Vegan Enchiladas
Easy Vegan Enchiladas with tofu, spinach, and black beans, topped with a rich and flavorful red enchilada sauce and avocado. Healthy, packed with protein, and gluten free. Simple, freezer-friendly, and absolutely delicious!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (18 small enchiladas)
Ingredients
- 1 pound firm tofu drained, patted dry, and cut into chunks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded, and diced
- 1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large onion) finely diced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- 1 can black beans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
- 1 packet frozen spinach (10 ounces) thawed and pressed dry
- 20 ounces red enchilada sauce (2 1/2 cups) plus additional if you like your enchiladas really saucy*
- 18 small corn tortillas for larger enchiladas, you can use larger tortillas and fill them more generously
- For serving: your favorite mix of fresh cilantro avocado, diced green or red onion, lime wedges, radishes, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a large casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Prepare the enchilada filling: Place the tofu in a food processor and puree for several minutes until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Sprinkle in the salt, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne. Pulse a few more times to mix well.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a deep skillet over medium. Once hot and shimmering, add the jalapeno, bell pepper, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tofu and nutritional yeast, if using, and continue cooking and stirring until the tofu is heated through and dries somewhat (it should look similar to scrambled eggs), about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and thawed, pressed spinach. Stir, breaking up the spinach as you go. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon a thin layer of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Wrap the tortillas in damp paper or cloth towel and microwave for 30 seconds to make them more pliable. Scoop a 1/4-cup portion of filling into each tortilla (or whatever amount you desire), roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Lightly coat any exposed tortillas with a little nonstick spray or brush with olive oil so that they crisp nicely in the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the tortillas are golden. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- *You can swap the homemade red enchilada sauce for the same amount of storebought canned mild or spicy red enchilada sauce.
- Depending upon the size of your dish, you made need to divide the enchiladas between two pans if you'd like to bake them all at once. You can also freeze the filling for up to 3 months, then thaw it for enchiladas later on. I also love eating the filling topped with avocado and salsa for a quick, healthy lunch.
- These enchiladas taste their best the day they are made, BUT you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. You can also bake them directly from frozen. To bake from frozen, I'd estimate 45 minutes to 1 hour in a 350 degree oven. Start the pan covered for the first 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 3enchiladasCalories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 15gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gFiber: 12gSugar: 7g
