one 16 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed. Note: with “shrink-flation” cans are no longer 16 ounces but 15 ounces. 2) I did not have a red chili pepper in house, so I left that out. The filling was still yummy.
Enchilada sauce. “1 tsp cumin” is listed twice. I used only 1 teaspoon. I used 1.5 cups of veggie broth. I used much less than 1/3 c of flour. With those minor adjustments, the sauce still came out nice and thick. Remember to cook slowly over low heat and whisk constantly when adding flour.
Vegan cheese sauce: I did not have a full cup of cashews, so I added hazelnuts to bring the quantity up to 1 cup. There are no directions to drain the nuts and discard water after 4 hours. A new cook may not know to do that.
That’s it. Our family loved this one, and you shall too. Thank you.