Vegan Enchiladas Verde
Vegan Enchiladas Verde features a colorful mix of veggies and black beans rolled in corn tortillas and smothered with a homemade green enchilada sauce and delicious smoky cashew cream!
I love enchiladas! Not the kind with tons of processed cheese, be it vegan or otherwise, but the kind just like these with veggies and beans, homemade Verde sauce, and amazing creamy cashew cream.
It may not look like much, but these homemade vegan veggie-filled enchiladas are pretty darn amazing and perfect for a casual meal the whole family will love!
The Verde sauce is full of bright flavor from the tomatillos. I made it the day before so it could really set and combine its flavors. It would also make a great salsa or taco salad dressing!
The smoked paprika in the cashew cream is so tasty, giving it just a touch of smoky flavor. For variation, this ‘Cilantro Lime Cashew ‘Sour Cream would be great too!
How To Make Vegan Enchiladas Verde
Here is a quick look at the steps involved in making the best vegan enchiladas verde. The full, printable instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Make the vegan enchilada sauce. This takes about 25 minutes and can be made ahead (you can also see Tomatillo Salsa Verde for step-by-step instructions). Also, if you don’t want to make the verde sauce, feel free to use a good brand of pre-made verde sauce instead. But I highly recommend making your own, as it is delicious!
- Whip up the cashew cream. It’s super easy to make, and you’ll never miss that it’s non-dairy. It comes together fast using a blender and can be made ahead of time.
- Saute the veggies. This step is quick as well and only takes about 8 minutes to cook the veggies until just tender.
- Assemble the enchiladas. When I originally made this recipe, I roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, but using the stovetop is quick and easy. Feel free to roast the veggies instead.
- Warm the tortillas. This helps make them pliable and prevent cracking when folding. My favorite way is to individually warm them over the stovetop, giving the edges a little chard look. Once done, stack them on each other, and they will stay warm while you assemble the enchiladas. You can also heat them in the microwave, as noted in the recipe card.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Add a little enchilada verde sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13 (or larger) baking dish. Fill each tortilla, fold over the sides to wrap, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and finish off with the cashew cream, as shown above.
- Bake to perfection. Cover with foil or large silpat, and bake in a preheated oven set to 400 for 20 – 25 minutes, as shown below.
And that’s it, now you’re ready to dine on these amazing whole food, plant-based enchiladas!
Top Tips
- Use store-bought green enchilada sauce for convenience.
- Skip the crema and use your favorite shredded vegan cheese.
- Leftovers are just as delicious as fresh-made ones, so you may want to plan on making them for meal prep or freezing them for later!
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a covered container.
- Freezer: Vegan enchiladas freeze beautifully for up to 2 – 3 months. You may even want to make a little extra just to freeze. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link). Reheat from frozen or thawed as noted below.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven set to 350 degrees F., covered, for 15 – 20 minutes, if from frozen, do the full 20 minutes (may take a bit longer depending on your oven). Alternatively, reheat in the microwave for 1 – 3 minutes (if frozen, do the full 3 minutes) or until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
These savory enchiladas can be served with a few sides and condiments, making for a delicious weeknight or weekend meal. Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Beans: Serve with a side of Instant Pot Refried Beans using dried beans, Quick + Easy Refried Beans using canned beans.
- Rice: Serve with this flavorful Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Condiments: Pair with fresh Pico de Gallo, Fresh Corn Salsa, or Guacamole.
- Soup: For a well-rounded meal, add a small bowl of Vegan Pozole (Posole Verde), Tex-Mex Quinoa Vegetable Soup, or Vegetable Quinoa Soup.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
- Grilled Baja Tofu Tacos
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Vegan Burrito
- Quick + Easy Nacho Bowl
- Vegan 7-Layer Dip
- Easy Vegan Black Bean Tacos
If you try this vegan enchiladas recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVEGAN ENCHILADAS VERDE
Vegan enchiladas verde is stuffed with a colorful mix of veggies and smothered with a homemade green enchilada sauce and delicious smoky cashew creama!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2+ hours
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
Vegan Enchilada Sauce
- 2 lbs fresh tomatillos, husked and quartered
- 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro (or combo), chopped
- mineral salt, to taste
Enchiladas
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 – 2 ears of corn, shucked with the corn cut off the cob
- 3/4 cup or 1/2 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- olive oil
- 1/2 –1 teaspoon cumin
- salt + cracked pepper
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 9 – 12 corn tortillas
Instructions
Cashew cream: Soak the cashews in two cups cold water for 2+ hours or hot water for 5 minutes, drain well. Place cashews, lime juice, paprika, onion powder, salt and 1/2 cup water into blender/nutribullet and blend until smooth. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency. Taste for flavor. Add more paprika to your liking, but keep in mind the color will change.
Enchilada sauce: Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and vegetable broth in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Carefully, transfer to a food processor/blender, add the cilantro and/or parsley, and salt, process until smooth. Set aside. You may need to process your verde sauce in two batches if using a food processor. (Note: See Salsa Verde for step by step instructions) Makes about 6 cups.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Enchilada filling: Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the zucchini, carrots, corn, tomatoes, cumin, and salt, and saute until just tender, about 5 – 8 minutes.
Warm the tortillas: This helps to make them pliable. I prefer to warm mine over the stovetop so the edges get a little charred. Keep them stacked on each other with a towel over top to keep warm. Alternatively, wrap your corn tortillas in a dampened paper towel and microwave 45 seconds.
Assemble: Once everything is ready, start putting the enchiladas together. Pour 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 × 13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 c of the vegetable mixture, and a spoonful of black beans, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Once filled, pour 2 – 3 cups of the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas (use more if you like). Pour the cashew creama overtop. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. You may also like to leave the foil off for the last 10 minutes to let the exposed tortillas get a bit crispy. Once cooled a bit and ready to serve, add a finishing touch with fresh chopped cilantro overtop.
Serves 4 – 6
Notes
Make ahead: Cashew cream and enchilada sauce can be made in advance, a day or two, and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For convenience, use a 28 oz can of store bought green enchilada sauce.
Roast the veggies. When I originally made this recipe, I roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, but changed it to the stovetop for quickness. Feel free to roast the veggies instead.
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This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Unquestionably the best I’ve tried, thank you!
I didn’t make the enchiladas, yet, because I was looking for a vegan dressing of sorts for a taco dish I was preparing. I made this Cashew Crema and I AM BLOWN AWAY. I added the optional ACV so it is akin to a sour cream – I LOVE IT! This is now my go-to sauce/spread/topping/dressing – it’s so simple and delicious. I will make my next batch without the ACV to see what flavor it takes. I almost cannot believe how great this tastes, and NO DAIRY or unhealthy ingredients!! A+
I am impressed with this Cashew Creama as well. For a slightly “cheesy” variation I added a generous tablespoon of Nutritional yeast. It gave an extra layer of flavor that I was looking for.
i would love to pin this recipe to my pinterest board so i can find it again. I made the cashew crema and it was delicious with jackfruit enchiladas and a vegan mole recipe :).. But i am not able to pin it. Do you know why? Thank you!
I fixed the pin it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. When I updated the plugin it changed something, but it’s all good now. Pin away! Enjoy :)
I made this last week and it is so delicious! The verde sauce makes the dish, for me. Love it…and that cute casserole dish!
Made this…super easy… LOVED IT!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much for letting me know!!! I don't know why but vegan recipes rarely come with serving amounts.. it is really hard for our vegan family of 6 to know how much to make! We are making this tonight…it looks amazing!
How many servings does this recipe make? and what size are the servings?
I would say it serves 4 – 6, with 2 – 3 enchiladas per person. I was only able to get six enchiladas in this baking dish but had plenty of vegetables, cream and sauce for another six.
With the carrots that you added to the original recipe, did you roast them with the other veggies or just added along with the beans when filling the tortillas?
I roasted the carrots along with the corn, zucchini and tomatoes. Enjoy :)
I missed this comment…Thank you so much for the inspiration and sharing this in the first place! It's just delicious :)