I have a thing for Mexican-inspired food. Sure, most people like it, but my family and I love it almost too much for words. I am pretty sure we would all be perfectly happy with some version of Mexican food every day of the week--it's an obsession of epic proportions over here. Tacos, chilaquiles, or huevos rancheros, we really aren't picky, but enchiladas always garner a resounding "YES!!!" from my whole clan.
I have been testing out vegan enchilada recipes for a while now, and some of them were pretty darn amazing, but none of them had that creamy element that a thick layer of cheese lends to a traditional pan of enchiladas. I kept going back to the drawing board, testing more recipes, using my family as guinea pigs, and ultimately leaving each meal feeling full, but not satisfied.
It actually wasn't until I developed my recipe for roasted red pepper cashew cream that I had a vegan enchilada epiphany. This sauce is creamy, smoky, and downright delicious… I was ravenously dipping tortilla chips in it, so why the heck not douse a whole pan of enchiladas in it too? So, that evening I made a great big pan of enchiladas and I smothered them in homemade tomatillo salsa and roasted red pepper cashew cream. It was magical! My daughter Eliza asked for these enchiladas at her 13th birthday dinner and I not only left the table fulfilled, I was finally 100% satisfied with my vegan enchiladas.
Recipe
Ingredients
Smoky Black Beans
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Enchiladas
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 ½ cups chopped zucchini
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 batch Smoky Black Beans see above
- 10 taco-sized white corn tortillas
- 2 cups salsa verde store-bought or homemade
- 1 batch roasted red pepper cashew cream
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup roasted pepitas
Instructions
Smoky Black Beans
- Place all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan (including the liquid from the beans) and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes, until warmed through. Drain the beans (don't rinse them though!) and set aside.
Enchiladas
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the zucchini and corn to the skillet and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes until the veggies are easily pierced with a fork. Add the drained black beans to the skillet, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Allow the black bean mixture to cool slightly before trying to roll the enchiladas.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously grease the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. (I used 2 small baking dishes, but a 9 x 9 sized baking dish should work fine.) Pour a ½ cup of salsa verde into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around to coat the entire bottom of the dish and set aside.
- Divide the black bean and veggie mixture into each tortilla (about ¼ cup of filling for each enchilada) and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue with the rest of the filling until all of the tortillas are rolled and lined up snuggly in the pan. Top with the remaining 1 ½ cups of salsa verde, making sure to cover all of the enchiladas. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from the oven and allow the enchiladas to cool on the counter for 10 minutes.
- Pour the cashew cream liberally over the top of the enchiladas until they are completely smothered, then garnish with the cilantro and toasted pepitas before serving.
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
I wasn't pro Mexican food for a long time but then one day I had a proper Mexican meal and I fell in love with it. Since then I experiment a lot. I am not surprised that your family is crazy about it, hahaha.
Meg van der Kruik says
Marta, I can totally relate! I am originally from the South and I never had true, authentic Mexican food until I visited Southern California for the first time. It was a total game changer for me.
Maritza Corliss says
Meg, I can relate too! I am FROM San Diego and when I moved away for the first time, I was devastated to realize that mexican food everywhere else was not real!
marquis @realrawkitchen says
These look SO good. I love Mexican food so any opportunity to play with some kind of variation is always welcomed. Plus, whenever I make something like this the whole household is happy 🙂 Thanks Meg, love your stuff and your blog!
Meg van der Kruik says
Thanks so much Marquis! I hope your family loves these enchiladas.:)
Melissa @ nourishbymelissa.com says
I need these right now! I adore enchiladas! Lately I've been a little obsessed with black beans and have so much of them that I've been trying different black bean recipes all week, so this is perfect 🙂
Meg van der Kruik says
Melissa, I too am black bean obsessed an could probably eat them 3 meals a day for a week and still not be tired of them. Ha! I hope you enjoy the enchiladas.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I'm in loooove with cashew cream and adore MExican food, so this is pretty much perfect!
Meg van der Kruik says
Yay Abby! I always have cashew cream on hand and it is a must on the dinner table when we have Mexican food, and that is a lot!
dishing up the dirt says
LOVE cashew cream. These sound fantastic!
Meg van der Kruik says
Thanks so much!
JulieD says
This looks amazing! I love it to so much and what a great idea to use cashew cream!
Meg van der Kruik says
Thank you so much Julie! 🙂
Jeni says
I love the idea of using roasted red pepper cashew cream to top enchiladas. These look so good & will be making them soon!
Meg van der Kruik says
I hope you really like them Jeni!
Jessica says
These sound amazing! Any chance you have the nutritional info on these??
Kiersten Frase says
We don't calculate nutritional info for our recipes because it varies so much depending on the brands of ingredients you use, the exact weights of the ingredients, etc.--it's hard to be precise! Here's a recipe calculator that might help: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Healthd says
cashew cream is just wonderful thing i have discovered. Using them in enchilada sounds fabulous.
Meg van der Kruik says
It is an enchilada game changer Dixya! I hope you enjoy it.
Grace @ Earthy Feast says
I won't be watching football this weekend - but I will be eating this. That roasted pepper cashew cream.. omg! 😉
Meg van der Kruik says
That is awesome Grace! I would rather eat these than watch the Superbowl too. Maybe I will join you;)
Amy Castillo says
Just enough hearty and just enough light. The sauce sounds delicious!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
This sounds insanely delicious! I adore cashew cream sauces, and absolutely can't wait to try your version ... especially on enchiladas! We used to have a wonderful vegan restaurant here in Northeast Ohio called VegiTerranean (owned by Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders fame). VegiTerranean's Chef Scot Jones made the most amazing cashew cream sauce. I miss both that sauce, and the restaurant, dearly! Thanks for your inspiration on another way to enjoy cashew cream! Pinning just as fast as I can, for sure! 😀
Meg van der Kruik says
Shelley,
I am so glad that this recipe brings back fond memories of one of your favorite restaurants! I hope that you love this recipe just as much as your favorite dish from VegiTerranean. 🙂
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
Oh my goodness, this looks RIDICULOUS! Need to make this. And not share it with anyone.
Meg van der Kruik says
Ha ha! Thanks so much and I think you should go for it. Viva la vegan enchiladas!
Letty Flatt says
NIce job with the cashew cream. Really looking forward to making when I am in Baja for 2 months. Just put cashews in the kitchen box for the road.
Meg van der Kruik says
Whoa! Roasted red pepper cashew cream in Baja sounds pretty spectacular.:)
Emma says
I really really want these! So pleased you made them vegan.
I'm pretty sure my love of Mexi-inspired food could rival yours 😉
Meg van der Kruik says
Emma, lets be Mexican food loving buddies! We can share enchiladas:)
Ashleigh says
These look delicious! My fiancé can't wait for me to make these next week!!
Meg van der Kruik says
Yay Ashleigh! I hope you both enjoy them,:)
Kari@Loaves n Dishes says
I want to eat these everyday for the rest of my life! Okay, maybe not everyday, but a lot of days!
Meg van der Kruik says
Kari, you and I are kindred spirits...I just know it! I hope you enjoy these enchiladas when you make them,
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
These enchiladas sound incredible but it's the red pepper cashew cream that is really calling my name!
Meg van der Kruik says
You should totally make it and then dip every chip, veggie, & pretzel in sight in it. That's pretty much what I do.
Anna says
I love Mexican food! I love that you not only made a cashew cream, but that it is roasted red pepper! Love the flavor combinations happening in these enchiladas.
Meg van der Kruik says
Awww, thanks Anna!
Joanne says
I think we could have Mexican food every day and I would never ever EVER get bored! I am loving that these are vegan! That cashew cream sauce totally looks like it would hit the spot.
Meg van der Kruik says
Thanks so much Joanne.
Pure Ella says
Awesome! I love all of Meg's recipes 😉
YUM!!! This would definitely make the whole family happy!!
xoxo Ella
Meg van der Kruik says
Awww thanks Ella!!
Kira - HealthAble Old Soul says
Lately I have been using so many roasted red peppers but I love combining one of my favorite nuts (cashews) with my latest kick to get a creamy sauce that everyone can have without the dairy!
Meg van der Kruik says
Kira, the combination of cashew cream and roasted red peppers is an addictive one!
Kira - HealthAble Old Soul says
I am going to go nuts! Literally!
Shari says
I made these tonight and practically licked the plate clean. Wow, it was incredible! Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration
Meg van der Kruik says
Yay Shari!!! Thank you so much for letting me know how much you liked them. 🙂
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
Well, hello, enchiladas. Oh how I love thee. That cream and those beans--yum!
lillian says
This is such a tasty dish! My nephew is not keen on veggies (except carrots and potatoes) and my dad, a retired meat cutter, are carnivore freaks, and they even said these enchilada's rock! Maybe there's hope to converting them to eating more veggies yet!
Meg van der Kruik says
Lillian, you just made my day! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment for me:)